Media Advisory - Ministers Joly and Lametti Take Part in the Symposium on the 50th Anniversary of the Official Languages Act

The Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Tourism, Official Languages and La Francophonie, and the Honourable David Lametti, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, are among the participants in this symposium, one of the activities organized in connection with the modernization of Canada's Official Languages Act

OTTAWA, May 24, 2019 /CNW/ - The Symposium on the 50th anniversary of the Official Languages Act will be held May 27 and 28, 2019, at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa. The symposium is the largest gathering of official-language stakeholders in the country.

Among the well-known panelists to be featured at the symposium are Ian Shugart, Clerk of the Privy Council and Secretary to the Cabinet; Graham Fraser, former Commissioner of Official Languages; Mark Power, an Ottawa lawyer specializing in language rights; Jean Johnson, president of the Fédération des communautés francophones et acadienne; Marie‑Philippe Bouchard, president and CEO of TV5-Québec-Canada; and Sylvia Martin‑Laforge, director general of the Quebec Community Groups Network.

Participants will be invited to discuss the challenges faced and progress achieved to date, and to reflect on the discussions held and issues identified during the forums and roundtables held in the last few weeks as part of the process of modernizing the Official Languages Act.

Key topics to be addressed at the symposium include: the history and review of the Official Languages Act; a presentation on the review of the act in preparation for its modernization; the growth and development of official-language minority communities; federal institutions that embody official languages; promoting culture and bilingualism; official languages and Canada in the digital age; and official languages and Canada's place in the world.

Minister Joly invites all Canadians to view the highlights of the symposium on social media and live on Facebook.

Please note that all details are subject to change. All times are local.

Media representatives are invited to attend the following activities:

DAY 1 – MAY 27, 2019

ACTIVITY #1: Opening remarks by Minister Joly and presentation by Daniel Lessard, Quebec political journalist and author

TIME:
9:00 a.m.

PLACE:
National Arts Centre
Canada Room
1 Elgin Street
Ottawa, Ontario

DAY 2 – MAY 28, 2019

ACTIVITY #1: Announcement of partnership with CBC/Radio-Canada for The Mauril, a Canadian cultural program for learning English and French as second languages.

TIME:
12:30 p.m.

PLACE:
National Arts Centre
Canada Room
1 Elgin Street
Ottawa, Ontario

ACTIVITY #2: Closing remarks by Minister Lametti

TIME:
3:30 p.m.

PLACE:
National Arts Centre
Canada Room
1 Elgin Street
Ottawa, Ontario

SOURCE Canadian Heritage

(media only), please contact: Jérémy Ghio, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of Tourism, Official Languages and La Francophonie, [email protected]; Media Relations, Canadian Heritage, 819-994-9101, 1-866-569-6155, [email protected]

Related Links

www.pch.gc.ca