Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen and committee members.
I'd like to start by thanking you for this opportunity.
On behalf of Canadian Parents for French, I'd like to talk about linguistic duality in Canada.
What does “linguistic duality” mean? It means that Canada has two official languages, and neither one is more important than the other. It means that Canada is founded on a dialogue between two linguistic groups, anglophones and francophones, each of which look to preserve their own language while respecting the language of the other.
Linguistic duality is at the heart of being Canadian. It's a shared value that illustrates the importance of preserving our official languages. Although it is the tie that binds, unifying us all, we devote far too little attention to it. Rarely does the government promote linguistic duality.
The concept is so overlooked that, right now, the one and only definition of Canada's linguistic duality is found on the website of the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages.
I believe there's a link between linguistic duality and Canada's diversity. After all, isn't it recognizing that there are two ways of saying something and realizing as well that there could be many ways of saying it?
Due to the importance of linguistic duality in Canada, three organizations have come together to help promote the importance of linguistic duality through the country.
Canadian Parents for French, French for the Future and the Canadian Foundation for Cross-Cultural Dialogue are working together to create the linguistic duality network.
We are working to shine a light on a Canadian concept that is unconsciously accepted in Canada and yet rarely overtly mentioned. Despite the many challenges we face, our country is one of the most diverse and tolerant in the world. I sincerely believe that linguistic duality can be said to be the cornerstone of our diversity and inclusion.
That is why we require that the committee, during its consultations and at all stages of implementing the act, consult the network and its members to further discuss the place and importance of linguistic duality in Canada.
We look forward to your questions.