Official Languages Regulations Reapplication Exercise
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Results of Phase 1
More than 700 newly designated bilingual offices
Results of the first phase of the Official Languages Regulations Reapplication Exercise (OLRRE) are now available. Results show that of the 8,750 offices includedFootnote 1 in the first phase of the OLRRE, 733 offices are newly designated as bilingual.
| Total offices in the first phase of results | No change in language obligations | Newly designated bilingual offices | Newly designated unilingual offices |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8,750 | 7,978 | 733 | 39 |
Why these results matter
- New regulations: the Official Languages (Communications with and Services to the Public) Regulations (the Regulations) underwent a regulatory review in 2019. Many of the new rules that were introduced as part of the amendments are being implemented for the first time, resulting in a significant increase in access to bilingual services across Canada.
- Community vitality: more than half of the offices newly designated as bilingual are the result of an English- or French-language minority school being located in the area served by a given office.
- Wider reach: services in both official languages will now be offered in an additional 534 federal offices outside urban centres.
The offices and their linguistic designation are published on Burolis, an online tool that contains the location of federal points of service.
Phase 2 of the OLRRE is currently underway. It covers offices that have to measure demand for services among their clientele rather than apply census data. It is expected that final results will be available in 2027.
Purpose of the OLRRE
Under Part IV of the Official Languages Act (OLA), Canadians have the right to communicate with the Government of Canada and to receive federal services in the official language of their choice, in certain circumstances as set out in the OLA and the provisions of the Regulations. Federal institutions must review the application of the provisions of the Regulations every 10 years, based on linguistic data from the most recent decennial census.
The OLRRE keeps the linguistic designation of offices up to date. It is coordinated by TBS with federal institutions being responsible for confirming the linguistic designation of their offices.
Directive and regulations on communications with and services to the public (Directive)
The Government of Canada has developed regulations and a directive regarding communications with and services to the public that are essential for the OLRRE:
- The Regulations underwent a major review starting in 2016 and came into force in 2019 with substantial changes having been made.
- The Directive on the Implementation of the Official Languages (Communications with and Services to the Public) Regulations was updated in 2022. It supports a uniform and consistent application of the Regulations.
Institutions subject to the exercise
Some offices are not subject to the OLRRE because they are automatically required to serve the public in both official languages, namely:
- head or central offices
- offices located in the National Capital Region
- offices reporting directly to Parliament
- cases where the nature of the office justifies its bilingual designation (such as toll-free telephone numbers).
All other offices providing communications or services to the public are subject to the OLRRE (some 10,000 offices).
Institutions’ obligations
For newly designated bilingual offices, institutions have a maximum period of one year to comply with and implement their new obligations.
In the case of newly designated unilingual offices, institutions have a maximum of one year to inform the minority-language population served by the office of the date on which bilingual services will no longer be available, and where they can receive services in their preferred official language from then on. Bilingual services must be maintained in the meantime.