Canada, a vast and multicultural country, is home to a surprising variety of French-speaking accents and cultures. Although the French language has gradually lost ground to the influence of English, there are still many communities that continue to promote and preserve the richness of the Canadian Francophonie.
In the province of Nova Scotia, located in the east of the country, the French-speaking presence is relatively weak, representing only 5% of the population. However, across the Bay of Fundy in New Brunswick, a unique form of French, called “chiac”, is spoken by many locals. Chiac is widely used in cities such as Caraquet, Shédiac and Moncton, and is the heart of the annual Acadie Rock festival. New Brunswick has approximately 40% French speakers, although English remains dominant in commercial and educational fields.
In neighboring Quebec, French is an official language and the provincial government actively works to preserve and promote it. Prime Minister François Legault considers this a question of survival for the province. The government has recently implemented major linguistic reforms to consolidate the status of French. However, these reforms sparked protests from the province’s English-speaking minority, representing around 9% of the population.
In the province of Ontario, Franco-Ontarians are determined to continue their studies and live in French. French-speaking institutions are actively working to create an entirely French-speaking university education network, known as RUFO (Réseau des Universities Francophones de l’Ontario). This network aims to meet the specific needs of the province’s French-speaking community.
To better understand the persistent presence of the French language throughout Canada, one need only follow the footsteps of the “Conquest of the West” in the country. There is historical evidence of the French presence as far away as Saskatchewan, a province in central Canada, where a short-lived French fort, called La Jonquière, was established in 1751.
Recently, the Canadian federal government has taken significant steps to support the preservation of the French language in the country. Bill C-13, adopted by the House of Commons on May 15, 2023, reforms the Official Languages Act. This reform mainly aims to slow the decline of French and to ensure that the language of Molière is not relegated to the past, but remains a dynamic project for the future.
Canada therefore continues to bear the heritage of New France and the Francophonie, with efforts made at all levels to preserve and promote the linguistic and cultural richness of the Canadian Francophonie.