Hold your Federal Candidates to Account on Language Access Issues!

With less than a month to go until Canada’s 2021 Federal election, we have heard nothing from any major Party concerning language access for linguistically diverse Canadians. Considering how insufficient language access around COVID and COVID vaccine information has been such a significant issue for the past year, this is a surprising oversight.

We ask you, our partners and supporters, to reach out to all candidates in your ridings.

You can find out who your local candidates are here.

Send them this Candidate Questionnaire to see where they stand on these critical language access issues:

• Support for the revitalization of Indigenous Languages

• Emergency Communications to Linguistically Diverse Communities

• Language Access for Settlement Services

• Sustainability of Language Services

You can use this script as the starting-point as the message you send:

Dear (candidate name)

With less than a month to go until Canada’s 2021 Federal election, we have heard nothing from any major Party concerning language access for linguistically diverse Canadians. Considering how insufficient language access around COVID and COVID vaccine information has been such a significant issue for the past year, this is a surprising oversight.

I am writing you as a constituent of (RIDING NAME), seeking your position on these important language access issues. Please fill out the this candidate questionnaire and confirm with me when you have done so.

Everyone in Canada has the right to quality information delivered in an equitable way, regardless of the language they speak or sign.

I look forward to your response.

Sincerely,

(NAME)

Other ways to engage:

• Write a letter to the editor of your local paper

• Talk to your friends about language access issues

• Send a Tweet or Facebook message to your candidates

Direct friends and candidates to https://www.languageadvocacyday.org/