How did the federal Official Languages Act change Canada?

The federal Official Languages Act of July 7, 1969 made English and French equal in the Government of Canada and Parliament, established the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages, and required federal services in both languages where numbers warranted. The Act was passed by Pierre Trudeau's federal Liberal government, based on the recommendations of the Royal Commission on Bilingualism and Biculturalism (1963 to 1970). It came into force on September 7, 1969. The Act fundamentally changed the federal government's relationship with the French language and remains the central federal language statute today.

The Act's main provisions had several elements. Section 2 declared English and French the official languages of Canada in all institutions of the Parliament and Government of Canada. Sections 8 and 9 required federal departments and agencies to provide services in both languages in the National Capital Region (Ottawa-Gatineau) and in any region where there was 'significant demand' (typically defined as 5 per cent or more of the population speaking the minority language). Sections 19 and 20 protected minority-language education rights in federally administered areas. Sections 25 to 44 established the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages, an officer of Parliament responsible for monitoring compliance.

Implementation faced significant challenges. The federal civil service in 1969 was overwhelmingly English-speaking; only about 9 per cent of senior federal positions were held by francophones in 1965 (despite francophones being about 27 per cent of the Canadian population). The federal government introduced extensive language training, bilingual recruitment, and designated bilingual positions. By 2024 about 28 per cent of the federal public service was francophone, roughly proportionate to the francophone share of the Canadian population. About 48 per cent of federal positions are designated bilingual.

The Official Languages Act was reinforced by the Constitution Act, 1982, particularly section 16 (declaring English and French official languages of Canada with equal status), section 17 (use of either language in Parliament), section 18 (records and journals in both languages), section 19 (either language in federal courts), and section 20 (services from federal institutions in either language). The 1988 Official Languages Act (revised) provided for federal support to minority-language communities and expanded the Commissioner's powers. A further modernisation came with Bill C-13 in June 2023, the Act for the Substantive Equality of Canada's Official Languages, which strengthened provisions for the protection of French in particular and added new obligations on the federal government and federally regulated private-sector employers. The Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages remains an officer of Parliament with extensive complaint-handling and audit powers.