Why does Canada have two official languages?

The existence of two official languages in Canada is a product of our history. In 1867, the British North America Act gave official status to English and French in Parliament and the federal courts, as well as in Quebec's national assembly and courts.

Canada today has close to 31 million inhabitants, which can be divided into two numerically significant language communities: Anglophones (58% of the population) and Francophones (22% of the population). Canadians whose mother tongue is neither English nor French make up 20% of the population.

The English-speaking community in Quebec is mainly concentrated in Montréal, the Eastern Townships, the Ottawa valley and the Gaspé region. Although most French-speaking Canadians now live in Quebec, there are almost one million French-speaking people living elsewhere in Canada. Almost a quarter of these Francophones live in New Brunswick, the only officially bilingual province in Canada. Ontario, which is home to about 500,000 Francophones, has the largest Francophone population outside of Quebec.

According to the 2006 census, about 85% of Canadians speak English, 31% speak French, and about 520,000, or less than 2% of the population, speak neither official language. As people have come to Canada from other parts of the world, our society has become multicultural and multilingual.

Why does the federal government provide services in both English and French?

Serving the Canadian public cannot be done in one language alone. Figures from the 2006 census show that there are about 994,000 Canadians living in Quebec who have English as their first language. Similarly, about 997,000 Canadians living in the other nine provinces and three territories have French as their first language. This means that about 2 million Canadians, a number almost equivalent to the entire population of Manitoba or Saskatchewan, depend on official languages policies to receive services from the federal government in their own tongue.

Where can I receive services from the federal government in both English and French?

Does the Official Languages Act require all Canadians to be bilingual?

This is a common misconception, and the answer is NO. The Official Languages Act puts the obligation of offering services in both official languages on the federal government—not individuals. Naturally, this means that some positions in the federal government must be filled by employees who can serve clients in both English and French.

Although the Act does not require anyone to learn the other official language, many Canadians view learning a second language as an opportunity for personal enhancement, a professional skill, and a way to contribute to national unity and mutual understanding. Recent census data indicates that a growing number of Canadians can carry on a conversation in both English and French.

What if I am unilingual?

You aren't the only unilingual person in Canada! Some 22 million Canadians speak only English or French. The Official Languages Act in no way obligates Canadians to become bilingual.

The Act is based on justice and equity. Therefore, whether you speak English or French you can obtain services from the federal government in the official language of your choice, where the Act and the Official Languages Regulations require them to be provided.

What are my language rights as a federal public service employee?

Part V of the Official Languages Act sets out the circumstances in which federal government employees, in certain regions and in certain circumstances, have the right to use English or French.

In regions designated bilingual for the purposes of language of work, federal institutions have a duty to create a work environment that allows their employees to use the official language of their choice when they are not serving the public.