▁Sp ic er ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁Commission er ▁of ▁Official ▁L anguages ▁of ▁Canada . ▁ ▁Education ▁Sp ic er ▁holds ▁a ▁B A ▁in ▁Modern ▁L anguages ▁( F rench ▁and ▁Spanish ) ▁from ▁Victoria ▁College , ▁University ▁of ▁Toronto ▁( 1 9 5 6 ); ▁the ▁Di pl ôme ▁en ▁relations ▁international es ▁from ▁l ' Institut ▁d ' Ét udes ▁Polit iques ▁( S ci ences Po ), ▁Paris ▁( 1 9 5 8 ); ▁and ▁a ▁Ph D ▁in ▁Political ▁Science ▁( thesis : ▁Canada ' s ▁international ▁aid ▁and ▁development ▁program ) ▁from ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Toronto ▁( 1 9 6 1 ). ▁ ▁Career ▁App oint ed ▁by ▁Prime ▁Minister ▁Pierre ▁Tru de au , ▁he ▁reported ▁directly ▁to ▁Parliament ▁as ▁a ▁non part isan ▁officer ▁of ▁Parliament . ▁As ▁national ▁" language ▁om bud s man ," ▁his ▁mand ate ▁was ▁to ▁u ph old ▁French ▁and ▁English ▁language ▁rights ▁in ▁all ▁federal ▁institutions ▁under ▁the ▁ 1 9 6 9 ▁Official ▁L anguages ▁Act . ▁( Pre viously , ▁Canada ' s ▁federal ▁government ▁operated ▁pre domin antly ▁in ▁English .) ▁He ▁promoted ▁the ▁use ▁of ▁English ▁and ▁French ▁as ▁languages ▁of ▁both ▁service ▁and ▁work , ▁and ▁he ▁promoted ▁the ▁teaching ▁of ▁" F rench ▁imm ersion " ▁in ▁English - language ▁schools ▁across ▁Canada ▁as ▁a ▁long term ▁support ▁for ▁an ▁officially ▁b iling ual ▁Canada . ▁▁▁ ▁During ▁his ▁ten ure ▁as ▁commission er , ▁Sp ic er ▁de alt ▁with ▁many