The collection of evidence-based data on the language variable will make it possible to identify the needs of Francophone and Acadian minority language communities and the resources available to meet these needs. For this purpose, it is essential to secure the partners’ buy-in for a national strategy on collecting and disseminating language data. Such a strategy can then lead to a national data-collection initiative.

Flagship projects—such as the inclusion of language on provincial and territorial health cards and a web portal where health service providers submit data on the services that they offer in French (OZi)—serve as models that can inspire all of the regional, provincial and territorial French-language health networks. One of the SSF’s partner organizations, the Canadian Health Workforce Network, has analyzed the extent to which the professional associations and regulatory bodies for seven health professions in each of the provinces are capturing the required data on French-language services.

These initiatives, together with knowledge mobilization and networking, form the foundation for the National Strategy on Linguistic Data.