Implementing Section 91 of the Official Languages Act : A Systemic Problem

Given the recurring nature of complaints filed under section 91 of the Act, as well as the importance for Canada to have a public service that has the necessary skills to respect and promote both official languages throughout the country, the Commissioner of Official Languages of Canada (the Commissioner) decided that an in-depth analysis of the problem was needed in order to determine its scope, identify its causes and propose solutions. This report contains the results of that analysis and the Commissioner’s recommendations to help federal institutions resolve the problem. The Commissioner hopes that this analysis will motivate all stakeholders to take a serious look at this problem, and that the recommendations he has made in this report will lead to better implementation of section 91 of the Act and to a public service that can fulfill its mandate in both official languages for all Canadians.