About Us
History/Foundation
1969
Parliament adopts the Official Languages Act in July with all-party support. The new law asserts equal status, rights, and privileges for French and English as languages of Parliament and the Government of Canada. A few months later, in January 1970, the federal government follows up with an agreement to provide partial funding for minority- and second-language education across the country.
1973
The Official-Languages Monitor Program (OLMP) was established in 1973, to promote Canada’s two official languages and the cultures they convey, by encouraging Canadian young people to make their language and culture known to students in a region other than their own. Under the program, educational institutions throughout the country receive the services of language assistants.
1977
The Official-Languages Monitor Program branches out, with the creation of a program to assign francophone language assistants to minority French-speaking areas. The language assistants work with students at schools or institutions outside of Quebec where French is the language of instruction.
2004
In 2004, a marketing firm was contracted to develop a rejuvenating strategy for the official-languages programs that would help them to reach a larger public. As part of that strategy, the program underwent a name change: OLMP was reborn as Odyssey.
2008
In 2008, the Odyssey full-time language-assistant program marked its 35th anniversary. The Honourable Kelly Lamrock, Minister of Education for New Brunswick and Chair of CMEC, stated to a gathering of some 215 language assistants attending a pan-Canadian training session in Quebec City: “I am pleased to be here with so many young people from all parts of Canada to celebrate the anniversary of this program, which has given so many Canadians an enriching cultural and linguistic experience over the years.” Over 250,000 young Canadians have taken part in the official-languages programs since their inception.
The brochures through time
1983-1984
1984-1985
1993-1994
1995-1996
1996
1999
2002-2003
2003-2004
2004-2005
2005-2009
Testimonials
I get up in the morning, and the sun’s been up all night! It bathes a mountain in pink light. That’s what I see in the morning, on my way to work. You cannot imagine the stillness of wide open spaces until you’ve set foot in Yukon! You really feel alive here! With every step you take, nature is all around you.
Nadia Lebel, from Drummondville, Québec, to Whitehorse, Yukon, QC
Advertisements
© 2009 The Council of Ministers of Education, Canada
Toll-free: 1-877-866-4242