French-language rights holders A rights holder is a parent or guardian who lives in Ontario, is a Canadian citizen and meets at least one of the following criteria: their native language is French, meaning French is the first language they learned and still understand.
Is French an official language in Ontario?
The status of French
French, like English, is one of Canada’s 2 official languages. Federal institutions are bilingual. They operate and provide services in both official languages. The Government of Canada also actively promotes both official languages in Canadian society ( Official Languages Act ).
What are Francophone rights?
Francophone right holder
According to section 23 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, a parent who is a Canadian citizen has the right to have his/her children receive primary and secondary instruction in French in Alberta if: Either parent’s first language learned and still understood is French; or.
Do Francophones have rights?
Unlike other non-anglophone language groups, Francophones have official language minority rights under the Constitution and other federal and provincial laws.
Is French a minority language in Canada?
English is the first official language spoken by just over three in four Canadians. This proportion increased from 74.8% in 2016 to 75.5% in 2021. French is the first official language spoken by an increasing number of Canadians, but the proportion fell from 22.2% in 2016 to 21.4% in 2021.
Is Ontario legally bilingual?
Ontario has a regionalized language policy, where part of the province is English-only and other areas are bilingual. Province-wide services (such as websites and toll-free telephone numbers) are provided in both English and French.
What cities in Ontario speak French?
Franco-Ontarians are mainly concentrated in eastern and northeastern Ontario in key Francophone cities like Ottawa, Sudbury, North Bay and Timmins. East of Ottawa, the counties of Prescott-Russell and Stormont Dundas Glengarry are rich in Francophone culture.
What is francophone eligibility?
To be eligible for the francophone program, at least one parent/guardian must meet at least one of the following conditions: • the first language learned and still understood is French; • primary school instruction was in Canada in French (excluding French immersion);
Who is considered a francophone?
The term francophone often refers to someone whose mother tongue is French but can also be applied for someone who speaks the language fluently and has another mother tongue.
What constitutional rights do French speakers in Canada have today?
The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms came into force in 1982. Subsection 16(1) of the Charter provides that English and French are the official languages of Canada and have equality of status and equal rights and privileges as to their use in all institutions of the Parliament and government of Canada.
Do French citizens have freedom of speech?
The French Constitution protects freedom of expression, but not to the same extent as the First Amendment does under U.S. law. Specifically, the French Constitution incorporates the Declaration of Human and Civic Rights of 1789, which protects freedom of speech.
Is the French language protected?
France passed a law in 1994 to protect the French language. This law of the then Minister of Culture Jacques Toubon is often ridiculed by many Frenchmen as „Loi Toubon“, because it can be understood as much as „All Good Law“.
Who regulates the French language?
The Académie
The Académie is France’s official authority on the usages, vocabulary, and grammar of the French language.
Why is French declining in Canada?
The relative decline of French in Quebec can be explained partly by a younger anglophone population, immigration from non-Francophone countries, and Quebec losing fewer English speakers to other parts of the country, according to a Statistics Canada analysis of Wednesday’s data.
Why is Canada half English half French?
The French colonized Canada first. However, the British took over all French colonies in the Maritimes and Québec through different wars, including the Queen Anne’s War (1702-1713) and the Seven Years’ War (1756-1763).
What are French Canadians called?
French Canadians (referred to as Canadiens mainly before the twentieth century; French: Canadiens français, pronounced [kanadjɛ̃ fʁɑ̃sɛ]; feminine form: Canadiennes françaises, pronounced [kanadjɛn fʁɑ̃sɛz]), or Franco-Canadians (French: Franco-Canadiens), are an ethnic group who trace their ancestry to French
Is there any Canadian laws on bilingualism?
It requires all federal institutions to provide services in English or French on request. The Act was passed on the recommendation of the Royal Commission on Bilingualism and Biculturalism (established by Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson) and came into force on 7 September 1969.
What percentage of Ontario speaks French?
In 2011, this number stood at 611,500. The Francophone population has increased by 10,915 since 2011, up by about 2%. Francophones make up 4.7% of the Ontario population, down slightly (-0.1%) since 2011.
Chart 1 – Ontario’s Francophone population.
| Year | Francophone Population | Proportion |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 622,415 | 4.7% |
Which Canadian province is considered to be officially bilingual?
Why? Yes, New Brunswick is Canada’s only officially bilingual province. This is because the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms specifically recognizes that English and French are the official languages of New Brunswick.
What is the most French city in Canada?
Montreal
Montreal is the second biggest city in Canada, and a popular tourist destination for visitors from other parts of North America. As North America’s largest French-speaking city, it is a place with an atmosphere that is very special.
Where do most French speakers live in Canada?
Quebec
French is one of Canada’s 2 official languages. While most French-speaking Canadians live in Quebec, many live in other provinces or territories across Canada.