Bill S-247 explained in plain English
An Act to establish International Mother Language Day
Federal Parliament bill summary, status, timeline, sponsor, votes, and official sources.
At a glance
Official Parliament of Canada snapshot for 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. MP vote breakdowns appear when the House of Commons publishes a recorded division export for that bill. Senate and House stage details include official debate/sitting links when LEGISinfo publishes them.
Our plain-language take, written for civic education.
Source: By PoliticalData.ca
Bill S-247 proposes to officially recognize February 21st each year as International Mother Language Day throughout Canada.
This bill, if passed, would make February 21st of each year recognized across Canada as "International Mother Language Day". This day is intended to acknowledge the value of Canada's linguistic and cultural diversity. The bill also clarifies that this day is not a legal holiday or a non-juridical day.
- Designates February 21st of each year as "International Mother Language Day" across Canada.
- Clarifies that International Mother Language Day is not a legal holiday or a non-juridical day.
- All Canadians
- February 21st of each year
- The bill specifies that the designation of 'International Mother Language Day' does not make it a legal holiday or a non-juridical day.
Generated using AI from official bill text. Not legal advice. It is written by PoliticalData.ca for civic education, automatically checked and spot-reviewed before publishing.
Official textParliamentary Process
Bill S-247, to establish International Mother Language Day, completed its first reading in the Senate on March 22, 2018, and was subsequently referred to a committee for further consideration.
This artifact describes the first reading of Bill S-247, An Act to establish International Mother Language Day, in the Senate on March 22, 2018. This procedural step means the bill was formally introduced to the Senate. Following this, the bill proceeded to second reading on April 17, 2018, and was later referred to a committee on December 5, 2018. The current status indicates the bill is under consideration in a Senate committee.
In the Senate, Bill S-247, an act to establish International Mother Language Day, was formally introduced and given its first reading.
On March 22, 2018, the Senate of Canada held its first reading of Bill S-247, an act to establish International Mother Language Day. This procedural step involved the formal introduction of the bill. No debate or discussion on the bill's content occurred during this specific stage. The sitting also included other procedural business, such as tabling reports, question period, and debates on unrelated bills.
Bill S-247, concerning the establishment of International Mother Language Day, completed its second reading in the Senate and was sent to a committee for further review.
This record shows the procedural steps for Bill S-247, An Act to establish International Mother Language Day, in the Senate. The bill completed its second reading stage and was then referred to a committee for further consideration. The dates of its first reading, second reading, and referral to committee are noted, along with the dates when speeches related to the second reading were made. The Senate sponsor of the bill is also identified.
On April 17, 2018, the Senate of Canada held a sitting that included tributes to victims of the Humboldt tragedy, debates on several bills including Bill S-247 regarding International Mother Language Day, Question Period with Minister Carla Qualtrough, and consideration of committee reports.
On April 17, 2018, the Senate of Canada convened for a sitting that included routine proceedings, question period, and orders of the day. A significant portion of the sitting involved tributes to the victims of the Humboldt bus tragedy. Several bills were also discussed, including debates on Bill C-58 (Access to Information Act and Privacy Act amendments), Bill S-240 (trafficking in human organs), and Bill S-245 (Trans Mountain Pipeline Project). Bill S-247, An Act to establish International Mother Language Day, was introduced and its second reading debate was adjourned. The Senate also considered committee reports and budgets. Minister Carla Qualtrough, Minister of Public Services and Procurement, appeared for Question Period to address issues such as the Phoenix pay system, gender wage gap, and procurement strategies. The sitting concluded with a vote on the adoption of a committee report.
In a Senate debate, senators discussed Bill S-247, aiming to establish February 21st as International Mother Language Day to recognize and celebrate Canada's multilingualism and linguistic diversity.
This document details a Senate debate on April 17, 2018, concerning Bill S-247, An Act to establish International Mother Language Day. The main discussion focused on establishing February 21st as International Mother Language Day in Canada, recognizing and celebrating the country's linguistic diversity beyond its two official languages. Senators shared personal stories and statistics highlighting the importance of multilingualism for cultural identity, social connection, and international trade. The debate also touched upon the preservation of Aboriginal languages and the need to acknowledge and support the linguistic heritage of all Canadians. The bill's sponsor, Senator Mobina S.B. Jaffer, emphasized that this initiative complements, rather than detracts from, Canada's official bilingualism.
During the June 5, 2018 Senate sitting, senators discussed International Mother Language Day, heard statements on various social and international issues, debated amendments to the Cannabis Bill (Bill C-45), and considered other legislative matters including oil tanker moratoriums and maternity assistance programs.
This Senate sitting on June 5, 2018, included statements from senators on various topics including the AquaKent Centre's anniversary, World Environment Day, the Tiananmen Square massacre anniversary, the state of political prisoners in Tibet, and congratulations to Senator René Cormier on an honorary doctorate. Routine proceedings saw the tabling of the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner's annual report and the presentation of the Special Committee on the Arctic's second report. Notices of motions were given regarding committee meetings and extending report dates. The Senate then debated Bill C-45, the Cannabis Bill, with an amendment proposed and debated regarding beneficial ownership transparency and another regarding penalties for youth possession and distribution of cannabis. The Senate also considered Bill C-46 concerning impaired driving and Bill C-48 regarding oil tanker moratoriums. Senator Cormier also spoke about Bill S-247, An Act to establish International Mother Language Day, highlighting its importance for linguistic diversity and Indigenous languages. Other discussions involved the Canada Revenue Agency Act, Bill C-76 concerning election modernization, Bill S-239 on eliminating foreign funding in elections, and Bill C-243 on a national maternity assistance program strategy. Finally, the Senate debated the constitutionality of the Canada Summer Jobs attestation.
During the Senate's second reading debate on Bill S-247 to establish International Mother Language Day, senators discussed various other pressing issues, with Senator Cormier being congratulated on an honorary doctorate and senators Galvez, Munson, and Ngo speaking on environmental, human rights, and political matters.
This Senate debate record shows a discussion during the second reading of Bill S-247, an Act to establish International Mother Language Day. The debate included several senators speaking on various topics, and prominently featured Senator René Cormier's acceptance of an honorary doctorate, Senator Rosa Galvez's remarks on World Environment Day and plastic pollution, Senator Jim Munson's speech on the Tiananmen Square Massacre anniversary, and Senator Thanh Hai Ngo's comments on political prisoners in Tibet. The Senate also dealt with routine proceedings like tabling reports and presenting notices of motions. The debate on Bill S-247 itself was briefly mentioned as 'continued', indicating it was not the primary focus of this particular record.
During the Senate's second reading debate on Bill S-247, senators discussed the significance of mother languages for cultural identity and diversity in Canada, advocating for the establishment of International Mother Language Day.
This Senate sitting on September 19, 2018, included a debate at the second reading stage for Bill S-247, An Act to establish International Mother Language Day. The sitting also featured other proceedings such as Senators' Statements, Routine Proceedings, Question Period, and debates on other bills and committee reports. The debate on Bill S-247 focused on the importance of preserving mother languages, particularly in Canada's multicultural context and for Indigenous communities. Senators shared personal anecdotes and statistics to support the bill's aim of recognizing February 21 as International Mother Language Day.
On December 5, 2018, the Senate debated and advanced several bills, including passing Bill C-21, referring Bill S-247 (International Mother Language Day) and Bill C-376 (Sikh Heritage Month) to committee, and continuing debate on Bill C-68 (Fisheries Act), alongside other procedural matters and tributes.
This Senate sitting record from December 5, 2018, details various proceedings including Senators' Statements on Mi'kmaq and Maliseet art, the 100th anniversary of Statistics Canada, and a tribute to Private Frederick Lee. Routine Proceedings included tabling of the Supplementary Estimates (A) and various notices of motions. Question Period addressed topics like Parliament of Canada Act amendments, Chinese investment in Canada, and cannabis regulations. The "Orders of the Day" section shows that Bill C-21, an Act to amend the Customs Act, received third reading and passed. The debate on Bill C-68, an Act to amend the Fisheries Act, was continued. Bill S-247, an Act to establish International Mother Language Day, and Bill C-376, an Act to designate April as Sikh Heritage Month, both received second reading and were referred to committee. Other items included debate on Senate modernization, a report on maritime search and rescue, and inquiries on literacy and essential skills, and the careers of former Senators. Several notices of motions were also addressed, some withdrawn or extended.
Bill S-247, aiming to establish International Mother Language Day, is currently awaiting consideration in a Senate committee, with no committee activity noted in this record.
This record describes the status of Bill S-247, An Act to establish International Mother Language Day, in the Senate. The bill has been referred to a committee for consideration. There has been no activity in the committee stage itself according to this record. The record also lists the dates of the bill's first and second readings, and highlights major speeches given during the second reading stage.
Bill S-247, aiming to establish International Mother Language Day, is awaiting the Senate Report stage, having been referred to committee in December 2018.
This record indicates that Bill S-247, concerning the establishment of International Mother Language Day, has progressed to the Report stage in the Senate. However, the Report stage itself has not yet been reached. The latest recorded activity was the bill's referral to a committee on December 5, 2018. The record also lists key dates for the bill's First and Second readings, along with the dates of major speeches given during the Second reading debates, including speeches by Senator Mobina S.B. Jaffer and Senator René Cormier.
Bill S-247, concerning the establishment of International Mother Language Day, has not yet reached the Third Reading stage in the Senate, having been referred to committee after its second reading.
This artifact describes the procedural status of Bill S-247, An Act to establish International Mother Language Day, in the Senate. The bill has not yet reached the Third Reading stage. It was referred to a committee on December 5, 2018, after its first reading on March 22, 2018, and second reading on April 17, 2018. The artifact also notes that major speeches were made during the second reading on June 5, 2018, and September 19, 2018, and includes specific sponsor and response speeches from Senators Mobina S.B. Jaffer and René Cormier.
This artifact outlines the procedural progression of Bill S-247, from its first reading in the House of Commons to its referral to a Senate committee, noting that the first reading stage in the House of Commons has not yet been reached.
This record describes the procedural stages of Bill S-247, An Act to establish International Mother Language Day, in the House of Commons. It indicates that the bill has reached the 'House of Commons First reading' stage but this stage is marked as 'Not reached'. The bill's current status is 'At consideration in committee in the Senate'. The record also notes the date of its referral to a Senate committee on December 5, 2018, and its first reading in the House of Commons on March 22, 2018. It also lists dates for second reading and major speeches in the Senate in 2018.
Bill S-247, aiming to establish International Mother Language Day, has not yet undergone second reading in the House of Commons and is currently being considered by a Senate committee.
This record indicates that Bill S-247, concerning the establishment of International Mother Language Day, has not yet reached the second reading stage in the House of Commons. The process shows that the bill was first read on Thursday, March 22, 2018. Major speeches related to second reading occurred on Tuesday, June 5, 2018, and Wednesday, September 19, 2018. The bill was later referred to a committee in the Senate on Wednesday, December 5, 2018. The current status shows the bill is under consideration in a Senate committee.
Bill S-247, aiming to establish International Mother Language Day, has not yet proceeded to committee review in the House of Commons, with its latest procedural step being a referral to a Senate committee.
This record indicates that Bill S-247, concerning the establishment of International Mother Language Day, has not yet reached the 'Consideration in committee' stage in the House of Commons. The latest recorded activity for this bill was its referral to a committee in the Senate on December 5, 2018. The bill had its first reading on March 22, 2018, and its second reading on April 17, 2018. Major speeches related to the second reading occurred on June 5, 2018, and September 19, 2018. Speeches from Senators, including the sponsor, were also recorded in April and June 2018.
Bill S-247, concerning the establishment of International Mother Language Day, has reached the Report stage in the House of Commons, which has not yet occurred, and was most recently referred to a committee in the Senate.
This artifact describes the procedural progress of Bill S-247, An Act to establish International Mother Language Day, within the Canadian Parliament. It indicates that the bill has reached the Report stage in the House of Commons but this stage has not yet occurred ('Not reached'). The latest recorded activity is its referral to a committee in the Senate on Wednesday, December 5, 2018. The artifact also lists key dates for its First and Second readings, as well as mentions of major speeches during the Second reading and in the Senate.
The "House of Commons Third reading" stage for Bill S-247 has not been reached, and the bill is currently under consideration by a Senate committee.
This artifact indicates that the "House of Commons Third reading" stage for Bill S-247, An Act to establish International Mother Language Day, has not yet been reached. The bill's current status is "At consideration in committee in the Senate". The latest activity shown is its referral to a committee in the Senate on December 5, 2018. Information on first and second readings, as well as major speeches in the Senate, are also provided.
Debate and sitting links point to official parliamentary sources when LEGISinfo publishes them. Any plain-language discussion summaries should be generated from those official texts and reviewed before public display.
Vote Summary
This bill is still active. We only show vote counts after the legislature publishes a recorded division.
No published representative vote breakdown
This bill is still moving through the process. When a recorded division is published, representative positions can be listed here.
Official sources
Status, sponsor, votes, and timeline on this page are drawn from these official legislative sources and public records. Each summary above is attributed to its own source.
How this data is sourced