Bilingual Today, United Tomorrow: Official Languages in Education and Canadian Federalism

By: Matthew Hayday

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Synopsis: Hayday shows how the language programs and policies initiated by the Trudeau government supported French-Canadian and Acadian minority communities, enabling them to develop minority language education systems and laying the groundwork for the minority language education rights contained in section 23 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. He examines how the dynamics of Canadian federalism shaped the implementation and development of language policy in six Canadian provinces and shows how advocates of these programs - politicians, bureaucrats, parents, lobbyists, and teachers - worked to ensure their success. These dynamic programs not only guaranteed minority language education rights but dramatically increased access to French second language instruction, particularly through the innovative new sector of French immersion.