Foreword

• Date: 22 August 2023
• Author: Gregory Tardi

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Foreword

A century and a half after the incorporation of elements of state

bilingualism into the Constitution of Canada, and several decades

following the enactment of the f‌irst Ocial Languages Act, it has

become commonplace to describe Canada as an ocially bilingual

country. is book traces the origins of this national trait of char-

acter. It goes on to focus on the construction of bilingualism by

means of political, public policy, and eventually legal instruments,

primarily since the centenary of Confederation in . It also deals

extensively with the modern applications of bilingualism, in and

by the organs of the state.

Let us take a step back and fully realize the concept being dis-

cussed here. At various times, French and English explorers, set-

tlers, soldiers, churchmen, and entrepreneurs came to dierent

parts of North America that would eventually be incorporated into

Canada. eir areas of domination at times diered, and at other

times collided. e two groups of colonizers competed for a long

time; ultimately, the force of English arms incorporated the entire

area into the British Empire. ereafter, one option of socio-polit-

ical development may have been to attempt to assimilate life con-

ducted in French into the growing English majority. e last public

attempt at such a course of action was the Durham Report of .