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Backgrounder:
François Boileau – First French Language Services Commissioner of Ontario

August 1, 2007

François Boileau has been appointed as Ontario's first French Language Services Commissioner. He brings to the position a wealth of experience in the field of language rights, both with the federal public service and with Francophone organizations.

From 2003 up until his nomination, Mr. Boileau worked as legal counsel with the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages, where he actively took part in important cases, such as the Casimir – Solski and Gosselin cases, before the Supreme Court of Canada.

Mr. Boileau also worked at the Fédération des communautés francophones et acadienne (FCFA) du Canada, first as political and legal liaison agent and legal counsel from 1993 to 1995, and as director of the Québec bureau and legal counsel from 1997 to 2003. Among other accomplishments, he represented the FCFA at the Ontario Court of Appeal in the Monfort case, established strategies and acted as the legal coordinator for all stakeholders, including the Commissioner of Official Languages, the Association canadienne-française de l'Ontario and the FCFA.

From 1995 to 1997, Mr. Boileau was the first executive director of the Court Challenges Program of Canada in Winnipeg. He elaborated the organization's strategic priorities and operational plans and acted as official spokesperson for media, government and community relations as well as language rights director, among other functions.

Mr. Boileau has published several articles about language rights and has been invited to many conferences as guest speaker. He also volunteered for legal organizations such as Lawyers Without Borders as well as for several Francophone groups.

In addition to his Law degree (LL.L.) from the University of Ottawa (1991), Mr. Boileau holds a bachelor's degree (B.Sc.) in Political Science (1988) and a certificate in History (1985) from the Université de Montréal. He is currently completing a master's degree in Public Communications at Université Laval.

Mr. Boileau is a member of the Barreau du Québec and of the Association des juristes d'expression française of Ontario and Manitoba.

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For additional information:
Charles Jean Sucsan
Senior Manager, Strategic Communications
Office of Francophone Affairs
416 325-4968

Disponible en français