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The French Language Services Act: an overview

The Act

• Ontario's French Language Services Act (FLSA), adopted on November 19, 1986, recognizes in its preamble that French is an historic and honoured language of the province and states that the government wishes to preserve it for future generations.
• The act guarantees the right to receive provincial government services in French from head offices of the government and from offices located in or serving 24 designated areas. Traditionally, designated areas are those in which 10 per cent of the population is Francophone or where there are at least 5,000 Francophones.
• Agencies whose boards are appointed in majority by the government and all institutions of the Legislative Assembly are subject to the act.
• The act provides that certain government-funded organizations may be designated with respect to the provision of their services in French. To date, 201 organizations such as hospitals, children's aid societies and nursing homes have been designated. Designation of these organizations is voluntary.
• Each ministry is responsible for the provision of quality French-language services to the public. French-language services coordinators oversee the provision of French-language services within their ministries. Deputy ministers are accountable for the implementation of the act.
• The Minister Responsible for Francophone Affairs oversees the implementation and administration of the French Language Services Act and is supported in doing so by the Office of Francophone Affairs. The Office advises the Government of Ontario on Francophone affairs and the delivery of French-language services.

Linguistic Rights in Ontario

The French Language Services Act forms part of a broader legal framework of linguistic rights in Ontario. Some key examples include: The 1984 Courts of Justice Act recognizes the official status of French in Ontario provincial courts.

The Education Act recognizes the right of Francophones to receive education in French at the elementary and secondary school levels and the 1997 Fewer School Boards Act created 12 French-language school boards.

On a national scale, the 1982 Charter of Rights and Freedoms guarantees fundamental rights and freedoms to all Canadians.

Francophones in Ontario*

• Ontario is home to the largest Francophone population in Canada outside of Quebec. There are 548,940 Francophones in Ontario who represent 4.8 per cent of the province's total population. Between 1996 and 2001, the Francophone population of Ontario increased by 6,600—a 1.2 per cent increase in five years.
• Roughly 25 per cent of the Francophone population resides in each of the northeast and the central regions of the province, while about 40 per cent lives in the east. The remaining less than 10 per cent reside in the southwest and northwest regions. More than four out of every five Francophones in Ontario live in a region designated under the French Language Services Act.
  1. Designated Francophone communities in Ontario are:
  2. City of Toronto (All)
  3. City of Hamilton (All of the City of Hamilton as it exists on Dec. 31, 2000)
  4. Regional Municipality of Niagara, Cities of: Port Colborne and Welland
  5. City of Ottawa (All)
  6. Regional Municipality of Peel; City of Mississauga, City of Brampton
  7. City of Greater Sudbury (All)
  8. County of Dundas; Township of Winchester
  9. County of Essex; City of Windsor, Towns of Belle River and Tecumseh; Townships of: Anderdon, Colchester North, Maidstone, Sandwich South, Sandwich West, Tilbury North, Tilbury West and Rochester
  10. County of Glengarry (All)
  11. County of Kent; Town of Tilbury, Townships of Dover and Tilbury East
  12. County of Prescott (All)
  13. County of Renfrew; City of Pembroke, Townships of: Stafford and Westmeath
  14. County of Russell (All)
  15. County of Simcoe; Town of Penetanguishene, Townships of: Tiny and Essa
  16. County of Stormont (All)
  17. District of Algoma (All)
  18. District of Cochrane (All)
  19. District of Kenora; Township of Ignace
  20. District of Nipissing (All)
  21. District of Sudbury (All)
  22. District of Thunder Bay; Towns of Geraldton, Longlac and Marathon, Townships of Manitouwadge, Beardmore, Nakina & Terrace Bay
  23. District of Timiskaming (All)
  24. County of Middlesex; City of London
  25. District of Parry Sound; municipality of Callander
• The composition of the Francophone population is changing. One out of every three Francophones was born outside Ontario. Racial minorities now make up 10.3 per cent of Ontario's Francophone population. They represent one in three Francophones in the Toronto region.
• Ontario is home to a vibrant network of Francophone associations working actively to ensure that services are available in French and to preserve the French language and culture in the province.

* Source : Statistics Canada, 2001 Census