It is so important, first because it was an innovation. For once, in an act, there was a rare obligation for positive measures, without the positive measures being clearly defined, either by regulation or in the act itself.
Often, the successes of Part VII were achieved in regions, where departmental directors were located. They studied that obligation and asked themselves what they could do for the official language minority community in their region.
There were often consultations. Fisheries and Oceans Canada participated in celebrations in Gaspé. In Alberta, Parks Canada provided an office for local francophone communities if, in exchange, they would provide French conversation classes for their employees. It was a win-win, enabling the department to be more engaged with the local community. The president of VIA Rail became aware of the obligation, but he did not see which community he could consult. He assured the FCFA that he took the obligation seriously. He did not see which minority community VIA Rail could assist, but the FCFA suggested a contribution to people's travel to the organization's annual meeting.
All the successes, therefore, came as the result of consultations and of a greater commitment from the departments to the communities, often at a very local level.
I used to say to myself that this is not the kind of success that one could imagine coming from a deputy minister's office, that is to say, a directive addressed to all a department's regional offices. It comes instead from the imagination, the innovation and the openness of spirit of the federal employees on site.