THE STANDING SENATE COMMITTEE ON OFFICIAL LANGUAGES
MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS
OTTAWA, Monday, March 9, 2026
(14)
[English]
The Standing Senate Committee on Official Languages met this day at 5:01 p.m., in room B30, Senate of Canada Building, the chair, the Honourable Allister W. Surette, presiding.
Members of the committee present: The Honourable Senators Gerba, Henkel, Loffreda, Moncion, Patterson and Surette (6).
Participating in the meeting: Marie-Ève Hudon, Analyst, Library of Parliament.
Pursuant to the order of reference adopted by the Senate on Wednesday, October 8, 2025, the committee continued its study on the regulatory framework of Part VII of the Official Languages Act.
WITNESSES:
As individuals:
Geneviève Tellier, Full Professor, School of Political Studies, University of Ottawa.
Stéphanie Chouinard, Associate Professor, Department of Political Science, Royal Military College of Canada.
Érik Labelle Westin-Eastaugh, Professor and Dean, Faculty of Law, University of Moncton (by videoconference).
François Larocque, Full Professor, Research Chair in Language Rights, Faculty of Law, Common Law Section, University of Ottawa.
Geneviève Tellier and Stéphanie Chouinard each made a statement and answered questions.
At 5:56 p.m., the committee suspended.
At 6:02 p.m., the committee resumed.
Érik Labelle Westin-Eastaugh and François Larocque each made a statement and answered questions.
At 7 p.m., the committee suspended.
At 7:08 p.m., pursuant to rule 12-16(1)(d), the committee resumed in camera to discuss a draft agenda (future business).
It was agreed that the committee allow the audio recording and/or the transcription of the in camera portion of today’s meeting, that one copy be kept with the clerk of the committee for consultation by committee members and/or their staff, and that the audio recording and/or the transcription be destroyed by the clerk of the committee when authorized to do so by the Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure, but no later than at the end of this parliamentary session.
At 7:18 p.m., the committee adjourned to the call of the chair.
ATTEST:
Katy Quinn
Clerk of the Committee