As the commissioner of official languages of Canada, Dyane Adam passionately promotes the linguistic duality and diverse culture of the country. From the time she took up the position, in her first annual report, she chastised the federal government for its lack of leadership with respect to language rights and called for the co-operation of federal institutions and minority groups to implement the principles of the Official Languages Act and Canada's Constitution.
Even before taking up her duties as commissioner, she came out in favour of saving Montfort Hospital, and insisted there was no question that Ottawa, as the nation's capital, should be declared a bilingual city.
This clinical psychologist, professor and administrator, the youngest of a large eastern Franco-Ontarian family, made a name for herself long before accepting her current appointment. After earning four degrees, including a doctorate, at the University of Ottawa, Adam spearheaded several programs at Laurentian University, in Sudbury, which were aimed at francophones, and served as principal of York University's Glendon College. She has been very active with organizations which support Franco-Ontarian women, feminism, and women's health and education.