Statement from the Commissioner of Official Languages of Canada upon taking office on March 30, 2026

GATINEAU, QC, March 30, 2026 /CNW/ - Commissioner of Official Languages of Canada Kelly Burke made the following statement today as she took office: 

"I am deeply honoured to have been appointed Commissioner of Official Languages of Canada.

"I am committed to promoting a modern and inclusive bilingualism that fully supports the development of both official language minority communities, protects French across the country and ensures Canada's linguistic vitality for generations to come.

"I feel privileged to join an organization recognized for its expertise, its passion for official languages, the strength of its values, and its commitment to the Canadian public. I would also like to thank my predecessor, Raymond Théberge, for having left such an important legacy, including the major advances made in modernizing the Official Languages Act.

"In this spirit, I intend to build upon and strengthen the excellence that the Office of the Commissioner has come to represent over the years.

"Today we are starting a new chapter in the history of the Official Languages Act. Modernizing the Act has given us stronger tools to protect language rights, support linguistic minority communities and ensure that federal institutions fully meet their obligations.

"But the Act alone is not enough. Our success will depend on our joint efforts and on our deep conviction in the value of our official languages and our bilingualism.

"To effectively carry out my mandate, I will draw on my experience as a French immersion teacher, as a lawyer, as an Assistant Deputy Minister for Ontario's Ministry of Francophone Affairs, and as the Commissioner of French Language Services in Ontario, as well as on my personal experience as a member of an official language minority community.

"I was born in Cornwall, Ontario, and raised in a large family deeply rooted in both of the cultures protected by the Official Languages Act. My parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents--who were Anglophone, Francophone and bilingual--instilled in me a genuine and lasting appreciation for both of our official languages.

"Communities will, in fact, be high on my list of priorities. I will build on the invaluable work of my predecessors and make full use of the tools that are available to me to help ensure their vitality.

"Full implementation of the Official Languages Act will continue to be essential, as will the promotion of a Canada where English and French are substantively equal. Official languages are at the heart of our Canadian identity, our cultural and economic sovereignty, and the national unity that we have a responsibility to preserve.

"Rest assured that my office's dedicated team and I will work tirelessly to protect these rights and to promote them."

Related link:

Biography of Kelly Burke

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SOURCE Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages

For more information, please contact: Media Relations, Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages, Email: [email protected], Telephone: [phone]