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Annual Report on Official Languages 2024–2025

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Annual Report on Official Languages 2024–2025 [PDF version - 1.01 MB]

Catalogue Publication Information

This publication is available in alternative formats upon request.

This publication is also available in PDF and HTML format at the following address:

https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/services/official-languages-bilingualism/publications.html

An acknowledgement to First Nations, Inuit and Métis in Canada

In the spirit of truth and reconciliation, the Government of Canada would like to reaffirm its commitment to working in partnership with Indigenous Peoples. This commitment involves recognizing and meaningfully addressing the enduring impacts of colonization, while fostering a better understanding of First Nations, Inuit and Métis worldviews. It also calls for an expanded awareness of our shared responsibility to right past wrongs and forge more just and equitable relationships with Indigenous communities across the country.

We would like to begin by acknowledging that the lands on which we live, work and gather—as well as the digital infrastructure enabling our operations—lie within the traditional territories of numerous Indigenous nations. We also acknowledge that our national headquarters in Gatineau, Quebec, is situated on the traditional, unceded, unsurrendered territory of the Algonquin Anishinaabe People. Since time immemorial, that location has served as a place of meeting and exchange for the Indigenous nations who have always had a presence there.

Indigenous languages are an integral part of Canadian cultures and identities. As the Government of Canada reforms the official languages regime, it is simultaneously prioritizing the reclamation, revitalization, maintenance and strengthening of Indigenous languages. Official languages efforts and initiatives do not detract in any way from rights associated with languages other than English or French, including Indigenous languages.

Message from the Minister

The Honourable Marc Miller

As Minister of Canadian Identity and Culture and Minister responsible for Official Languages, I am pleased to present the 2024–2025 Annual Report on Official Languages. This report highlights the concrete actions taken by Canadian Heritage to advance the official languages as key pillars of Canadian identity and enhance the vitality of official language minority communities.

In a context marked by persistent economic pressures and growing labour needs, 2024–2025 saw significant progress in the area of official languages. That progress contributes directly to regional economic vitality, labour mobility, newcomer integration and social cohesion—priorities that are central to building stronger, more resilient and more inclusive communities.

A key highlight of 2024–2025 was the regulatory work undertaken by Canadian Heritage to fully implement the Act for the Substantive Equality of Canada’s Official Languages, which modernized the Official Languages Act and enacted the Use of French in Federally Regulated Private Businesses Act. These major efforts culminated in the tabling, in Parliament, of two sets of draft regulations: one on the administrative monetary penalties regime (November 26, 2025) and one on the use of French in federally regulated private businesses (April 15, 2026).

2024–2025 was also the second year of implementation of Action Plan for Official Languages 2023–2028: Protection–Promotion–Collaboration, during which all 82 initiatives were fully rolled out. Backed by a record five-year investment of $4.1 billion, including $1.4 billion in new funding, the Action Plan supports Francophone immigration objectives, advances learning opportunities in both official languages and improves access to essential services for official language minority communities.

On February 17, 2025, in connection with the Action Plan, we also announced the ratification of the Protocol for Agreements for Minority-Language Education and Second-Language Instruction 2024–2025 to 2027–2028. Backed by an investment of $1.4 billion, this multi-year agreement with the provincial and territorial governments supports minority-language education and second-language learning and will play an important role in boosting employability, labour mobility and economic competitiveness.

These highlights are a testament to the important work carried out by Canadian Heritage and federal institutions to advance the substantive equality of English and French in Canada. I encourage you to read on for a more detailed account of the achievements and results of the past year.

The Honourable Marc Miller

List of acronyms and abbreviations

Acfas
Association francophone pour le savoir
Action Plan 2023–2028
Action Plan for Official Languages 2023–2028: Protection–Promotion–Collaboration
AMP
Administrative monetary penalty
ESCQs
English-speaking communities of Quebec
ESDC
Employment and Social Development Canada
FMC
Francophone minority community
FRPB
Federally regulated private business
IRCC
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada
MCCF
Ministers’ Council on the Canadian Francophonie
OLA
Official Languages Act
OLMC
Official language minority community
PCH
Canadian Heritage
TBS
Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat
UFPBA
Use of French in Federally Regulated Private Businesses Act

Introduction

Recent years have been marked by major transitions in the area of official languages, transitions that are broadly attributable to the overhaul of Canada’s language regime, the main principles of which are laid out in English and French: Towards a Substantive Equality of Official Languages in Canada. In 2024–2025, Canadian Heritage (PCH) continued its regulatory work to fully implement the Act for the Substantive Equality of Canada’s Official Languages, which strengthened and modernized the Official Languages Act (OLA) and enacted the Use of French in Federally Regulated Private Businesses Act (UFPBA).

During 2024–2025, PCH worked to develop regulations on the administrative monetary penalties (AMP) regime, a draft of which was tabled in Parliament on November 26, 2025. In addition, the work of developing regulations on the use of French in federally regulated private businesses (FRPBs) gained momentum, and a draft of those regulations was tabled in Parliament on April 15, 2026. These two sets of regulations are essential levers for advancing the substantive equality of English and French in Canadian society.

2024–2025 was also the second year of the rollout of Action Plan for Official Languages 2023–2028: Protection–Promotion–Collaboration (Action Plan 2023–2028), a year that saw all 82 initiatives fully implemented. As part of the Action Plan, the Government of Canada also announced the ratification of the Protocol for Agreements for Minority-Language Education and Second-Language Instruction 2024–2025 to 2027–2028. PCH and partner federal institutions are supporting the implementation of these initiatives through productive partnerships with provincial and territorial governments and community organizations.

This annual report provides an overview of PCH’s achievements in 2024–2025, particularly with respect to the regulatory process and the implementation of the commitments under the modernized OLA. It also presents a sample of the results and impacts of the new initiatives under Action Plan 2023–2028, as well as other measures taken by federal institutions in support of the substantive equality of the official languages and sectors essential to the vitality of official language minority communities (OLMCs).

Section 1: Advancing the substantive equality of the official languages

In 2024–2025, PCH continued working towards full implementation of the Act for the Substantive Equality of Canada’s Official Languages. Three sets of regulations are needed in order to implement certain new provisions introduced by that Act:

  • Regulations supporting the AMP regime (PCH responsibility)
  • Regulations on the use of French in FRPBs (PCH responsibility)
  • Regulations under Part VII of the OLA (Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat [TBS] responsibility, in collaboration with PCH)

These will be critical to advancing the ongoing language reform and reaffirming our commitment to the substantive equality of English and French. The objective of the work under way is to develop regulations that reflect the realities and priorities of Canadians.

The full implementation of the OLA also hinges on implementing the commitments contained in that statute. In the modernized OLA, the government recognizes that French is in a minority situation in Canada and North America due to the predominant use of English, and commits to protecting and promoting that language.

To this end, Budget 2025 announced investments in support of Francophone communities across Canada, including:

  • $4 million over four years, starting in 2026–2027, for PCH’s Celebration and Commemoration Program to support National Acadian Day
  • $6 million over three years, starting in 2026–2027, to PCH to support the purchase of Canadian content for the TV5MONDEplus platform, thereby enhancing the discoverability of Canadian French-language content internationally
  • $150 million in 2025–2026 for CBC/Radio-Canada to strengthen its mandate to serve the public and to better reflect the needs of Canadians

In addition, in 2024–2025, PCH continued to implement a range of measures, notably by way of initiatives in Action Plan 2023–2028, to protect and promote French across Canada, including in Quebec.

1.1 Regulatory implementation

In 2024–2025, PCH continued working to support the implementation of the Act for the Substantive Equality of Canada’s Official Languages. The Department’s activities focused primarily on advancing the two regulatory initiatives within its purview: regulations supporting the AMP regime and regulations on the use of French in FRPBs.

The AMP regulations govern the exercise of the new power of the Commissioner of Official Languages to impose AMPs for violations under Part IV (Communications with and Services to the Public) of the OLA. This new power is intended to strengthen the compliance of federal institutions—particularly those operating in the transportation sector and serving the travelling public—in the area of communications with and services to the public. The work done in 2024–2025 supported the achievement of a key milestone in the following fiscal year: the tabling of the draft regulations in Parliament on November 26, 2025.

At the same time, the development of the regulations on the use of French in FRPBs gained momentum. These regulations specify how the UFPBA is to be applied, including by defining “region with a strong Francophone presence” and establishing the minimum employee thresholds at which FRPBs become subject to the Act.

From December 10, 2024, to January 27, 2025, in order to gain a better understanding of the potential costs associated with implementing the regime, PCH consulted sectoral associations representing FRPBs. With their input, PCH was able to refine certain assumptions and advance the existing work. The analysis of the regulatory parameters, as well as engagement with national Indigenous organizations and other stakeholders, continued. This work supported the achievement of a key milestone in a future fiscal year: the tabling of the draft regulations in Parliament on April 15, 2026.

In 2024–2025, PCH held a number of bilateral and multilateral meetings with a wide range of stakeholders to present the regulatory development process and take a range of perspectives into account. These discussions—and the submissions received—helped advance the development of the two sets of regulations by ensuring that the proposed regulatory texts reflected the realities and priorities of Canadians.

In addition, during 2024–2025, PCH continued working closely with TBS to support a coherent implementation of the new provisions of the OLA. TBS, in collaboration with PCH, is responsible for developing the regulations respecting Part VII of the OLA. These regulations are intended to clarify how federal institutions will meet their obligations with respect to advancing the equality of status and use of English and French in Canadian society and comply with the Government of Canada commitments set out in Part VII of the OLA. As part of this regulatory work, PCH provided technical and strategic support, helping advance the required consultations and analyses. A draft of the proposed regulations was tabled in the House of Commons on December 9, 2025.

Overall, the work carried out in 2024–2025 helped pave the way for the adoption and gradual implementation of the new regulatory frameworks contemplated in the Act for the Substantive Equality of Canada’s Official Languages.

1.2 Protection and promotion of French

In 2024–2025, federal institutions continued to implement positive measures to protect and promote French, including in Quebec. One objective of Action Plan 2023–2028 is to protect and promote French, an objective supported by four main areas of intervention:

  • Government of Canada leadership – In order to ensure that federal institutions take the protection and promotion of French into account in their structuring decisions as they pursue their objectives
  • Targeted efforts to promote and support Francophone immigration outside Quebec – In order to restore the demographic weight of Francophones
  • Investments in official-language learning – In order to promote the presence and everyday use of the French language across Canada, with significant contributions from provincial and territorial governments, particularly in minority French-language education and French second-language learning
  • Support for community and representative organizations – In order to promote access to services in French across a range of sectors essential to enhancing community vitality

Action Plan 2023–2028 features a number of measures and initiatives that support the Canadian Francophonie, including the Quebec Francophonie. Among other things, PCH supports minority French-language education and French second-language learning, as detailed in Section 4 of this report. Action Plan 2023–2028 also supports a range of initiatives that contribute to the protection and promotion of French from coast to coast to coast.

Support for the creation and dissemination of scientific information in French

In 2024–2025, PCH’s Supporting the Creation and Dissemination of Scientific Information in French initiative delivered significant results. This key positive measure, backed by funding of $8.5 million over five years, contributes directly to the protection and promotion of French across Canada.

Post-Secondary Sector and Scientific Knowledge in French Support Fund

The Post-Secondary Sector and Scientific Knowledge in French Support Fund supports knowledge mobilization and scientific popularization in French. In 2024–2025, the first year of the initiative, the Fund backed three major scientific knowledge mobilization projects.

By way of example, with funding of $70,000 in 2024–2025, the Réseau des cégeps et des collèges francophones du Canada engaged its faculty to produce podcasts on topics of strategic importance to the Francophone economy, including bioeconomy, bio-innovation and agriculture. Not only do these podcasts increase the visibility of Francophone researchers in minority settings, they also contribute to the dissemination of knowledge in French, for the benefit of both Canadian industry and the students who represent tomorrow’s workforce in these growth sectors.

External Advisory Panel on the Creation and Dissemination of Scientific Information in French

On October 22, 2024, the government announced the 10 members of the External Advisory Panel on the Creation and Dissemination of Scientific Information in French. The Advisory Panel is tasked with providing the Minister responsible for Official Languages with recommendations informing the development of a federal strategy for the long-term viability of the French-language research ecosystem in Canada.

From January to March 2025, the Advisory Panel held nearly 20 meetings with representatives of federal institutions, researchers, students and publishing-sector stakeholders, in addition to launching an online consultation portal, in order to collect briefs and submissions. A key visit took place on March 3 and 4 at the University of Alberta’s Campus Saint-Jean, which strengthened engagement with the minority-language scientific community.

The Advisory Panel’s work culminated in a May 2026 report that provides an overview of French-language research in Canada and makes recommendations for advancing the substantive equality of official languages in science.

Service d’aide à la recherche en français

Launched in May 2023, the Service d’aide à la recherche en français [French-language research support service] of the Association francophone pour le savoir (Acfas) supports French-speaking researchers in minority settings who do not have access to French-language support at their institutions.

In 2024–2025, thanks in part to funding from PCH, this pan-Canadian inter-university service entered into 15 partnership agreements, processed 38 funding applications, organized 5 webinars on the programs of the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, and held 1 event on French in the natural sciences and engineering.

In terms of direct support for research in French, in 2024–2025 PCH signed memoranda of understanding with two federal research granting councils:

  • With the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, for the funding of 4 research projects and 6 scholarships (primarily in Quebec and New Brunswick), in order to strengthen health-research capacity in French
  • With the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, to encourage education and research in French in the natural sciences and engineering

Ministers’ Council on the Canadian Francophonie

Access to government services in the official language of the minority is essential to the vitality and development of OLMCs. The purpose of intergovernmental cooperation on minority-language services is to help provincial and territorial governments offer provincial, territorial and municipal services in the minority language, in order to foster the development of those communities.

The government has mechanisms in place—including the Ministers’ Council on the Canadian Francophonie (MCCF)—to foster dialogue and coordinate work on shared objectives. The mandate of the MCCF is to contribute to a dialogue conducive to the development of initiatives that strengthen the Canadian Francophonie and enhance the status of French in Canada through promotional initiatives. Action Plan 2023–2028 announced additional support for the operations of the MCCF and the promotion of the Canadian Francophonie.

The MCCF’s annual meeting was held in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, on June 26 and 27, 2025. Co-chaired by the Honourable Steven Guilbeault, then Minister responsible for Official Languages, the meeting focused primarily on the positive contribution of the Francophonie to the Canadian economy and the importance of promoting it as a competitive advantage.

Supporting services in the minority language and promoting the Canadian Francophonie

Action Plan 2023–2028 announced enhanced funding for the agreements with provincial and territorial governments on minority-language services, in order to address growing demand for services in sectors essential to OLMC vitality, notably health care, social services, access to justice and newcomer integration. In 2024–2025, all provincial and territorial governments had an intergovernmental agreement on minority-language services in force, and 11 special projects were funded to address emerging priorities.

Manitoba was one of the provinces that made use of the funding for special projects in 2024–2025. Through funding of $223,125 in 2024–2025, included in the total funding of $1,417,140 approved for the 2024–2025 to 2027–2028 period, the Government of Manitoba began implementing a project to strengthen its capacity to deliver services in French, develop new services, establish improved communication and consultation mechanisms with the province’s Francophone population, and develop promotional activities.

This funding will enable the Government of Manitoba to dedicate full-time bilingual resources to the coordination of the strategic plans and to put in place training materials, policies, procedures and strategies to support the implementation of public entities’ multi-year strategic plans. The province will also assess its progress on French-language services through online surveys and consultations with focus groups. In addition, in 2024–2025, the Government of Manitoba launched a public consultation with the aim of creating a truly bilingual province.

International Day of La Francophonie

In 2024–2025, as part of International Day of La Francophonie on March 20, 2025, PCH worked with Réseau dialogue and Franco-Ontarian college La Cité to deliver a musical performance celebrating the diversity and vitality of the Canadian Francophonie. The opening ceremony, facilitated by an Indigenous elder, was followed by musical performances by artists from Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec and Nova Scotia.

The hybrid format of the event enabled more than 600 people to participate, either in person or online. What is more, thanks to the simultaneous interpretation service, a number of participants were able to access the event in English, helping foster an appreciation of French and Francophone culture across Canada. PCH also carried out a promotional campaign during the Month of La Francophonie (March 2025) that generated more than 200,000 views across various social media platforms.

In addition, as part of International Day of La Francophonie, PCH organized the first in a series of dialogue sessions on the protection and promotion of French in Canada, which was attended by nearly a hundred in-person and virtual participants. This hybrid event, grounded in a strategic foresight approach, brought together a wide range of stakeholders—including young Francophones and Francophiles, and representatives of community organizations, post-secondary institutions, cultural sectors and the federal public service—who were invited to imagine themselves in 2035. Participants were divided into working groups, and discussions focused on three main themes: French at school and at work; French in culture; and French in the community.

Among the priority challenges identified by the participants were teacher shortages, the limited discoverability of Francophone cultural content in the digital space, linguistic insecurity among youth and regional inequalities in access to services in French. The discussions also highlighted the need for greater youth involvement in the governance of Francophone organizations and for improved collaboration between Quebec and Francophone minority communities (FMCs). The findings from the dialogue session will inform interdepartmental work and feed into the development of the next Action Plan for Official Languages.

Section 2: Strengthening government leadership

The Government of Canada continues to strengthen its leadership in the area of official languages, including by advancing the equality of status and use of English and French in Canadian society; enhancing the vitality and supporting the development of OLMCs; protecting and promoting French across Canada; and providing learning opportunities in the minority official language from early childhood to post-secondary education. At the same time, it is working to strengthen OLMC capacity through a “by and for communities” approach.

To this end, the government is relying on robust partnerships that mobilize and engage federal institutions. The Partnerships to Strengthen Part VII of the Official Languages Act initiative, funded through Action Plan 2023–2028, supports the Minister responsible for Official Languages by mobilizing the entire federal public service to take positive measures.

In their efforts to take positive measures and avoid or mitigate the negative impacts of structuring decisions, federal institutions depend on access to evidence-based findings—findings that Statistics Canada continues to make available. In addition, the work in support of a periodic estimation of the number of children of minority-language education rights-holders continues, in keeping with the relevant commitment.

At the same time, in an effort to optimize its operations, PCH is reviewing the structure and processes of its Official Languages Support Programs. One aim of this comprehensive transformation is to streamline and ensure the long-term sustainability of these programs so that they can continue addressing emerging priorities and achieving maximum impact for communities.

2.1 Partnerships to Strengthen Part VII of the Official Languages Act

Led jointly by PCH and TBS, the Partnerships to Strengthen Part VII of the Official Languages Act initiative is supported by funding of $20.1 million over five years. The initiative seeks to strengthen leadership within the federal administration, coordinate federal efforts, foster increased collaboration with Canadians for the benefit and visibility of the official languages, and protect and promote French across Canada.

The functions related to official languages governance, leadership and promotion within the federal administration that form part of the initiative were officially transferred from PCH to TBS on April 1, 2024. The two federal institutions continue to work closely to strengthen the foundations and ensure continuity of coordination with federal institutions.

With respect to horizontal governance of official languages, meetings of the Committee of Assistant Deputy Ministers on Official Languages are now held under the authority of TBS, which continues to develop and strengthen its internal processes and mechanisms to support this work. Further to a review of the Committee’s terms of reference, TBS has proposed a draft strategic plan to guide its work over the next three years. The plan will support a shared vision for official languages and clarify the Committee’s role as a horizontal enabler in the area of official languages, not only within the current 27 member institutions but across the entire federal public service.

TBS has also developed an engagement strategy for the persons responsible for Part VII of the OLA within federal institutions. The strategy includes four meetings per year featuring learning activities to support and guide the community of practice. In 2024–2025, these meetings focused in particular on the changes to Part VII, on positive measures and on the sharing of tools developed by federal institutions in support of the implementation of Part VII. During the year, TBS also updated the tools intended to support federal institutions in implementing Part VII; these were released in December 2025.

Implementation of Action Plan for Official Languages 2023–2028

In 2024–2025, the 19 federal institutions partnering in Action Plan 2023–2028 continued to implement their respective initiatives. In total, Action Plan 2023–2028 features 82 initiatives—33 new or enhanced initiatives, and 49 ongoing historical initiatives—and represents a record five-year official languages investment of $4.1 billion, including $1.4 billion in new funding.

During 2024–2025, the second year of implementation of Action Plan 2023–2028, all 33 new or enhanced initiatives were fully implemented. As a result, all 82 initiatives were the focus of disbursements and/or calls for proposals. From Year 3 to Year 5, disbursements of between $815 million and $850 million (20–22% of the total funding envelope) are planned each year.

2024–2025 also saw targeted dialogue sessions—organized by federal partner institutions—on the implementation of the Action Plan 2023–2028 initiatives. These sessions with community organizations, key stakeholders and the broader official languages community supported the continued implementation of the new or enhanced initiatives through a “by and for communities” approach.

Strengthened accountability

In 2024–2025, PCH and all federal partners continued to strengthen reporting for the Action Plan 2023–2028 initiatives, in order to make information on disbursements, progress and cumulative impact available to the public more quickly and transparently.

In June 2025, PCH released the Accountability Framework for Action Plan for Official Languages 2023–2028. This document sets out the overarching societal objectives of the 33 new or enhanced initiatives. The Framework outcomes are aligned with the four pillars of Action Plan 2023–2028: restoring the demographic weight of Francophones; advancing opportunities for first- and second-language learning throughout life; supporting community vitality; and ensuring government leadership and collaboration among all official languages stakeholders.

Also as part of ongoing efforts to strengthen accountability for Action Plan 2023–2028, in 2024–2025 PCH developed a dashboard to track the implementation of the 82 initiatives. The dashboard is intended to provide Canadians with financial information on the Action Plan 2023–2028 initiatives and share concrete results made possible through the funding provided. Demonstration sessions were delivered to official languages stakeholders to obtain their feedback. The dashboard was released in spring 2026 and will be updated on an annual basis.

Interdepartmental working groups

The Partnerships to Strengthen Part VII of the Official Languages Act initiative focuses on two priorities identified through evidence-based findings and consultations with communities: restoring the demographic weight of Francophones in minority settings; and addressing labour needs and economic development in OLMCs. Both priorities have been the subject of in-depth analyses, and two working groups have been established to support a coordinated federal approach by bringing together key partners to address these cross-cutting, multidimensional issues.

The Interdepartmental Working Group on Restoring the Demographic Weight of Francophones, which began its work in spring 2024, comprises 13 federal institutions, including PCH and Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), which co-chair the group. In 2024–2025, the working group held four meetings that brought together key stakeholders around the issue of demographic weight and helped demonstrate how this issue could be better addressed through a continuum of services delivered by a range of federal institutions. In addition, in November 2024, the working group organized a dialogue session between federal institutions, researchers and representatives of community organizations to take stock of Francophone demographic issues while laying the groundwork for cooperation among stakeholders.

The Interdepartmental Working Group on Labour Needs and Economic Development in OLMCs, which began its work in fall 2024, comprises 14 federal institutions, including PCH and Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC), which co-chair the group. The working group held three meetings in 2024–2025, identifying a need to catalogue the various employment and economic development measures available to OLMCs in order to identify and address potential issues.

In addition to supporting interdepartmental collaboration on the objectives of the modernized OLA and Action Plan 2023–2028, these working groups support federal institutions in developing and implementing positive measures.

Calendar of official languages consultations

To harmonize federal institutions’ approaches with respect to consultation and dialogue with key official languages stakeholders, PCH has developed an interactive calendar of planned activities. The calendar was launched in 2024–2025 on the Government of Canada’s GCcollab platform.

The calendar was promoted to federal institutions through the platform, written communications were sent to senior management, and presentations were delivered at meetings of various networks whose members have official languages responsibilities within the public service.

In spring 2025, organizations representing OLMCs and organizations for the advancement of the official languages were encouraged to add their major events to the calendar to identify peak periods and help federal institutions plan dialogue sessions and consultations. The calendar includes approximately 250 members representing federal institutions, provincial and territorial governments, and official languages organizations.

Official Languages Day

In 2024–2025, PCH co-organized a bilingual event entitled “Our Languages in Action!” with the Council of the Network of Official Languages Champions, TBS and the Coalition for Official Languages (formerly the Linguistic Duality Network) as part of Official Languages Day 2024 on September 12. The event, which encouraged the exploration and promotion of the official languages in all their forms, brought together more than 2,000 participants, both English-speaking and French-speaking, from the public and the federal public service. Simultaneous interpretation was available in English, French, Quebec Sign Language and American Sign Language.

The panel discussion featured four young participants from Atlantic Canada, Quebec, Ontario and the Prairies. In addition, the event featured two video segments showcasing the experiences of young Acadian graduates from Nova Scotia and an English-speaking visual artist from Quebec. The event was hosted by a bilingual comedian who identifies as both Franco-Ontarian and Anglophone.

Regional Official Languages Network

The first year of operation of the Regional Official Languages Network saw significant achievements. The Network played a central role in organizing activities for Official Languages Day 2024, including by participating actively in the regional committees. This enabled the regions to showcase their local initiatives and share official languages best practices, thereby fostering a better understanding of regional linguistic realities among the participants.

In addition, Network representatives participated in the activities of the Interdepartmental Working group on Restoring the Demographic Weight of Francophones and the Interdepartmental Working group on Labour Needs and Economic Development in OLMCs, given the importance of these issues in their regions. They also became actively involved in various official languages communities of practice and shared regional perspectives and information about specific projects during regular meetings.

2.2 Official languages research

Research is essential to advancing the equality of status and use of English and French in Canadian society. Federal institutions rely on the resulting data for a deeper understanding of needs and issues so they can make informed structuring decisions. In 2024–2025, Statistics Canada, in collaboration with other federal institutions, including PCH, continued doing research and releasing data on official languages.

Language Statistics Section

In 2024–2025, supported by funding of $3 million over five years, Statistics Canada’s Language Statistics Section continued working to make official languages data available, including through the release of the following publications:

Alongside this work, in 2024–2025 Statistics Canada delivered a range of presentations, including on the demographic weight of Francophones in minority settings in Canada and on the economic Francophonie. The Agency also held bilateral meetings with key partners, including the Fédération des communautés francophones et acadienne du Canada, which represents Francophone minority communities (FMCs); TALQ (Talking. Advocating. Living in Quebec.), which represents the English-speaking communities of Quebec; Quebec’s Commissioner of the French Language; and the Regional Development Network. These meetings included discussions on data needs and priorities.

Estimation of children of rights-holders

Statistics Canada, in collaboration with PCH, continued working towards a periodic estimation of the number of children whose parents have the right, under section 23 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, to have them educated in the minority official language of a province or territory, in accordance with the commitment set out in the modernized OLA.

To this end, in 2024–2025 Statistics Canada continued its feasibility study on projecting the number of children eligible for minority-official-language education, with a focus on the following elements: assumptions; from a methodological perspective, adding variables to the base population dataset; imputation methods; analyses of the preliminary data; and the continued development of the DEMOSIM modelling strategy. The Agency also delivered a number of presentations on the data related to minority-language education and second-language learning as part of various events and meetings.

In addition, Statistics Canada continued to make data available on the estimated number of children of rights holders, releasing three products in 2024–2025:

2.3 Transformation of the Official Languages Support Programs

To improve efficiency and enhance the client experience, PCH is reviewing all its grants and contributions processes, and the Official Languages Support Programs are no exception: they are currently undergoing a comprehensive structural and process-oriented transformation in line with the Department’s broader program transformation initiative.

In response to the new commitments and expanded obligations for federal institutions under the modernized OLA and greater investments in official languages in recent years, the structure and delivery of these programs have grown increasingly complex.

The ongoing transformation seeks to improve the efficiency of the Official Languages Support Programs while making them more responsive to the emerging priorities of recipients. It is structured around three pillars:

  • A simplified, mandate-aligned program structure supported by a clear results architecture
  • Streamlined processes aligned with departmental standards, including optimized data collection, management and use; a more flexible and streamlined delivery cycle; and strengthened accountability
  • Adapted planning and delivery models to improve efficiency, better integrate the expertise of the community sector and optimize the budget allocation

2024–2025 witnessed the first steps in transforming the Official Languages Support Programs, including initial consultations with funding recipients and the development of internal analyses aimed at establishing a new structure. This major effort continues, guided by a client-centred approach, and the principles of transparency, fairness, flexibility and efficiency.

Section 3: Working to restore the demographic weight of Francophones

FMCs face significant demographic challenges. The past few decades have seen a significant decline in the demographic weight of Francophones living in minority settings in Canada. Between 1971 and 2021, the Francophone share of the population outside Quebec fell from 6.1% to 3.5%. A key component of the efforts to restore and increase the demographic weight of Canada’s Francophones is Francophone immigration.

FMCs rely on Francophone immigration for their economic growth. In many regions and key sectors, immigrants help meet labour-market needs and often play a critical role in enabling employers to access in-demand skills or fill specific positions. Francophone immigration therefore helps address shortages of French-speaking and bilingual workers across the country.

Action Plan 2023–2028 introduced several measures to support the immigration continuum, with particular attention to the socio-economic integration of immigrants, including through official-language learning. In addition to the activities of the interdepartmental working group on restoring the demographic weight of Francophones, co-chaired by PCH and IRCC, several initiatives gained momentum in 2024–2025. Through collaboration with a number of federal partners, the provincial and territorial governments, and community representatives, these initiatives supported improved coordination of efforts and services while broadening approaches to addressing challenges related to Francophone immigration.

3.1 Integrated approach to Francophone immigration

In 2024–2025, IRCC continued working collaboratively to implement initiatives aimed at addressing existing challenges in Francophone immigration. A key instrument for advancing this objective is the Department’s Policy on Francophone Immigration, which guides its actions, including recruitment efforts in Canada and abroad, and the selection, integration and retention of immigrants. IRCC also continued to apply a Francophone lens to the economic immigration programs, significantly boosting admission rates of Francophone immigrants.

Policy on Francophone Immigration

The Policy on Francophone Immigration, released in January 2024, seeks to enhance the vitality of Francophone and Acadian communities by enriching their social and economic fabric through Francophone immigration. It is a high-level strategic framework for ensuring the sustainability of the Department’s commitments. Implementation of the Policy and its measures is on track.

The Francophone Immigration Steering Committee, IRCC’s new governance body for Francophone immigration, held regular meetings in 2024–2025, strengthening horizontal coordination of measures and advancing policy implementation.

In addition, 2024–2025 saw the completion of research projects in areas including education, the transition of international students to permanent residency, and interprovincial mobility.

As a result of these coordinated efforts, in 2024 more than 30,000 Francophones were admitted as permanent residents outside Quebec, accounting for 7.21% of admissions outside Quebec and exceeding the 6% target. In 2025, for the fourth consecutive year, the share of Francophones admitted outside Quebec exceeded the target, reaching approximately 8.9%. Budget 2025 established new targets for Francophone immigration outside Quebec: 9% in 2026, 9.5% in 2027 and 10.5% in 2028.

Incorporating a Francophone lens

Efforts to identify measures to optimize the selection of Francophone workers, including through a new program dedicated to Francophones, continued in 2024–2025. In recent years, existing tools have already allowed for a significant increase in admissions of Francophones, primarily through the economic programs, such as Express Entry. Since 2022, an average of 80% of annual Francophone admissions outside Quebec have been in the economic category. In 2024, 25,205 French-speaking candidates were admitted through Express Entry.

To make this possible, the Department has put in place an approach that combines selection of Francophone newcomers with mechanisms such as the Francophone Mobility program and the new FMC Student Pilot, which support the transition to permanent residency in Canada by helping Francophone immigrants integrate into the labour market. Launched in November 2024, the FMC Student Pilot aims to attract Francophone students from member countries of the International Organisation of La Francophonie in Africa, the Middle East and the Americas to study in FMCs. Results will be available in future reporting cycles.

3.2 Support for recruitment and selection

In 2024–2025, in collaboration with provincial and territorial governments, IRCC’s overseas offices stepped up their promotional efforts to support Francophone immigration outside Quebec while attracting talent in high-demand sectors. The Department launched the Francophone Immigration Support Program, which supports the participation of FMCs across the various components of the immigration continuum, in order to help address labour needs in various sectors of the Canadian economy. To support the education sector, IRCC continued working to increase the number of primary- and secondary-level French teachers and French-speaking teachers recruited abroad and to improve retention.

Promoting Francophone immigration

The Targeted Expansion of Promotion and Recruitment Support initiative supports efforts by provincial and territorial governments, employers and stakeholders to attract top Francophone and bilingual candidates to settle in Canada outside Quebec through promotional activities conducted abroad by diplomatic missions.

Throughout 2024–2025, IRCC’s overseas offices stepped up their efforts to promote Francophone immigration outside Quebec. Flagship events—such as the Canada Mobility Days in Brussels, Belgium; Lyon, France; and Tunis, Tunisia—brought together more than 1,000 participants. Destination Canada Tourism–Hospitality–Culinary received more than 15,000 applications, while the Mobility Forum held its first edition in Sub-Saharan Africa, receiving upwards of 59,000 applications.

Diplomatic missions around the world delivered information sessions targeting Francophone pools in their respective regions, including communities in Africa, the Americas, Asia and Europe, raising awareness of immigration pathways. They also developed strategic partnerships and supported provinces in their recruitment efforts.

In Canada, promotion officers continued informing stakeholders—particularly employers and community and economic partners—about the benefits of Francophone immigration and of hiring and retaining French-speaking foreign workers. They also conducted more than 1,100 activities, including meetings with employers, information sessions for temporary residents and international students, and presentations on the immigration programs. Collaborative relationships were established with several key partners, including provincial and territorial governments, Welcoming Francophone Communities, Francophone Immigration Networks and the Réseau de développement économique et d’employabilité du Canada.

The Liaison Tour aims to bring together key stakeholders to promote Francophone immigration, international talent pools and the flagship Destination Canada Mobility Forum event. In 2024–2025, as part of the Tour, events were held in Ontario, Manitoba, Prince Edward Island, Saskatchewan and Nunavut. Targeted visits to rural regions helped raise awareness of Francophone talent pools and the benefits of the Francophone Mobility program, prompting many employers to consider adapting their recruitment strategies. More than 200 participants took part in the events, either virtually or in person.

Centre for Innovation in Francophone Immigration

In January 2024, IRCC’s Centre for Innovation in Francophone Immigration launched the Francophone Immigration Support Program. The program provides grants and contributions to help Francophone communities participate in promoting, identifying, supporting and recruiting French-speaking or bilingual candidates in response to labour needs across various sectors of the Canadian economy.

In 2024–2025, the Program provided approximately $10.2 million in funding for 13 projects. These multi-year and pilot initiatives seek to strengthen FMCs by reducing barriers to immigration, improving the international visibility of the communities and programs, and facilitating the recruitment of Francophone candidates. These initiatives are implemented through collaboration between IRCC, the provincial and territorial governments, and the community sector.

Although several projects are still in the early stages of implementation, they are already showing significant impacts. The projects have helped raise awareness among prospective immigrants of opportunities to settle in FMCs, have fostered stronger partnerships between governments and community organizations, and have supported the launch of studies to better understand and address systemic barriers to Francophone immigration. They have also led to the development of targeted recruitment strategies to address shortages of Francophone workers in priority sectors—particularly education, in general, and early childhood education, specifically. Together, these efforts help create the conditions needed to establish more inclusive and responsive immigration pathways.

Corridor for the Selection and Retention of French Teachers in Canada

The Corridor for the Selection and Retention of French Teachers in Canada is part of a series of initiatives under Action Plan 2023–2028 to increase the number of primary- and secondary-level French teachers and French-speaking teachers recruited abroad, and to improve retention.

In 2024–2025, in terms of promotion in Canada, collaborative relationships were developed with a number of partners, such as the provincial and territorial ministries/departments of education, teacher recruitment organizations, French-language school boards, and French immersion programs. For example, the funding enabled the Government of New Brunswick to launch a province-wide project to strengthen capacity to recruit French teachers and early childhood educators in order to meet labour needs, while also facilitating the recognition of foreign credentials.

In addition, IRCC’s overseas offices promoted opportunities to teach French or to teach in French in Canada outside Quebec. They also facilitated connections between candidates and Canadian employers.

IRCC is also working to establish a virtual platform to support targeted promotional activities both in Canada and abroad. This platform will support efforts to attract teachers and make available all the relevant information on immigration. A marketing campaign was conducted in Belgium and Switzerland targeting professional associations and university faculties, particularly in the field of education.

3.3 Support for integration and retention

The integration of Francophone immigrants depends on a host of interrelated factors, including access to employment and to a range of services, and opportunities to live and thrive in French within their host communities. In 2024–2025, IRCC continued working to expand the range of services available to newcomers and bolster the reception capacity of FMCs through various projects and initiatives. In addition, new Welcoming Francophone Communities were brought on stream, expanding the number of communities offering favourable conditions for the integration of French-speaking newcomers. The Department also funded language training services in both official languages, supporting the integration of French-speaking immigrants.

A Strengthened Integration Pathway

In 2024–2025, IRCC continued to expand the range of services available through the Francophone Integration Pathway and to strengthen the reception capacity of FMCs. The associated investments are strengthening community governance in Francophone immigration and enhancing the strategic engagement of key stakeholders in the Canadian Francophonie in support of the Policy on Francophone Immigration and related efforts in promotion, recruitment, reception, settlement, integration and retention.

Several national capacity-building projects—marking notable progress in employer engagement, mental health, and targeted support for seniors, women and families—were completed in 2024–2025, strengthening the Francophone immigration sector. For example, members of the Société santé en français developed, adapted and shared numerous practical tools and French-language resources across provinces and territories, supporting settlement professionals in assisting Francophone immigrants, particularly in the area of mental health. As part of this effort, RésoSanté Colombie-Britannique released a health guide for welcoming newcomers to the province.

In addition, in November 2024, IRCC launched a research project to further explore the integration and resettlement pathways of Francophone and allophone refugees within FMCs. The project is structured around three main components: analysis of countries of origin and migration pathways; examination of informal diaspora structures and their role in supporting refugees; and review of service pathways and socio-economic outcomes. The objective of the project is to document the support needs of refugees throughout their integration process and to assess their contribution to the vitality of FMCs.

In addition, in January 2025, the Pan-Canadian Strategy for Francophone Immigrant Women in Minority Communities was launched at the Forum des intervenant.es en immigration francophone [Francophone immigration stakeholders forum], organized by the Fédération des communautés francophones et acadienne du Canada. This community-led strategy, developed by the Alliance des femmes de la francophonie canadienne in collaboration with the Réseau de développement économique et d’employabilité du Canada, aims to strengthen the integration pathways for Francophone immigrant women by ensuring timely access to targeted services tailored to their priorities.

The Strategy is a comprehensive document that presents key findings and calls on multiple stakeholders to take action. It also includes regional profiles for all provinces (except Quebec) and all territories. Since the Strategy’s launch, the Alliance des femmes de la francophonie canadienne website has offered a range of resources and training to support the integration of Francophone immigrant women across Canada.

Lastly, in 2024–2025, IRCC finalized the renewal of the 14 existing Welcoming Francophone Communities and added 10 new ones: the Chéticamp Region, in Nova Scotia; Chaleur, Northeastern Acadia, and Kedgwick and Saint-Quentin, in New Brunswick; Cornwall, London and the Northern Corridor, in Ontario; the Red River Region, in Manitoba; Prince Albert, in Saskatchewan; and Nanaimo, in British Columbia. A total of 24 FMCs across Canada are now participating in the initiative, expanding the pool of communities offering favourable conditions for the integration of French-speaking newcomers.

Throughout the process, IRCC guided and supported numerous stakeholders in the settlement sector. As part of the initiative’s implementation, in fall 2024—following the official selection of the new participating communities—IRCC held five information and support sessions with the Francophone Immigration Networks and the Association francophone des municipalités du Nouveau-Brunswick, helping stakeholders understand the initiative’s parameters and the next steps.

English and French language training for newcomers

Through the English and/or French Language Training for Newcomers initiative, IRCC’s Settlement Program is funding flexible language training services available in both official languages. These services address the specific social and professional integration priorities of French-speaking newcomers and support the promotion of linguistic duality as well as the development and vitality of FMCs.

During the 2024–2025 fiscal year, 7 projects were funded, and 1,341 clients benefited from the language training services provided. For example, through this funding support, the Collège communautaire du Nouveau-Brunswick offered its Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada program in Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador, supporting French-language learning and the integration of newcomers into local Francophone communities. In addition, in the space of five years, Université Sainte-Anne in Nova Scotia doubled its course offerings, from 8 to 19, and welcomed 109 students in 2024–2025, supporting newcomers’ language development.

IRCC also invested in several initiatives aimed at attracting more newcomers to FMCs and supporting their settlement and integration. These investments include funding for national projects aimed at strengthening capacity in the French language training sector through professional development, educational resources and tools that improve access to learning technologies.

Section 4: Advancing opportunities to learn the two official languages

The two official languages are pillars of Canadian identity and a driver of social cohesion. Knowledge of the official languages also confers private benefits, particularly in terms of training and employability. Strong educational institutions are key to guaranteeing learning opportunities for members of OLMCs in their language and to providing all Canadians with opportunities to learn and appreciate their second official language.

In order to advance the equality of status and use of English and French, the modernized OLA includes a Government of Canada commitment to expanding opportunities for OLMCs to pursue quality learning in their own language from early childhood to post-secondary education. To help address that commitment, Action Plan 2023–2028 includes a range of new measures contributing to this sector, which is essential to the vitality of OLMCs and the advancement of the official languages.

Given that education is a provincial and territorial jurisdiction, initiatives to foster the substantive equality of official languages in that area require the cooperation of the provincial and territorial governments. In 2024–2025, PCH provided more than $360 million in funding to support minority-language education, post-secondary education in the minority language, recruitment and retention of French teachers, and French second-language learning. Through collaboration with the provincial and territorial governments and the community sector, key initiatives were implemented to address the priorities of OLMCs and people learning an official language.

4.1 Support for provincial and territorial governments

The Minister responsible for Official Languages has a mandate to encourage and assist provincial and territorial governments to provide opportunities for everyone in Canada to be educated in their own official language and to learn English or French as a second language. In 2024–2025, federal support for minority-language education and second-language learning focused on strengthened collaboration with the provinces and territories, which play a key role in implementing initiatives and advancing priority official languages files.

Protocol for Agreements for Minority-Language Education and Second-Language Instruction

Building on a collaborative relationship that dates back more than 50 years, the Government of Canada provides the provincial and territorial governments with financial support for minority-language education and second-language learning, with each level of government respecting the other’s areas of jurisdiction.

The Protocol for Agreements for Minority-Language Education and Second-Language Instruction 2024–2025 to 2027–2028, whose ratification was announced on February 17, 2025, sets out a framework for cooperation between the two levels of government and provides a mechanism through which the Government of Canada contributes to the costs incurred by the provinces and territories for minority-language education and second-official-language learning. This multilateral framework requires provincial and territorial governments to consult stakeholders, particularly in education. It also includes reporting requirements, based on indicators and targets, at each level of education, in accordance with the Education Continuum Support Framework and the multi-year action plan of each province or territory.

Under this multi-year collaborative agreement with the provinces and territories, the Government of Canada will be investing upwards of $1.4 billion. The Protocol includes $235.5 million per year in ongoing base funding, supplemented by approximately $500 million over four years in additional funding under Action Plan 2023–2028. The Protocol includes the following investments:

  • Minority-language education: $707,204,968
  • Post-secondary education in the minority language: $104,000,000
  • Teacher recruitment and retention in minority French-language schools and French immersion and French second-language programs: $50,970,000
  • Second-language instruction: $578,368,460

PCH has signed multi-year bilateral agreements with all provinces and territories for the delivery of the new funds for education under Action Plan 2023–2028. These bilateral agreements include provincial and territorial action plans specifying the funding breakdown and investment priorities for each government. (The province of Newfoundland and Labrador initially signed an agreement for 2024–2025 only and, after further discussions with PCH, reached an agreement for the 2025–2026 to 2027–2028 period.)

While the Government of Quebec agrees with the broad objectives of the Protocol, it is not a signatory to that agreement and intends to assert its exclusive jurisdiction over education within its territory. A comprehensive bilateral agreement on minority-language education, second-language learning and minority-language services for the 2024–2025 to 2027–2028 period has been signed with the Government of Quebec. That agreement invests $327,515,256 in minority-language education and second-language instruction, and $16 million in minority-language services.

4.2 Support for minority-language education

The Government of Canada continues to support provincial and territorial governments in providing minority-language education from early childhood through to post-secondary, and to work with the community sector to support the implementation of key initiatives that address OLMC priorities and provide a rich and rewarding cultural experience. In 2024–2025, an intergovernmental agreement on minority-language education was in effect with each provincial and territorial government.

Supported by $2 million in funding in 2024–2025, the Government of Nova Scotia invested in pedagogical innovation to rethink educational offerings that support the development of students in the Conseil scolaire acadien provincial. This three-year project (2023–2024 to 2025–2026) aims to put in place the necessary conditions for all staff to improve their teaching methods and implement new practices to address the specific needs of students. The pedagogical innovation project will improve the quality of instruction in the province’s French-language schools, foster academic success and student well-being, and create a culture of innovation among all staff.

Support for the development of early learning and child care

January 2025 witnessed the first activities under ESDC’s Training and Capacity Building for Early Childhood Educators initiative, whose funding was renewed under Action Plan 2023–2028. These activities were delivered through the Association des collèges et universités de la francophonie canadienne.

The funding provided in 2024–2025 enabled the launch of consultations in the 10 provinces and territories covered by the project, consultations that sought to identify the training and capacity-building needs of early childhood educators. It also brought organizations together to develop training and capacity-building action plans for early childhood educators that included concrete measures, tailored to local realities, to address the labour market priorities identified during the consultations. Lastly, the initiative allocated funding to 17 organizations to implement the strategies and initiatives set out in the provincial and territorial action plans.

Teacher recruitment in minority-language schools

In 2024–2025, funding under the Teacher Recruitment and Retention Strategy in Minority French-Language Schools supported initiatives across the country. Under the Strategy, 8 Canadian non-governmental organizations also received funding to support minority French-language education. Although these initiatives vary in nature and scope, they all share the common objective of addressing the shortage of qualified French teachers across Canada. Starting in 2024–2025, part of the Strategy’s funding is included in the bilateral education agreements for 2024–2025 to 2027–2028 ($25.5 million for French as a minority language), thereby improving transparency and predictability of funding for provinces and territories.

In 2024–2025, through funding of $99,701, the Government of the Northwest Territories was able to adopt an integrated approach to recruiting and retaining teaching staff. With respect to recruitment, the Commission scolaire francophone is updating the promotional tools showcasing its schools, staff and communities, in order to better position itself at job fairs. It is also continuing to increase its visibility in faculties of education by offering practicum placements for student teachers in its schools and providing financial support for those students who need it. With respect to retention, the Commission scolaire francophone continues to develop an approach focused on support, recognition and professional development for teachers. At the same time, a mentorship program for new teachers will support their integration into schools.

In addition, through funding of $221,950 in 2024–2025, the Canadian Association for French-Language Education launched the S3 CANADA awareness campaign, which supports recruitment through teaching placements in minority settings by increasing awareness of French-language education employment opportunities across the country during recruitment tours in Quebec. The campaign was rolled out in nine Quebec universities, and placements may be completed at one of the 13 partner school boards in Francophone minority communities. In 2024–2025, third-year university students from the five partner faculties of education in Quebec completed 42 placements at 18 different schools.

Support for post-secondary education in the minority language

In 2024–2025, PCH funded 11 projects led by post-secondary educational institutions and organizations, and supported provincial and territorial governments in providing post-secondary education for members of OLMCs.

Through funding of nearly $2.4 million provided to the Government of New Brunswick in 2024–2025, the Université de Moncton was able to establish a more diversified, evidence-based scholarship and financial assistance program. This program aligns with the recruitment and retention strategies aimed at improving access to post-secondary education in French for youth from Francophone minority communities and for English-speaking youth seeking to improve their second-language skills. The initiative also seeks to encourage as many students as possible to pursue university studies in French and to help address the current challenges facing FMCs.

Support for community educational infrastructure

Community educational infrastructure provides essential gathering spaces where communities can live out and pass on their language and culture. In 2024–2025, PCH approved a total of 37 new community infrastructure and community educational infrastructure projects across 32 distinct OLMCs.

For example, funding of $3,938,539 was provided to the Government of Ontario to add a daycare to a new French-language Catholic elementary school in Mississauga West. This three-year project (2024–2025 to 2026–2027) involved the construction of a 73-space daycare centre with four rooms: one room for 10 infants, one room for 15 toddlers and two rooms for 48 preschoolers. The addition of a daycare in the school will allow children to begin their learning in a French-language institution from early childhood.

In addition, $93,902 in funding was provided in 2024–2025 to Geordie Productions Inc.—an organization based in Montréal, Quebec, that offers theatre classes and workshops for youth from the region’s ESCQs—for a renovation project at its new facility. This redevelopment project will enable the organization to offer certain activities for adults and families, expand programming in its own multi-purpose space, and transform that space into a key gathering space for the ESCQs.

4.3 Support for learning and appreciation of the second official language

Knowledge of the official languages is a major asset for Canadians, particularly in the labour market, as it enhances mobility and employability both in Canada and abroad. Expanding access to second official language learning is key to enabling more people to take advantage of the associated opportunities.

Supporting French second-language learning

In 2024–2025, intergovernmental agreements on second-language instruction were in effect with all provincial and territorial governments. These agreements support a wide range of initiatives across Canada.

For example, through funding of $40,000, the Government of Alberta implemented a two-year project (2024–2026) to organize and develop additional French-language resources to support its new French immersion programs and provide networking opportunities for small rural school divisions in the Edmonton area.

The Government of Alberta also received $450,000 over one year to transform the bilingual Bachelor of Commerce program at the University of Alberta’s Campus Saint-Jean, in collaboration with the Alberta School of Business, positioning the program as an even more attractive option for emerging talent. The initiative aims to redesign the program to strike a balance between French and bilingualism and strengthen core program competencies, with all courses offered in French.

In Quebec, the funding supports the delivery of French as a second language instruction to English-speaking Quebecers through the English-language education system at the primary, secondary and post-secondary levels. In 2024–2025, funding of $1,948,541 enabled schools in Quebec’s English-language education system to plan and develop online assessments to support the integration of learners from outside the province into French as a second language or immersion programs.

Teacher recruitment in French immersion and French second-language programs

In 2024–2025, funding under the Teacher Recruitment and Retention Strategy in French Immersion and French Second-Language Programs supported initiatives across the country. In addition, seven Canadian non-governmental organizations also received funding under the Strategy to support schools offering French immersion and French second-language programs. As with the funding for French-language schools, part of the Strategy’s funding is included in the bilateral education agreements for 2024–2025 to 2027–2028 ($25.5 million for French as a second language).

In 2024–2025, through funding of $742,200, the Government of British Columbia implemented an initiative that provided all French immersion teachers in the province from Kindergarten to Grade 7 with licences for online access to RK Publishing’s Je Lis! guided reading program. This resource includes materials adapted to students’ reading levels, teaching resources for educators and online features to support British Columbia students’ progress in reading French. RK Publishing worked with language coordinators to make this resource available in all French immersion classrooms from Kindergarten to Grade 7. Ongoing support and instructional webinars were provided to familiarize teachers with the resource.

Young Canada Works in Both Official Languages

The Young Canada Works program is part of the modernized Youth Employment and Skills Strategy, which aims to help young people, particularly those facing employability challenges, develop their skills and enter the labour market. Implemented by 12 federal departments and agencies, including PCH, the Strategy addresses a range of priorities, including in the area of official languages.

In 2024–2025, Young Canada Works in Both Official Languages provided funding to 461 employers across Canada, allowing 746 young Canadians to gain work experience in their first or second official language within an OLMC, thereby contributing to the sustainable development of communities while creating opportunities for youth to experience the value of knowing both official languages.

Section 5: Strengthening our communities

To implement the commitments set out in Part VII of the OLA, federal institutions are required to take positive measures, including measures in support of sectors essential to enhancing the vitality of OLMCs; besides education and immigration (mentioned above), these sectors include employment and economic development, arts and culture, health, and justice. In addition to navigating the current economic context, these essential sectors are all facing their own significant challenges, particularly with respect to access to services, recruitment and workforce retention, sustainable funding, and adaptation to regional and demographic realities. In 2024–2025, the Government of Canada continued to implement a range of measures and initiatives to support these sectors.

Targeted funding, the creation and maintenance of partnerships and strategic mechanisms, and measures based on a “by and for communities” approach are all conducive to community vitality and development. Community organizations continue to play an essential role in this respect, addressing community priorities in tangible ways and contributing directly to their cohesion and resilience.

To support this work, in 2024–2025 PCH continued to provide increases of up to 12.5% to the core funding of organizations that receive program funding (as part of the second year of implementation of Action Plan 2023–2028—for a maximum total increase of 25% over five years). This additional funding enabled more than 300 organizations, including the Fédération des aînées et aînés francophones du Canada and the Fédération des communautés francophones et acadienne du Canada, to address emerging priorities and implement inclusion, diversity, equity and accessibility strategies.

5.1 Support for employment and economic development

As identified through consultations, employment and economic development are priorities for OLMCs, which face challenges related to the recruitment and retention of bilingual workers and the development of employability skills. These challenges are compounded by the ongoing economic disruptions, which OLMCs also need to contend with.

In addition to the activities of the Interdepartmental Working Group on Labour Needs and Economic Development in OLMCs, co-chaired by PCH and ESDC, 2024–2025 saw the implementation of several enhanced initiatives under Action Plan 2023–2028 aimed at addressing these challenges and ultimately supporting community development and vitality.

Enhancement of the Enabling Fund for Official Language Minority Communities

One aim of ESDC’s Enabling Fund for Official Language Minority Communities—which saw its funding enhanced under Action Plan 2023–2028—is to foster partnerships and strengthen OLMC capacity in community economic development and human resource development.

In furtherance of these objectives, the Fund provides funding to 14 organizations across Canada: one national Francophone organization, Francophone organizations in each province and territory outside Quebec, and one Anglophone organization in Quebec. In 2024–2025, funding recipients established or maintained 1,455 active partnerships with the public, private and non-profit sectors. In total, 77,791 individuals, businesses and organizations from OLMCs benefited from activities and services funded by the program.

For example, in 2024–2025, Carrefour Nunavut hosted the “Franco-fun” summer camp at Inuksuk High School in Iqaluit, Nunavut, welcoming a record 60+ children aged 6 to 12. The camp offered a range of activities promoting the French language and Francophone cultures in a fun and welcoming environment. The 11 youth facilitators ensured that activities ran smoothly, enabling parents to balance their work and family responsibilities.

In addition, the 2024 World Acadian Congress received funding to host an economic forum in collaboration with the Conseil de développement économique de la Nouvelle-Écosse and Université Sainte-Anne in Nova Scotia. The event, which focused on sustainable development as a means of promoting economic prosperity in Acadia, brought together local, national and international perspectives, with roundtables facilitating the exchange of information, knowledge and ideas on various economic topics. The four activities held over the three days of the forum drew more than 200 participants, including international stakeholders and senior federal and provincial officials.

The funding also enabled the Community Economic Development and Employability Corporation to launch “The Missing Link,” a workforce development strategy aimed at supporting the ESCQs. The strategy centres on establishing a talent-development pipeline that offers a continuum of learning opportunities, thereby supporting ESCQ members’ access to and mobility within the provincial labour market. The strategy also includes the creation of a Quebec-wide talent-matching platform that connects English-speaking job seekers with employers across the province.

Investment in employment assistance services for official language minority communities

Action Plan 2023–2028 provided funding to ESDC for the new Employment Assistance Services stream of the Enabling Fund for Official Language Minority Communities.

In 2024–2025, the Fund completed the launch and assessment of a call for proposals to fund the delivery, by OLMC organizations, of employment assistance services to help community members find, obtain or maintain employment. The program also worked with provinces and territories to incorporate these new services into their skills and employment programs. Establishing this network of organizations across Canada will enhance the vitality of OLMCs and support their development by effectively addressing community-specific priorities with respect to employment assistance services. The funded organizations will begin serving clients in 2025–2026.

Social Partnership Initiative for Official Language Minority Communities

Thanks to additional investments under Action Plan 2023–2028, ESDC’s Social Partnership Initiative for Official Language Minority Communities will fund one organization serving FMCs and one organization serving the ESCQs, for a total of $4,325,000 over five fiscal years (2024–2029). These organizations will redistribute the funding to community organizations serving OLMCs so that they can build capacity, better support their priorities and work in partnership to address ongoing challenges related to social inclusion.

For example, an ongoing project led by the Fédération des aînées et aînés francophones du Canada and its partners is generating positive results for various FMCs across four key population groups: youth, parents, women and seniors. The organization is providing funding and support, primarily through a community of practice, to 42 organizations serving OLMCs across Canada. These organizations are implementing 10 projects in Western region, 12 projects in Prairies and Northern Region, 7 projects in Ontario Region, and 13 projects in Atlantic Region. Each region is hosting at least one project per key subgroup of the target population.

Economic Development Initiative

Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada coordinates the Economic Development Initiative, which is being delivered by regional development agencies across the country working closely with partners to implement projects. The Initiative supports the growth of small and medium-sized enterprises in OLMCs and promotes business expansion, economic diversification, innovation and partnership development.

The research component of the Economic Development Initiative plays a strategic role by producing high-quality evidence key to designing policies and programs tailored to OLMC realities. In 2024–2025, with funding from the Initiative, three key deliverables were completed: a Statistics Canada study on official language minority businesses that provides a detailed overview of their performance and development; a series of infographics, also produced by Statistics Canada, illustrating the characteristics of such businesses at the national and regional levels and facilitating the dissemination of data; and a study by the Community Economic Development and Employability Corporation on economic disparities in the ESCQs, shedding light on the specific challenges those communities face.

In 2024–2025, the seven regional development agencies implemented a range of projects through the Economic Development Initiative:

  • The Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency provided financial support for 11 projects in FMCs. These projects directly supported tourism, Francophone immigration, the development of employability skills, economic growth, and the strengthening of small and medium-sized enterprises.
  • Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions supported 14 projects in the ESCQs. These projects supported small and medium-sized enterprises and non-profit organizations in delivering economic initiatives that contributed to job creation and retention, economic diversification, tourism growth, and economic vitality.
  • The Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario supported 4 projects in FMCs. These projects sought to help small and medium-sized enterprises recruit and retain Francophone or bilingual employees and to support Francophone entrepreneurs in developing new technologies in areas such as bio-innovation, smart prototyping and food processing.
  • The Federal Economic Development Agency for Northern Ontario supported 5 projects in FMCs. These projects supported the creation and development of co-operatives and social enterprises to address emerging social, economic and environmental challenges, and established a centre of excellence aimed at increasing the economic impact of the Francophone arts and culture sector in Northern Ontario.
  • Prairies Economic Development Canada supported 10 projects in FMCs through three Francophone economic development organizations in the Prairies. These projects supported trade and investment, economic Francophone immigration, the green economy, and initiatives supporting youth and tourism in FMCs.
  • Pacific Economic Development Canada implemented its new delivery approach in British Columbia in collaboration with a key community partner: the Société de développement économique de la Colombie-Britannique. Seven recipients received funding to carry out projects that support the economic well-being of FMCs in British Columbia.
  • The Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency funded a project that supported 9 information sessions in the territories, as well as in Ontario and Quebec, to foster connections between job seekers and employers and to promote employment opportunities in Yukon. In total, these information sessions drew 759 participants.

5.2 Support for the development of the arts and culture

The arts and culture sector plays an essential role in the vitality of OLMCs and in advancing the official languages. The sector does more than merely entertain; it is a driver of linguistic, cultural, social and economic vitality for communities. In 2024–2025, arts and culture activities were carried out to support both the vitality of OLMCs and the growth of the sector.

Collaboration Agreement for the Development of Arts and Culture in the Francophone Minority Communities of Canada

In 2024–2025, the Collaboration Agreement for the Development of Arts and Culture in the Francophone Minority Communities of Canada was renewed for the 2024 to 2028 period. The Agreement was signed by all federal partners and by the Fédération culturelle canadienne-française at a major event held at the National Arts Centre on October 31, 2024. The event was attended by the then Minister responsible for Official Languages and other federal MPs.

Since the renewal of the Agreement, progress has been made on priority files related to the development of arts and culture in FMCs through several key meetings. In addition, the Fédération culturelle canadienne-française and PCH are working to establish a calendar of Agreement-related activities, including working group activities, bilateral meetings and meetings of the signatories’ committee.

Development of the English-speaking communities of Quebec through the arts, heritage and citizen participation

Action Plan 2023–2028 provided funding for the Developing Quebec’s English-Speaking Communities Through the Arts, Heritage and Citizen Participation initiative, as well as funding to build bridges with Quebec’s Francophone majority. Two community organizations—the English-Language Arts Network and the Quebec Anglophone Heritage Network—were identified by PCH to act as third-party providers of micro-grants of up to $25,000 over four years (2024–2028).

In 2024–2025, 22 micro-grants were distributed to 11 artists and 13 arts and culture organizations through the English-Language Arts Network’s Trellis Micro-Grants program. In addition, 10 micro-grants were distributed to heritage organizations through the Quebec Anglophone Heritage Network’s SHARE program.

PassepART

In 2024–2025, PCH’s PassepART micro-funding program supported 502 artistic, cultural and heritage activities through the Fédération culturelle canadienne-française, reaching more than 122,000 students in minority French-language schools. As a result, 745 schools in the Canadian Francophonie received an annual micro-grant of $1,500, and 163 eligible arts and culture organizations received funding.

For example, through funding of $29,500 in 2024–2025, in addition to the $15,500 provided in 2023–2024, Éditions David in Ottawa, Ontario, implemented a project pairing young people and older adults to record interviews centred on a story, anecdote or memorable event shared by the older adult. The younger participant then wrote a text recounting the story in their own words. Participants in this intergenerational dialogue project had their stories compiled and published in a collective work by the publisher.

In addition, the expansion of the PassepART program in 2024–2025 supported the implementation of the ImmersART micro-funding initiative, which funds activities organized in French immersion schools in partnership with local arts and cultural organizations. The initiative aims to create new experiences in French for youth in immersion schools through artistic, cultural and heritage activities.

In its first year of implementation, ImmersART created new experiences in French for 59,644 students in 440 immersion schools across 110 school boards in 12 provinces and territories. The 286 artistic, cultural and heritage activities carried out by the 57 participating arts, cultural and community organizations and the micro-grant recipients contributed to the visibility of artists from the Canadian and Acadian Francophonie, strengthened identity pride among Francophone youth across Canada, and fostered collaboration between schools and cultural organizations, as well as between teaching staff and artists.

Canada Music Fund

The additional funding under Action Plan 2023–2028 has enabled PCH’s Canada Music Fund to strengthen the music industry infrastructure in FMCs in order to develop audiences for Francophone artists from these communities. The program supports businesses, associations and organizations through key initiatives and high-impact projects that contribute to developing the entrepreneurial and professional skills and capacity of Francophones in the music industry.

The funding in 2024–2025 had notable impacts. For example, the projects that were supported delivered 191 training sessions, mentorships, internships, workshops, consultations, professional support activities, conferences and events focused on entrepreneurial development. The funding also supported 13 entrepreneurs, 46 artists and 5 FMC associations operating in the music industry.

5.3 Support for health services in both official languages

OLMCs face real challenges in accessing health services in their first official language, often because of labour shortages in the sector. To continue addressing these challenges, Action Plan 2023–2028 increased funding for health sector initiatives, including efforts to train and retain bilingual health professionals.

Official Languages Health Program

Thanks to the increased support provided to Health Canada’s Official Languages Health Program to enhance the core funding of organizations serving OLMCs, additional funding was allocated to the Société Santé en français, the Community Health and Social Services Network, and the Association des collèges et universités de la francophonie canadienne—acting as the national secretariat of the Consortium national de formation en santé, a non-profit entity—to offset the negative effects of inflation and enable those organizations to maintain a level of activity comparable to that in previous years.

In 2024–2025, the organizations were able to continue implementing a wide range of networking activities, including strategic partnerships, to support the integration of OLMC priorities into the planning and implementation of initiatives to help improve OLMC access to health services.

For example, in Quebec, through indexed funding and strategic partnerships within the province, the Community Health and Social Services Network shared various ESCQ health profiles (urban, rural, remote and regional) within the health and social services system to help service providers better understand the needs of those communities.

In addition, funding provided to the Association des collèges et universités de la francophonie canadienne—acting as the national secretariat of the Consortium national de formation en santé, a non-profit entity—supported the delivery of initiatives benefiting FMCs across Canada. In particular, increased support was provided to help students prepare for language tests in English or French, including those that present the greatest challenges, with the aim of improving recruitment and integration into the labour market. In addition, a recruitment campaign was launched for the nursing programs (practical and registered) of the University of Alberta’s Campus Saint-Jean, the Université de Saint-Boniface, Collège Mathieu, the University of Regina’s Cité universitaire francophone, the University of Ottawa, Laurentian University, Collège Boréal, the Collège communautaire du Nouveau-Brunswick and the Université de Moncton.

Training of bilingual health human resources

In 2024–2025, Health Canada used additional funding under Action Plan 2023–2028 to strengthen the training and integration of bilingual health human resources in order to better serve OLMCs, with the following results:

  • 58 additional enrolments in nursing and personal-support-worker programs offered at Francophone institutions outside Quebec
  • 95 additional incentives (admission, retention, internship or workforce integration bursaries) offered by Francophone institutions outside Quebec, and 12 placement bursaries offered by McGill University in Quebec
  • Participation by 1,676 individuals in recruitment or promotional events offered by Francophone institutions outside Quebec

This funding supported the implementation, in 2024–2025, of pivotal initiatives in FMCs and the ESCQs. In Saskatchewan, the University of Regina’s Cité universitaire francophone welcomed 8 new students to its Bachelor of Science in Nursing (bilingual option) program. In Quebec, thanks to the additional funding provided to McGill University through its Dialogue Project, the institution was able to offer 12 additional bursaries to graduates of English-language health and social services programs, on the condition that they commit to providing services to the ESCQs for at least a year.

5.4 Access to justice in both official languages

Certain challenges persist with respect to access to justice in both official languages. The Government of Canada continues to improve and expand access to legal services for Canadians, notably through the enhanced funding provided to Department of Justice Canada (to implement initiatives) and to organizations (to develop targeted measures that address the priorities of OLMCs) under Action Plan 2023–2028.

Access to Justice in Both Official Languages Support Fund

Through the additional core funding provided under Action Plan 2023–2028, Department of Justice Canada’s Access to Justice in Both Official Languages Support Fund strengthened the capacity, vitality and responsiveness of a network of organizations that develop access-to-justice initiatives in OLMCs across Canada.

In 2024–2025, in addition to their ongoing programming, funding recipients delivered 8 new projects: 2 in Newfoundland and Labrador, 1 in New Brunswick, 1 in Alberta, 1 in British Columbia and 1 in Yukon, as well as 2 Canada-wide projects. These projects included legal information workshops on various aspects of discrimination (Fédération des francophones de Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador), a situational analysis of socio-legal services in Alberta (Association des juristes d’expression française de l’Alberta) and French-language legal terminology training for justice professionals (Association franco-yukonnaise).

Access to Justice in Both Official Languages Initiative

Also through Action Plan 2023–2028, Department of Justice Canada received funding to implement new positive measures aligned with the two priorities of the Access to Justice in Both Official Languages Support Fund: supporting OLMCs through new activities related to the delivery of legal information and assistance services for the public; and supporting the bilingual capacity of the justice system through language training, professional development, promotion of the language of law and translation of legal texts. The new positive measures also target evidence-gathering and equity, diversity and inclusion. In 2024–2025, organizations across the country received approximately $2.3 million in funding for new projects.

With respect to support for OLMCs, the New Immigrant Centre—a non-profit organization based in Edmonton, Alberta, dedicated to supporting racialized newcomers in their integration process—developed and delivered legal information and socio-legal assistance services in French for Francophone newcomers in the Greater Edmonton Area. Through this project, 35 families benefited from socio-legal support in French in 2024–2025.

With respect to support for the justice system, Kortojura—a non-profit organization based in Caraquet, New Brunswick, that specializes in assessing the language skills of justice system professionals—developed a new four-part evaluation focused on family law terminology. This evaluation helps strengthen the language skills of legal practitioners by providing tools adapted to the practice of family law in both official languages. In addition, three judges of the Alberta Court of King’s Bench used this new evaluation in 2024–2025 to develop their ability to work in both official languages.

Conclusion

Against the backdrop of global economic uncertainty and profound societal change, Canada saw significant economic and social developments in 2024–2025, including persistent cost-of-living pressures, labour shortages, and increasing polarization and fragmentation across society. In this context, the official languages continued to play a significant role in the public discourse as pillars of Canadian identity and as social, cultural and economic drivers.

Significant progress was made on official languages in 2024–2025, particularly as regards the ongoing regulatory work. Through this work, PCH is giving itself the tools it needs to support the full implementation of the modernized OLA and the resulting commitments. The Department continues to take coordinated action to give full effect to the reform of Canada’s language regime.

In addition, in 2024–2025, all initiatives under Action Plan 2023–2028 were fully implemented. These initiatives seek to address the priorities agreed upon with communities and to support sectors essential to their vitality and development. PCH continues to collaborate with federal partners, provincial and territorial governments, and community organizations to achieve the overarching societal objectives of the Action Plan.

In a constantly evolving environment, the Government of Canada continues working to address emerging community priorities, advance the substantive equality of the official languages and further strengthen the place of those languages in Canadian society. As demonstrated by the initiatives presented in this report, the official languages contribute directly to government priorities, including productivity, economic growth and social cohesion. In a Canada focused on innovation, economic resilience and long-term prosperity, the official languages stand out as a key driver of stronger, more resilient, more inclusive communities.

Appendix 1 – Summary of disbursements for actual expenditures of initiatives under Action Plan for Official Languages 2023–2028: Protection–Promotion–Collaboration (Year 2 – 2024–2025)

Table 1: Summary of disbursements for initiatives under Action Plan for Official Languages 2023–2028: Protection–Promotion–Collaboration – Year 2 (2024–2025)
Initiatives Total Allocated 2023–2028 (in millions of dollars)Footnote 1 Planned Spending 2024–2025 (in dollars) Actual Spending 2024–2025 (in dollars)
Canadian Heritage – Historical Base
Minority-Language Education 785.9Footnote 2 157,178,357 160,129,045
Support for Second-Language Learning 447.5Footnote 3 89,507,542 83,712,822
Support for Community Spaces – Infrastructure 74Footnote 4 14,804,900 35,009,661
Cooperation with the Community Sector (minority organizations) 235.2 47,047,552 47,458,197
Summer Language Bursary Programs (Explore, Destination Clic) 105.9 21,176,534 21,176,534
Intergovernmental Cooperation on Minority Language Services 137.1 27,421,075 26,177,765
Official Language Monitors (Odyssey) 53.1 10,614,398 13,114,398
Strategic Fund 35.0 7,000,000 5,845,265
Teacher Recruitment Strategy for Minority-Language Schools 33.3 6,660,430 6,436,680
Teacher Recruitment Strategy for Immersion and French Second-Language 33.3 6,660,430 6,436,680
Community Cultural Action Fund 26.5 5,297,915 5,218,399
Young Canada Works in Both Official Languages 18.1 3,617,168 4,059,168
Promotion of Linguistic Duality 18.5 3,700,000 4,679,172
Mobile Application for Learning and Retaining English and French as Second Languages 15.5 3,100,000 3,100,000
Strengthening Community Media and Radio 14.7 2,949,661 3,949,661
Bursaries for Post-Secondary Education in French as a Second Language 15.7 3,141,096 3,141,096
Exchanges Canada 11.3 2,250,000 1,422,561
Cooperation with the Non-Governmental Sector (minority-language organizations) 8.8 1,750,000 2,104,840
Music Showcases for Artists from Official Language Minority Communities 5.8 1,150,000 1,150,000
Fund for the English-Speaking Communities of Quebec 6.8 1,355,975 1,355,975
Civic Community School Support Fund 7.9 1,573,909 1,573,909
Cooperation with the Non-Governmental Sector (second-language organizations) 4.9 975,000 1,947,000
National Translation Program for Book Publishing 4.0 800,000 779,328
Support for Interpretation and Translation 2.5 500,000 401,881
Promotion of Bilingual Services in the Voluntary Sector 1.1 212,571 367,822
School Community Infrastructure Support (2027–2028)Footnote 5 52.0 8,000,000 8,000,000
Canadian Heritage – New Funds in Action Plan 2023–2028
Supporting Minority-Language Education 148.2 27,786,248 27,786,248
Supporting Post-Secondary Education in the Minority Language (as of 2024–2025) 120.9 30,222,208 27,780,592
Supporting Post-Secondary Education in the Minority Language (2023–2024 only) 30.4 - -
Supporting French Second-Language Learning (as of 2024–2025) 242.8 60,706,596 59,893,446
Supporting French Second-Language Learning (2023–2024 only) 65.8 - -
Supporting Community Educational Infrastructure 50.3 10,667,048 10,651,905
Supporting Teacher Recruitment and Retention (in Minority French-Language Schools and in French Immersion and French Second-Language Programs) (as of 2024–2025) 16.3 4,074,573 4,421,389
Supporting Teacher Recruitment and Retention (in Minority French-Language Schools and in French Immersion and French Second-Language Programs) (2023–2024 only) 3.8 - -
Supporting Services in the Minority Language and Promoting the Canadian Francophonie 100.8 22,403,466 17,729,608
Enhancing Core Funding to Boost the Capacity of Community Organizations and Creating a Strategic Financial Envelope 62.5 14,327,007 11,689,594
Supporting the Creation and Dissemination of Scientific Information in French 8.5 2,309,518 1,086,495
Changing the Media Internships initiative 5.0 1,246,893 1,246,893
Implementing Youth Strategies to Bring the Linguistic Communities Closer Together – New Youth Initiatives Fund 5.0 770,034 770,034
Enhancing the PassepART Program 5.0 1,083,635 1,123,636
Developing Quebec’s English-Speaking Communities Through the Arts, Heritage and Citizen Participation 2.5 606,594 606,594
Canada Music Fund: Supporting Francophone Artists and Music Entrepreneurs in Official Language Minority Communities 5.0 1,000,000 1,000,000
Strengthening the Court Challenges Program 24.5 5,411,671 5,411,671
Young Canada Works in Both Official Languages (2024–2025) 3.6 1,849,255 1,849,255
Partnerships to Strengthen Part VII of the Official Languages Act (Canadian Heritage component)Footnote 6 13.08 2,767,597 2,767,597
Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat – New Funds in Action Plan 2023–2028
Partnerships to Strengthen Part VII of the Official Languages Act (Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat component)Footnote 7 7.54 1,650,415 1,650,415
Employment and Social Development Canada – Historical Base
Enabling Fund for Official Language Minority Communities (employability and economic development) 74.5 14,900,000 15,623,035Footnote 8
Official Language Minority Communities Literacy and Essential Skills Initiative 7.5 1,500,000 2,332,108Footnote 9
Social Partnership Initiative in Official Language Minority Communities 4.0 800,000 897,044
Support for Early Childhood Development 10.0 2,000,000 2,000,000
Employment and Social Development Canada – New Funds in Action Plan 2023–2028
Enabling Fund for Official Language Minority Communities 20.5 4,845,925 4,816,246Footnote 10
Creation of a Network of Early Childhood Stakeholders and Implementation of Initiatives in Francophone Minority Communities 50.0 8,995,102 8,995,102
Renewal of Funding to Support Early Learning and Child Care Development – Training and Capacity Building for Early Childhood Educators 14.2 4,291,973 4,291,973
Social Partnership Initiative for Official Language Minority Communities 5.4 1,230,250 920,256Footnote 11
Investing in Employment Assistance Services for Official Language Minority Communities 206.6 34,570,049 4,690,490Footnote 12
Health Canada – Historical Base
Official Languages Health Program 192.2 38,432,158 38,669,002
Health Canada – New Funds in Action Plan 2023–2028
Increased Support for the Training of Bilingual Health Human Resources to Better Serve Official Language Minority Communities 6.5 1,625,000 1,625,000
Funding Indexation for the Official Languages Health Program 8.0 1,599,999 1,599,999
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada – Historical Base
Francophone Integration Pathway 46.6 9,322,313 9,060,187
Immigration Initiative to Official Language Minority Communities 29.4 5,881,638 5,881,638
Collaboration and Accountability 8.3 827,485 709,978
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada – New Funds in Action Plan 2023–2028
Francophone Immigration Policy: Towards a New, Integrated Approach 13.4 2,679,998 2,427,676
Targeted Expansion of Promotion and Recruitment Support 18.5 3,857,979 2,450,286
Corridor for the Selection and Retention of French Teachers in Canada 16.3 3,705,021 1,405,989
A Strengthened Integration Pathway 50.0 9,377,392 7,090,501
A Centre for Innovation in Francophone Immigration, Including a New Grant-and-Contribution Program in Support of Francophone Immigration 25.0 4,770,885 3,479,006
Francophone Lens Integrated into Economic Immigration Programs – Improved Selection Mechanisms for Francophone and Bilingual Immigrants 3.5 704,307 619,804
English and/or French Language Training for Newcomers 10.5 2,268,106 1,737,127
Department of Justice Canada – Historical Base
Networks, Training and Access-to-Justice Services 55.2 11,084,421 11,235,828
Contraventions Act Fund 45.7Footnote 13 8,990,293 7,339,532
Department of Justice Canada – New Funds in Action Plan 2023–2028
Enhancement of Core Funding Under the Access to Justice in Both Official Languages Support Fund 4.5 1,000,000 839,438
New Positive Measures Under the Access to Justice in Both Official Languages Initiative 11.3 2,650,000 2,362,813
Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada and regional development agencies – Historical Base
Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada 1.6 320,000 162,614
Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency 6.2 1,240,000 1,230,185
Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions 10.2 2,040,000 2,041,967
Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario 4.5 869,210 630,950
Federal Economic Development Agency for Northern Ontario 4.5 890,000 890,000

Prairies Economic Development Canada

Formerly: Western Economic Diversification Canada

 3.2 640,000 640,000

Pacific Economic Development Canada

Formerly: Western Economic Diversification Canada

 1.0 200,000 200,000
Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency 0.4 80,000 80,000
Public Health Agency of Canada – Historical Base
Enhanced Early Childhood Health Promotion Programming 10.9 2,180,000 2,707,081Footnote 14
Canada Council for the Arts – Historical Base
Market Access Strategy for Artists from OLMCs 2.8 550,000 550,000
National Research Council Canada – Historical Base
Strengthening Language Industries and Technologies 10.0 2,000,000 2,097,136
Public Services and Procurement Canada (Translation Bureau) – Historical Base
Language Portal of Canada 16.0 3,200,000 3,174,089
Statistics Canada – Historical Base
Additional, Ongoing Support to the Language Statistics Section of Statistics Canada 3.0 599,454 599,454
Statistics Canada – New Funds in Action Plan 2023–2028
Contribute to Making Data Available on the Estimated Number of Children of Rights Holders (Children Eligible for Instruction in the Minority Official Language) 2.0 433,304 433,304
Total
Total – Historical Base 2,702.0 536,991,485 557,499,687
Total – New Funds in Action Plan 2023–2028 1,387.8 277,488,048 227,250,382
Grand Total of Disbursements for 2024–2025 4,089.7 814,479,533 784,750,069

Appendix 2 – 2024–2025 Expenditures of the Official Languages Support Programs by Component

Table 2: Expenditures of Canadian Heritage’s Official Languages Support Programs – Grand Total
Program Expenditures (in dollars)
Development of Official Language Communities Program 403,553,265
Enhancement of Official Languages Program 197,030,891
Grand Total 600,584,156
Table 3: Expenditures of the Development of Official Language Communities Program by Component
Component Sub-Component Expenditures (in dollars)
Community Life Cooperation with the Community Sector 54,572,088
Intergovernmental Cooperation on Minority-Language ServicesFootnote 15 42,074,832
Fund for the English-Speaking Communities of Quebec 1,900,000
Strategic FundFootnote 16 7,918,617
Civic Community School Support 1,500,000
Strategic Support – Community Media 2,500,000
Community Media Internships in Minority Settings 1,250,000
Community Infrastructure 13,161,298
Community Cultural Action Fund 2,973,305
Community Cultural Action Fund – Micro-Grants 3,108,725
Young Canada Works in Both Official Languages – Media Internships 2,729,002
Subtotal: “Community Life” Component 133,687,867
Minority-Language Education Intergovernmental Cooperation on Minority-Language Education (Protocol) 152,822,272
Enhancements to Agreements 27,597,885
Supporting Post-Secondary Education in the Minority Language 25,885,297
Complementary Funds 7,306,773
Recruitment of French-Speaking Teachers for Minority-Language Schools 8,609,276
Complementary Support for Language Learning 3,345,913
Cooperation with the Non-Governmental Sector 2,483,590
Community Educational Infrastructure 7,892,062
School Community Infrastructure 31,828,320
Strategic Support Fund – Post-Secondary and Scientific Knowledge (organizations) 2,094,010
Subtotal: “Minority-Language Education” Component 269,865,398
All Components Total 403,553,255
Table 4: Expenditures of the Enhancement of Official Languages Program by Component
Component Sub-Component Expenditures (in dollars)
Promotion of Linguistic Duality Appreciation and Rapprochement 6,264,498
Promotion of Bilingual Services 394,072
Support for Interpretation and Translation 401,881
Subtotal: “Promotion of Linguistic Duality” Component 7,060,451
Second-Language Learning Intergovernmental Cooperation on Second-Language Learning (Protocol) 82,698,200
Enhancements to Agreements 58,200,000
Complementary Funds 1,014,622
Recruiting French Immersion and French Second-Language Teachers 8,280,040
Complementary Support for Language Learning 30,891,892
Cooperation with the Non-Governmental Sector 3,156,688
Bursaries for Post-Secondary Education in French as a Second Language 3,000,000
Young Canada Works in Both Official Languages 2,728,998
Subtotal: “Second-Language Learning” Component 189,970,440
All Components Total 197,030,891

Appendix 3 – 2024–2025 Expenditures of the Official Languages Support Programs by Province or Territory

Table 5: Expenditures of Official Languages Support Programs by Province or Territory
Province or Territory Development of Official Language Communities Program (in dollars) Enhancement of Official Languages Program (in dollars) Total by Province or Territory (in dollars)
Newfoundland and Labrador 5,405,358 4,699,937 10,105,295
Prince Edward Island 6,402,415 2,023,021 8,425,436
Nova Scotia 20,263,438 6,784,551 27,047,989
New Brunswick 41,099,567 8,713,274 49,812,841
Quebec 79,008,270 22,633,278 101,641,548
Ontario 116,224,757 54,293,855 170,518,612
Manitoba 19,609,313 9,647,045 29,256,358
Saskatchewan 10,690,261 7,230,953 17,921,214
Alberta 24,859,388 15,814,181 40,673,569
British Columbia 19,663,847 17,757,761 37,421,608
Northwest Territories 11,947,362 1,982,923 13,930,285
Yukon 9,489,371 1,456,934 10,946,305
Nunavut 6,596,393 943,418 7,539,811
National 21,027,044Footnote 17 4,140,190 25,167,234
Complementary Support for Language Learning: Explore and Destination Clic 846,170 20,277,237 21,123,407
Complementary Support for Language Learning: Odyssey 2,499,743 10,614,655 13,114,398
Cooperation with the Non-Governmental Sector / Education 5,191,566 8,017,678 13,209,244
Young Canada Works in Both Official Languages 2,729,002 2,728,998 5,458,000
Total 403,553,265 199,759,889 603,313,154
Table 6: Expenditures of the Development of Official Language Communities Program by Province and Territory
Province or Territory “Community Life” Component (in dollars) “Minority-Language Education” Component (in dollars) Subtotal by Province or Territory (in dollars)
Newfoundland and Labrador 2,029,090 1,677,702 3,706,792
Prince Edward Island 1,966,626 2,732,138 4,698,764
Nova Scotia 5,657,038 12,142,476 17,799,514
New Brunswick 8,019,575 29,541,248 37,560,823
Quebec 15,029,357 59,953,086 74,982,443
Ontario 11,659,591 99,809,070 111,468,661
Manitoba 6,209,114 11,311,933 17,521,047
Saskatchewan 4,454,956 4,390,834 8,845,790
Alberta 5,319,903 17,022,029 22,341,932
British Columbia 4,484,391 12,955,151 17,439,542
Northwest Territories 1,116,624 5,070,368 6,186,992
Yukon 1,150,385 1,917,199 3,067,584
Nunavut 760,339 1,180,625 1,940,964
NationalFootnote 18 21,027,044 - 21,027,044
Complementary Support for Language Learning: Explore and Destination Clic - 846,170 846,170
Complementary Support for Language Learning: Odyssey - 2,499,743 2,499,743
Cooperation with the Non-Governmental Sector / Education - 2,483,590 2,483,590
Young Canada Works in Both Official Languages 2,729,002 - 2,729,002
Total 91,613,035 265,533,362 403,553,265
Table 7: Expenditures of the “Community Life” Component of the Development of Official Language Communities Program by Province and Territory
Province or Territory Support to Organizations (in dollars) Support to Provincial and Territorial GovernmentsFootnote 19 (Minority-Language Services) (in dollars) Subtotal by Province or Territory (in dollars)
Newfoundland and Labrador 2,029,090 1,685,284 3,714,374
Prince Edward Island 1,966,626 1,703,651 3,670,277
Nova Scotia 5,657,038 2,463,924 8,120,962
New Brunswick 8,019,575 3,538,744 11,558,319
Quebec 15,029,357 4,000,000 19,029,357
Ontario 11,659,591 3,959,826 15,619,417
Manitoba 6,209,114 2,088,266 8,297,380
Saskatchewan 4,454,956 1,765,698 6,220,654
Alberta 5,319,903 2,249,797 7,569,700
British Columbia 4,484,391 2,196,228 6,680,619
Northwest Territories 1,116,624 5,760,370 6,876,994
Yukon 1,150,385 6,180,000 7,330,385
Nunavut 760,339 4,483,044 5,243,383
NationalFootnote 20 21,027,044 - 21,027,044
Young Canada Works in Both Official Languages 2,729,002 - 2,729,002
Total 91,613,035 42,074,832 133,687,867
Table 8: Expenditures of the Enhancement of Official Languages Program by Province and Territory
Province or Territory “Promotion of Linguistic Duality” Component (in dollars) “Second-Language Learning” Component (in dollars) Subtotal by Province or Territory (in dollars)
Newfoundland and Labrador 225,066 4,474,871 4,699,937
Prince Edward Island 253,800 1,769,221 2,023,021
Nova Scotia 271,446 6,513,105 6,784,551
New Brunswick 247,598 8,141,237 8,388,835
Quebec 312,815 21,900,233 22,213,048
Ontario 597,750 53,129,341 53,727,091
Manitoba 241,496 9,405,549 9,647,045
Saskatchewan 236,496 6,633,997 6,870,493
Alberta 439,048 15,375,133 15,814,181
British Columbia 615,790 16,558,110 17,173,900
Northwest Territories - 1,982,923 1,982,923
Yukon - 1,456,934 1,456,934
Nunavut - 943,418 943,418
National 3,619,146 - 3,619,146
Complementary Support for Language Learning: Explore and Destination Clic - 20,277,237 20,277,237
Complementary Support for Language Learning: Odyssey - 10,614,655 10,614,655
Cooperation with the Non-Governmental Sector / EducationFootnote 21 - 8,017,678 8,017,678
Young Canada Works in Both Official Languages - 2,728,998 2,728,998
Total 7,060,451 189,922,640 196,983,091

Appendix 4 – 2024–2025 Education Expenditures

Table 9: Breakdown of Education Expenditures – Support to Provincial and Territorial Governments
Minority-Language Education (in dollars) Second-Language Learning (in dollars) Total (in dollars)
Bilateral Agreements 152,822,272 82,698,200 235,520,472
Enhancements 27,597,885 58,200,000 85,797,885
Complementary Funds 7,306,773 1,014,622 8,321,395
Infrastructure 39,720,382 - 39,720,382
Post-Secondary 25,885,297 - 25,885,297
Teacher Recruitment and Retention Strategy 6,371,250 6,371,250 12,742,500
Total 259,703,859 148,284,072 407,987,931
Table 10: Breakdown of Education Expenditures – Support to Non-Governmental Organizations
Minority-Language Education (in dollars) Second-Language Learning (in dollars) Total (in dollars)
Cooperation with the Non-Governmental Sector 2,483,590 3,156,688 5,640,278
Second-Language Post-Secondary Scholarships - 3,000,000 3,000,000
Strategic Support Fund – Post-Secondary and Scientific Knowledge 2,094,010 - 2,094,010
Teacher Recruitment and Retention Strategy 2,238,026 1,908,790 4,146,816
Young Canada Works in Both Official Languages - 2,728,998 2,728,998
Complementary Support for Language Learning (CMEC) 3,345,913 30,891,892 34,237,805
Total 10,161,539 41,686,368 51,847,907
Table 11: Minority-Language Education Expenditures by Province or Territory – Intergovernmental CooperationFootnote 22
Province or Territory Bilateral Agreements (in dollars) Complementary Funds (in dollars) Enhancements – Agreements (in dollars) Post-Secondary (in dollars) Infrastructure (in dollars)Footnote 23 Teacher Recruitment and Retention Strategy (in dollars) Total by Province or Territory (in dollars)
Newfoundland and Labrador 1,301,551 - 281,227 30,000 - 64,924 1,677,702
Prince Edward Island 1,545,732 - 484,579 218,707 371,251 111,869 2,732,138
Nova Scotia 3,896,725 1,362,641 1,033,457 464,001 5,147,067 238,585 12,142,476
New Brunswick 16,659,358 1,210,653 2,385,893 5,641,411 3,093,126 550,807 29,541,248
Quebec 46,525,473 - 6,676,995 5,209,166 - 1,541,452 59,953,086
Ontario 54,992,678 467,947 10,574,634 9,652,377 21,680,175 2,441,259 99,809,070
Manitoba 6,774,749 - 767,012 1,008,031 2,585,069 177,072 11,311,933
Saskatchewan 2,693,018 - 680,957 609,653 250,000 157,206 4,390,834
Alberta 6,504,881 856,102 1,648,750 1,464,310 6,167,357 380,629 17,022,029
British Columbia 8,536,572 410,403 1,867,031 1,292,785 426,337 431,023 12,964,151
Northwest Territories 1,382,850 3,008,027 431,861 147,929 - 99,701 5,070,368
Yukon 1,235,800 - 461,848 112,927 - 106,624 1,917,199
Nunavut 772,885 - 303,641 34,000 - 70,099 1,180,625
Total 152,822,272 7,315,773 27,597,885 25,885,297 39,720,382 6,371,250 259,712,859
Table 12: Second-Language Learning Expenditures by Province or Territory – Intergovernmental CooperationFootnote 24
Province or Territory Bilateral Agreements (in dollars) Complementary Funds (in dollars) Enhancements – Agreements (in dollars) Teacher Recruitment and Retention Strategy (in dollars) Total by Province or Territory (in dollars)
Newfoundland and Labrador 2,639,295 - 1,654,460 181,116 4,474,871
Prince Edward Island 1,076,602 - 624,279 68,340 1,769,221
Nova Scotia 3,761,355 - 2,480,234 271,516 6,513,105
New Brunswick 5,043,334 - 2,792,232 305,671 8,141,237
Quebec 18,406,662 - 3,148,860 344,711 21,900,233
Ontario 24,090,634 - 26,173,457 2,865,250 53,129,341
Manitoba 5,540,451 - 3,483,728 381,370 9,405,549
Saskatchewan 4,039,526 - 2,338,475 255,996 6,633,997
Alberta 7,700,944 556,752 6,415,159 702,278 15,375,133
British Columbia 7,567,846 267,250 7,862,313 860,701 16,558,110
Northwest Territories 1,204,705 190,620 529,619 57,979 1,982,923
Yukon 977,100 - 432,488 47,346 1,456,934
Nunavut 649,746 - 264,696 28,976 943,418
Total 82,698,200 1,014,622 58,200,000 6,371,250 148,284,072

© His Majesty the King in Right of Canada, as represented by the Minister of Canadian Heritage, 2026.
Cat. No. CH10-2E-PDF
ISSN 2562-704X

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2026-08-19

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