Acting on a recommendation made by Canada’s Commissioner of official languages Graham Fraser in a report released last year, Vancouver 2010 has created an advisory committee on official languages to reinforce its commitment towards ensuring both of Canada’s official languages are well represented at the 2010 Games.
The committee is to meet for the first time next month. It will provide strategic advice to VANOC on the delivery of its official languages objectives, francophone culture in the context of the Games, as well as assist in collaborations between key stakeholders and Canada’s French-speaking community partners.
Jacques Gauthier, member of the Vancouver 2010 board of directors said, “the Games offer us a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to showcase Canada’s rich cultural diversity and linguistic duality, and to welcome the world in English and French. In following Mr. Fraser’s recommendations we are pleased to create this committee to advise and oversee how well we’re progressing on these important goals”.
The committee members include former French Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin.
Donna Wilson, Vancouver 2010’s Executive Vice President Workforce and Sustainability said, “delivering bilingual Games is a huge undertaking. This panel of experts will help guide us in everything we do on these crucial last months before the Games to make sure no avenue for promoting or delivering bilingualism is overlooked. We look forward to working with the committee members closely”.
