Official Bilingualism in Canada a ‘Myth,’ Says New Poll

A new poll reveals a stark divide between Quebec and the rest of Canada about whether the country should be bilingual. In a Leger poll conducted for The Canadian Press, only 43 percent of respondents across Canada said they held a positive view of federal bilingualism—which was enshrined into law in 1969, making English and French Canada’s official languages. Eighteen percent of respondents held a negative view. However, in Quebec, 70 percent of respondents said they view bilingualism positively; 11 percent held the opposite opinion. Outside Quebec, the percentage of respondents who view official bilingualism positively was 35 percent—and 23 percent in Alberta, with Manitoba and Saskatchewan close behind....