JASON SETNYK
Kelly Burke, originally from Cornwall, stepped into the national spotlight as she appeared before Canada’s Senate as the nominee to become the next Commissioner of Official Languages.
With deep Franco-Ontarian roots, a legal background, and over two decades of senior public service, Burke brings a wealth of experience to the federal role charged with protecting and promoting Canada’s two official languages.
“Cornwall is very proud of you,” Senator Bernadette Clement told Burke in the Red Chamber, highlighting her education at La Citadelle Catholic High School.
“The Patriots at La Citadelle… count you as one of their own,” she said. Clement then shared a question from the school’s Grade 12 Franco-Ontarian leadership class: “How will your experience as a former student at a French-language high school in an English-speaking environment inspire your work?”
In response, Burke emphasized the influence of her high school years.
“It really set me up well for my career… (the teachers) taught us not only why we should respect official languages, but also how to use those languages to position ourselves professionally,” she said. “We also learned to try to bring about major changes in society, since there are challenges in this area.”
Burke, who was Ontario’s French Language Services Commissioner, highlighted her vision for a “truly bilingual Canada and federal public service in which people express themselves in both official languages across the country.”
She said she would prioritize understanding the challenges of both francophone and anglophone minority communities, fostering culture change in government institutions, and promoting linguistic duality nationwide.
Senators pressed Burke on several issues, from emergency communication gaps to concerns about the decline of French in Canada and the controversial handling of language obligations by federal agencies like the Privy Council Office.
Burke assured the chamber that the modernized Official Languages Act gives her expanded powers-such as compliance agreements, orders, and administrative penalties-and she intends to use them thoughtfully to ensure accountability.
Asked by Senator Claude Carignan why certain reports were missing from the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages’ website-including those related to the Public Order Emergency Commission and the Hogue Commission on foreign interference-Burke was direct:
“I don’t know why they’re not there… [but] excellence expected of such an office would dictate that all reports… should be available.” She committed to correcting such oversights if appointed.
On education, workforce shortages, and federal hiring, Burke underscored the importance of French-language training beyond high school and cultural shifts in federal workplaces.
“Education is an important part of this,” she said. “We must encourage more and more young people to continue their education… so that educated individuals in our society can fill these gaps.”
Burke also addressed the need to collaborate with Canada’s Commissioner of Indigenous Languages, stating, “Indigenous languages are an integral part of Canada’s linguistic ecosystem… it would be a privilege for me to work with the current Commissioner and to share best practices.”
Burke’s appearance before the Committee of the Whole marked the first formal step in her confirmation process.
With expanded powers under the modernized Official Languages Act, she pledged to uphold both official languages with fairness and vigilance. “The act applies at all times, even in emergencies,” she said.
“My undertaking is to ensure that I fully understand the perspective of minority communities and fight for a fully bilingual Canada.”
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