Official Languages Act

In 1969, the Official Languages Act came into being, and for French communities in a minority situation, it was a much needed source of financing and security that would serve to protect their previously overlooked linguistic rights.

In Alberta, the School Act was amended in 1968, to allow 50 percent of curriculum to be delivered in French. In 1976, the act was amended once again: 80 percent of curriculum could be taught in French. This period saw the rise of immersion programs. At that time, the schools were mixed, but it soon became possible for a francophone child to begin school with children who were enrolled in immersion programs.