National Capital Commission
Canada

The Official Languages Act (OLA) contains three objectives that involve the public in general and federal employees in particular. These objectives, which form the basis of the Official Languages Program of the NCC, are as follows:

  • Members of the public must be able to communicate and receive services from the NCC in the official language of their choice in accordance with the OLA;
  • In accordance with the section of the OLA on language of work, NCC employees should as a general rule be able to work in the official language of their choice within the NCC; and
  • While respecting the merit principle, the composition of the workforce of the NCC must reflect the full participation of both English-speaking Canadians and French-speaking Canadians.

The NCC also provides an annual report to Canadian Heritage on the implementation of section 41 of the OLA, which focuses on our commitment to helping official-language minority communities develop and flourish.

The Official Languages Act was one of the cornerstones of the government of Pierre Trudeau. The Act was an attempt to rectify the inequitable manner in which Canada's English-speaking and French-speaking populations were treated by the federal administration. At that time, only 9% of jobs within the federal public service were occupied by Francophones even though French-speakers formed a quarter of the Canadian population. The proportion of jobs designated bilingual grew to 14% in 1978 and to 25% in 2004.

The Act was then updated in 1988 to take into account the new language-related obligations that the federal government had undertaken in 1982. Its principles are also incorporated into the Constitution of Canada, in section 16 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

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 Modified: Thursday July 29, 2010
Important Notices and Disclaimers