National relations

The signing of memorandums of understanding with the official languages commissioners of Canada and New Brunswick in 2012 and 2013 boosted collaboration and information sharing with these two institutions.

In addition, the offices of the three commissioners identified Francophone immigration as a priority area warranting further study. They therefore agreed to pool their efforts and explore the possibility of working on a joint project on Francophone immigration in their respective jurisdictions.

Furthermore, in anticipation of the 2015 Pan American and Parapan American Games in Toronto, the Commissioner’s Office is collaborating with its federal counterpart to open a dialogue with the organizers to ensure that the Francophone community is fully
involved and plays an active role in an international sporting event that reflects the linguistic duality. This is especially important since the Games coincide with the celebration of the 400th anniversary of the Francophone presence in Ontario.

The Commissioner is also continuing to cultivate relations with his newly appointed counterparts in other parts of Canada. He sent letters of congratulations to Ms. Snookie Catholique, Official Languages Commissioner of the Northwest Territories, and Mr. Jean-Paul Arsenault, Prince Edward Island’s Complaints Officer. In addition to strengthening cooperative relations with colleagues at the national level, the Commissioner expanded his international exchanges.