New factsheets about your language rights
Check out our new factsheets to learn more about your language rights.
Proud to be Canada’s only officially bilingual province
New Brunswick’s unique status is part of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. The Charter states that English and French are the official languages of New Brunswick. The Charter also states that both Anglophone and Francophone communities in the province have equality of status and equal rights and privileges.
New Brunswick Official Languages Act
In 1969, New Brunswick adopted an act making English and French the province’s official languages. This commitment to linguistic equality was renewed and strengthened in 2002 with the adoption of a new official languages act.
What does the Commissioner of Official Languages do?
The position of Commissioner was created by the Official Languages Act of New Brunswick in 2002. The Commissioner has two responsibilities. The first is to ensure compliance with the Official Languages Act. To do that, the Commissioner receives complaints from the public, conducts investigations, and if necessary, makes recommendations. The second responsibility is to promote the advancement of both official languages in the province.