CBC Newsmagazine
Finally, a report
Broadcast Date: Dec. 5, 1967
French and English should be the two languages of government from airports to federal courts, recommends the commission studying bilingualism. The inquiry known as the B&B Commission releases its final report today — four years after it began. It's been so long that in this CBC Television clip, reporter Ron Collister can't remember what B&B stands for. Commission members say that protecting French culture at the federal level is not enough.They found that 95 per cent of francophones live in three provinces: Quebec, Ontario and New Brunswick. For this reason, they're generally in favour of regional protection and suggest that the three provinces should declare themselves bilingual.
Finally, a report
• The B&B Commission's formal name was the Royal Commission on Bilingualism and Biculturalism. It was also referred to as the Bi&Bi Commission or the Laurendeau-Dunton Commission, after the co-chairs (André Laurendeau and A. Davidson Dunton).• The final report was published in six staggered books: The Official Languages (1967), Education (1968), The Work World (1969), The Cultural Contribution (1969), The Federal Capital (1970) and Voluntary Associations (1970).
• One commission report said education for French minorities didn't measure up to schooling provided for anglophones in Quebec.
• The Commission also reported that French Canadians held far fewer top federal government positions than English Canadians.
• Provincial governments followed commission recommendations when they began offering more financial assistance for French language classes.
• Soon after the commission reported, New Brunswick officially became bilingual (1969) and Heritage Canada was established (1973).
• Laurendeau never saw the commission's final completion. On June 1, 1968, he died at the age of 56 from a ruptured aneurysm. Two weeks earlier, he had collapsed at his desk in the commission office after suffering an intracranial brain hemorrhage. He had been giving a tour to a group of journalists.
• Dunton was giving a speech in Nepal when his co-chair died.
• Quebec journalist Jean-Louis Gagnon filled Laurendeau's position as co-chair. Gagnon had already been a commission member.
• Dunton, who had been Carleton University's president until 1972, died on Feb. 7, 1987.
Finally, a report
Medium: Television
Program: CBC Newsmagazine
Broadcast Date: Dec. 5, 1967
Guest(s):
Host: Ron Collister, Norman DePoe
Duration: 5:42
Last updated:
March 18, 2008
Finally, a report.
The CBC Digital Archives Website.
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.
Last updated: March 18, 2008.
[Page consulted on Feb. 13, 2012.]