Bilingualism in Canada

In Canada the coexistence of two linguistic groups – francophones and anglophones – under a single administrative rule very soon raised the issue of bilingualism. As soon as the colonies entered confederation, francophone minority groups were keen to ensure that their rights were protected and written into the constitution. Manitobans thereby secured the establishment of bilingual and bicultural institutions. Nevertheless, the anglophone element of the population increasingly challenged this bilingual character. Various regulations, principally to do with French-language schools (known as bilingual schools because English had a major presence), marked the emergence of an increasingly monocultural and English-speaking Canada. In response associations were created to defend French Canadian rights and improve bilingual schools. In 1963 the appearance of a sovereignty movement in Quebec spurred Premier Minister Lester Bowles Pearson to institute the royal commission on bilingualism and biculturalism, which called for federal support for minority-language education. Although bilingualism was controversial, the Pearson government adopted it and set the framework for an official policy that favoured the extension of bilingual government services.