Review of N.B. official languages act about to hit the road

New Brunswick is conducting an audit for the province’s official languages act.

A review of New Brunswick’s Official Languages Act will soon hit the road for public consultations across the province.

The legislature’s standing committee on official languages – which has representatives from the Liberals, Progressive Conservatives and Green Party – is considering changes to the act that were recommended in a 2021 report.

In November, the Liberal government introduced a motion to review the act every five years and have a new standing committee on official languages complete a review of the act by Dec. 31, 2026. The prior mandate called for a review to the act every 10 years.

The standing committee and five-year review schedule were both recommended in the 2021 report. It also recommended changes to the K-12 education system, language training for newcomers and official language obligations inside privately operated nursing homes.

“A couple of them have been put into place,” says Liberal MLA Benoît Bourque, chair of the committee. “There are other recommendations that have yet to be put into place, or we’re still discussing, studying, or considering.”

The committee hosted meetings this week at the legislature with invitations extended to non-profit language rights groups and the New Brunswick Association of Nursing Homes.

Shirley C. MacLean, New Brunswick’s Commissioner of Official Languages, is scheduled to appear before the committee next week.

For the first time, the act’s review will include public consultation with nine communities across the province. The tour’s stops include:

• Grand Falls - Tuesday, June 16 at 9 a.m. at the E.& P. Sénéchal Center, 60 Ouellette St.
• Campbellton - Wednesday, June 17 at 9 a.m. at Campbellton Memorial Regional Civic Centre, 44 Salmon Blvd.
• Petit-Rocher - Wednesday, June 17 at 2 p.m. at Salle multifonctionnelle Denis-Richard, 706 Principale St.
• Caraquet - Thursday, June 18 at 9 a.m. at Centre Culturel de Caraquet, 220 Saint-Pierre Ouest Blvd.
• Rogersville - Friday, June 19 at 9 a.m. at Édifice municipale, 10989 Principale St.
• Moncton - Tuesday, June 23 at 9 a.m. at Delta Hotels by Marriott Beauséjour, 750 Main St.
• Saint John - Wednesday, June 24 at 9 a.m. at Marco Polo Cruise Terminal, 111 Water St.
• Fredericton - Thursday, June 25 at 9 a.m. at Legislative Assembly, 706 Queen St.
• Woodstock – Friday, June 26 at 9 a.m. at AYR Motor Centre, 105 Connell Park Rd.

Making public consultations part of the act’s mandatory reviews was an election commitment prior to Susan Holt forming government. Bourque says there is some political risk in openly discussing a topic that invites strong and diverse views.

“We are also cognizant that it can become a very emotional issue,” says Bourque. “And it can be sidetracked very easily, and we actually saw it this week. But I don’t see that as a negative thing. I think it’s important to listen to the people and what they have to say on the matter.”

The province’s Official Languages Act was first enacted in 1969. Several changes to the act were introduced in 2002, establishing the position of Commissioner of Official Languages and setting municipal government language obligations.

The previous Progressive Conservative government under Blaine Higgs proposed the elimination of the act’s automatic 10-year review. At the time, Higgs said eliminating the scheduled review would allow for ongoing improvements and avoid “angst” around language issues.

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