The Golden Quill: An initiative of the Our Languages blog
Each year, the Golden Quill is handed off to a member of senior management as part of Official Languages Day celebrations. Learn more about this initiative, and read blog posts written by past recipients of the Golden Quill.
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An Official Languages Day tradition
The Golden Quill was introduced in 2018 to celebrate the one-year anniversary of the Our Languages blog. This initiative gives senior management within the federal public service the opportunity to write about an aspect of official languages that’s important to them or to share their own personal experiences with language.
Every September, as part of the annual Official Languages Day celebrations, the Golden Quill is passed on from one member of senior management to another, who will then write a post for the Our Languages blog within the next year. This person then recruits a colleague to become the next recipient of the Golden Quill and to write a post for the following year.
The Golden Quill hand-off
Last year, Isabelle Mondou, Deputy Minister, Canadian Heritage, handed off the Golden Quill to Vidya ShankarNarayan, Senior Assistant Deputy Minister, People and Culture, Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat.
Ms. ShankarNarayan has risen to the Golden Quill challenge in 2025. Head over to the Our Languages blog to read her post Learning a language takes attitude: The right attitude! (opens in new tab), in which she shares her experiences learning her second official language. You’re sure to be inspired by her journey, which is rooted in openness and perseverance.
Past recipients of the Golden Quill
The Golden Quill has been making its way through Canada’s public service since 2018. Check out the posts written by past honoured recipients.
2025: Vidya ShankarNarayan
In her post, Vidya ShankarNarayan, Senior Assistant Deputy Minister, People and Culture, Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat, shares her experiences learning her second official language.
2024: Isabelle Mondou
In her post, Isabelle Mondou, Deputy Minister of Canadian Heritage, shared her thoughts about linguistic insecurity in the public service.
2023: Gina Wilson
In 2023, Gina Wilson, Deputy Minister, Indigenous Services Canada, wrote an insightful post about how Indigenous languages and Canada’s official languages can coexist and thrive.
2022: Yvette-Monique Gray
In her post, Yvette-Monique Gray, then Regional Director General, Pacific Region, Public Services and Procurement Canada, shared how her love for languages shaped her life and told us about her language journey.
2021: Michael Vandergrift
In 2021, Michael Vandergrift, then Deputy Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, Privy Council Office, shared his experiences of learning French as a second language, which began when he was a student in his dad’s French class.
2020: Charles Slowey
Charles Slowey, then Assistant Deputy Minister, Community and Identity, Canadian Heritage, showed us how experiences or events, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, change the way we communicate.
2019: Jean-Pierre Blais
Being bilingual is an asset in the public service of Canada. Jean-Pierre Blais, then Assistant Deputy Minister, Receiver General and Pension Branch, Public Services and Procurement Canada, provided some tips to help public servants maintain and improve their second language skills.