As Canadians recognize the fortieth anniversary of the adoption of the Official Languages Act, Liberal Canadian Heritage and Official Languages Critic Pablo Rodriguez celebrated the importance of this day.

“40 years ago a Liberal government adopted a law recognizing that there are two official languages in Canada,” said Mr. Rodriguez. “This is a milestone that we must celebrate today.”

In July 1969, under the leadership of Liberal Prime Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau, Parliament adopted Canada’s first Official Languages Act. The Act passed following several years of consultation and the inclusion of the subsequent recommendations by the Royal Commission on Bilingualism and Biculturalism (RCBB), established in 1963 by Liberal Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson.

“Thanks to the vision of an innovative Liberal government, Canada has protected one of its most important features: bilingualism,” said Mr. Rodriguez. “Forty years later, this law has enabled many Canadians to preserve their language, no matter where in Canada they choose to live.

“The Liberal Party of Canada recognizes that still much work needs to be done in terms of official languages in our country,” said Mr. Rodriguez. “Thanks to this law, Canadians can say with pride that big strides have already been taken. Our party will always defend Canada’s two official languages. It is something we strive to do every day.”