Royal Commission on Bilingualism and Biculturalism

Royal Commission on Bilingualism and Biculturalism
Name	Royal Commission on Bilingualism and Biculturalism
Formation	1963
Dissolution	1971
Jurisdiction	Canada
Chief1 name	André Laurendeau
Chief2 name	Davidson Dunton

Contents

Royal Commission on Bilingualism and Biculturalism was a Canadian public inquiry established in 1963 to investigate linguistic relations and cultural duality between English-speaking and French-speaking communities across Canada. Chaired initially by André Laurendeau and later by Davidson Dunton, the commission reported between 1967 and 1970, influencing landmark measures such as the Official Languages Act and shaping federal policy under Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson and Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau. Its work intersected with events and institutions including the Quiet Revolution, the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples, the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, the Quebec sovereignty movement, and the Meech Lake Accord.

Background and establishment

The commission was created amid tensions following the 1960 Quebec election, the social changes of the Quiet Revolution, and debates triggered by incidents such as the St. Jean Baptiste Day demonstrations and controversies over language in Montreal. Federal concerns involved relations among communities represented by figures and institutions like John Diefenbaker, Lester B. Pearson, Robert Bourassa, Jean Lesage, and bodies including the House of Commons of Canada, the Privy Council Office, and the Department of Justice (Canada). International parallels were drawn to inquiries like the Beveridge Report and domestic commissions such as the Royal Commission on the Status of Women as Ottawa sought an investigatory model combining public hearings and social research. The commission was formally announced by Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson and established by royal proclamation, drawing commissioners from milieus including Université de Montréal, McGill University, and the University of Toronto.

Mandated to examine "the existing state of bilingualism and biculturalism in Canada," the commission's objectives referenced constitutional and statutory frameworks including the British North America Act, 1867 and the evolving federal statutes administered by the Department of Communications (Canada). It was charged to assess linguistic usage in institutions such as the Supreme Court of Canada, the Canadian Armed Forces, and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, and to evaluate minority rights under precedents like the Persons Case and decisions from the Privy Council (Canada). Commissioners engaged with provincial governments including Government of Quebec, Government of Ontario, Government of New Brunswick and with municipal authorities in Toronto, Vancouver, Québec City, and Moncton.

The commission employed social science methods developed in institutions such as the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, collaborating with researchers from Statistics Canada, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, and university departments at Université Laval, Queen's University, University of British Columbia. It conducted public hearings across regions including the Atlantic provinces, the Prairies, the Northwest Territories, and urban centers like Montreal and Ottawa, receiving submissions from organizations such as the Confédération des syndicats nationaux, the Canadian Labour Congress, Alliance Quebec, and cultural associations like Le Devoir and La Presse. Empirical tools included census analysis referencing data collections comparable to the 1901 Census of Canada and contemporary surveys modeled on studies from the British Social Attitudes Survey.

Final reports concluded that Canada required a comprehensive approach to bilingualism and biculturalism, recommending measures affecting institutions such as the Parliament of Canada, Supreme Court of Canada, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, and the federal public service. Recommendations included adoption of official bilingualism through statutes akin to the later Official Languages Act (1969), expansion of bilingual education programs in schools like those governed by the Toronto District School Board and the Conseil des écoles catholiques, protection of minority-language rights echoing principles later found in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and support for cultural institutions including the National Film Board of Canada and the Canada Council for the Arts. The commission also addressed socioeconomic disparities highlighted by comparisons with reports such as the Royal Commission on Economic Union and Development Prospects for Canada.

The federal response included legislative action by the Parliament of Canada and policy measures under cabinets of Lester B. Pearson and Pierre Trudeau, culminating in the Official Languages Act (1969) and subsequent regulations administered by the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat and enacted through departments like the Public Service Commission of Canada. Provincial reactions varied: Government of Quebec pursued language laws eventually embodied in Bill 101, while provinces such as New Brunswick later adopted policies reflecting bilingual recognition. Implementation involved institutions including the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, the Canadian Forces, and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police's language training, and influenced judicial interpretation in bodies such as the Supreme Court of Canada.

The commission's legacy is evident in constitutional developments including debates surrounding the Meech Lake Accord and the Charlottetown Accord, judicial decisions interpreting the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and in cultural policy administered by the Canada Council for the Arts and broadcasting rules at the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission. It influenced political movements including Bloc Québécois, and figures such as René Lévesque, Robert Bourassa, Brian Mulroney, and Jean Chrétien engaged with its outcomes. Ongoing discourse on multilingualism and multiculturalism links the commission to inquiries like the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples and institutions such as Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, shaping policy debates in cities like Montreal, Ottawa, and Toronto and leaving a durable imprint on Canadian public life.