Statement from the Commissioner following the passing of Keith Spicer

GATINEAU, QC, Aug. 24, 2023 /CNW/ - Commissioner of Official Languages Raymond Théberge made the following statement today following the passing of former commissioner Keith Spicer:

"I was very saddened to hear of the passing of the very first Commissioner of Official Languages, Keith Spicer.

"Mr. Spicer was a key player in the birth of the official languages system. His appointment in 1970 marked the creation of the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages. Throughout his tenure, his driving force was the ideal of human dignity represented by institutional bilingualism and mutual respect between the two official language groups.

"Through my eyes as a young Franco-Manitoban, Keith Spicer represented the true embodiment of the Official Languages Act. He was a star, but more importantly, he was my star. His vision of bilingualism and openness to others particularly appealed to me, and this 1976 quote from Mr. Spicer still resonates today: 'No language reform can be achieved until Canadians change their scale of values, until they stop seeing the acquisition of another language not as a hindrance but as an opportunity for enrichment.'

"The employees of the Office of the Commissioner join me in offering our deepest condolences to the family and friends of Keith Spicer."

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SOURCE Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages

Media Relations, Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages, Email: [email protected], Telephone: [phone]