Bilingualism And Biculturalism: Positive Changes Across Canada

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Secondly, the Royal Commission on Bilingualism and Biculturalism brought positive changes across Canada and positive impacts to Canadian identity. It also smoothened the relation between the French and English Canadians during the 1960s. To begin with, Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson was called upon by André Laurendeau with the fear of the rise of separatism in Québec after 1960: “Prime Minister Pearson responded by creating in 1963 the B&B Commission with Laurendeau and Davidson DUNTON as co-chairmen.” Pearson had made attempts to satisfy Quebec with the Royal Commission on Bilingualism and Biculturalism and stopped the uprise of Quebec wanting to separate from Canada: “The [B&B Commission] respond to the crisis by making room for French …show more content…

Before Laurendeau became co-chairmen of the commission he had a goal of finding a solution that provided equality to the French Canadians; “ Fearing the political and social implications of the rise of SEPARATISM in Québec after 1960, Laurendeau called upon the DIEFENBAKER and the PEARSON governments to investigate the crisis in Québec-Ottawa relations.” Furthermore, the Royal Commission on Bilingualism and Biculturalism created the Official Languages Act: “The Official Languages Act (1969) is the federal statute that made English and French the official languages of Canada.” This act eased the unrest growing among French Canadians in Québec and protected the French language; “The commission's findings led to changes in French education across the country, and the creation of the federal department of multiculturalism and the Official Languages Act.” French Canadians had always feared of losing their language and culture because there were more English Canadians than French Canadians and English was the only official language of

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