uOttawa News

OTTAWA, February 10, 2012  —  The Language Rights Support Program (LRSP) is happy to announce that its funding has been renewed by Canadian Heritage for a period of five years totalling $7.5 million. This funding will allow the Program to continue its activities as well as support members of the official language communities in Canada until 2017.

Since opening in 2009, the Program has received 77 funding applications for alternative dispute resolution methods and legal remedies to resolve conflicts relating to constitutional language rights. During the next few years, the LRSP will undertake several projects to promote and educate the Canadian population of its constitutional language rights, including educational rights, legislative and judicial rights, linguistic equality, as well as the official language in which members of the public communicate with government and receive government services.

“ With today's announcement, we are maintaining our commitment towards the protection of language rights in Canada. We are proud to reaffirm our confidence in the University of Ottawa as we are confirming its role as the administrator of the program for the next five years,” said the Honourable James Moore, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages. “The LRSP, established by our Government, is an innovative program which respond to the needs of the communities.”

“Since its creation, the Language Rights Support Program aims to offer quality services as well as support members of official language communities in order to encourage the advancement and clarification of constitutional language rights in Canada. The funding announced today will enable us to realize our commitments for the next five years,” declared Geneviève Boudreau, Director of the Program.

In 2008, the federal government announced the creation of the Language Rights Support Program and, in 2009, it announced that the LRSP would be managed by the University of Ottawa, under the Official Languages and Bilingualism Institute and the Faculty of Law.

“The renewal of the LRSP’s mandate confirms the government’s confidence in the LRSP team and the University of Ottawa. It recognizes the national importance of the Program. Members of linguistic minorities across Canada will continue to benefit from this resource which is essential to safeguard their language and culture,” stated Dr. Richard Clément, FRSC, Director of the Official Languages and Bilingualism Institute and Associate Dean of the Faculty of Arts.

The announcement for the renewal was made during the meeting of the Round Table of National Dialogue of the LRSP today, a meeting which draws representatives from national and provincial advocate organizations working within official language communities in Canada. This meeting, which is organized annually, informs these representatives of services offered by the LRSP and of their constitutional language rights. Furthermore, this meeting serves as an ideal forum to discuss the priorities of official language communities in Canada for the advancement of constitutional language rights.

The Language Rights Support Program provides financial support for alternative dispute resolution and judicial remedies regarding constitutional language rights. The LRSP also promotes constitutional language rights through public education. For more information, visit the LRSP website.