Document Information

Date: 1970-09-10
By: Committee of Ministers on Official Languages
Citation: Constitutional Conference, Notes for Introductory Comments, Progress Report from the Committee of Ministers on Official Languages (Ottawa: 14-15 September 1970).
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CONFIDENTIAL

Second Working Session, Constitutional Conference

NOTES FOR
INTRODUCTORY COMMENTS

September 10, 1970.

1. C’est le 6 novembre 1969, que le Secrétaire d’Etat, lors de la seconde réunion du Comité Ministériel sur les langues officielles, annonçait la politique du gouvernement fédéral en ce qui concerne les recommandations contenues dans le volume II du rapport de la Commission royale d’enquête sur le bilinguisme et le biculturalisme.

2. Par la suite, une série de renconctres ont eu lieu entre les représentants du gouvernement fédéral et ceux des provinces concernant la mise en place du programme.

3. C’est lors de la dernière réunion du Comité Ministériel, le 25 mai 1970, que l’on se mit d’accord sur la formule à employer pour la distribution des fonds.

4. After several months of further bilateral discussions every province has now confirmed this agreement and, as you know, the Secretary of State made an announcement of this fact last week.

5. This programme is to be retroactive to January 1, 1970 and since all provinces have provided the necessary statistical data, payments will be made to them shortly.

6. I think the committee has made a remarkable effort to help further the opportunity for all Canadians to educate their children in the official language of their choice and to allow them to learn, as a second language, the other official language of Canada.

7. I would also like to express my appreciation to those provinces for whom the implementation of such a programme has required a particular effort.

8. You will note the Committee’s proposed future programme of work in the last paragraph of its report. I would propose that we approve of it.

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9. We must not forget that one of the main purposes of this Committee is in fact to consider the constitutional aspects of official languages. The federal government hopes to be able to present to the Ministerial Committee soon a working paper clarifying its position on constitutional language rights as set forth in the document called The Constitution and the People of Canada.

10. Suggest that the Conference may wish to record this important progress in the statement of conclusions of the Working Session.