CHARBONNEAU – Latest poll on bilingualism is cause for worry

I HOPE IT’S JUST because Canadians are in a bad mood that fewer support bilingualism than in the past.

In a recent poll by Leger, only half of Canadians (52%) think it is important that Canada remains an officially bilingual country, while 42% think it is not important.

This contrasts with a poll conducted by Angus Reid in 2021 in which two thirds (67%) of respondents say they are proud that Canada is a bilingual country.

You can put me in the column with those who say they are proud that Canada is a bilingual country.

In my travels, I have found that Canada’s French factor was what distinguished me from Americans. Otherwise, Anglophone Canadians are pretty much the same as Americans.

Sure, we like to distinguish ourselves by having universal health care but what really gives Canada a little pizzazz is our French language and culture.

In both polls, the overall average doesn’t reflect the regional differences.

In the Angus Reid poll of 2021, central and eastern Canadians gave the greatest support with Quebec at 84 per cent. Western Canadian gave less support with Alberta lowest in Canada (45 per cent) and B.C. highest in the west at 58 per cent.

In the Leger poll of 2024, support in central and eastern Canadian (including Quebec) dropped overall to 60 per cent. Support in the west (including B.C.) dropped overall to 35 per cent.

The decline in support of our bilingual country in only three years is unsettling. I can only hope that the drop is temporary.

After all, support for bilingualism in education has increased significantly since 1969, the year of the Official Languages Act. Many parents see proficiency in both official languages as key to the future of their children.

And since Canada depends on trade, there are economic advantages of being bilingual in global markets.

Mobility of French and English Canadians across the country has contributed to a positive attitude toward learning both languages and enriching the culture of both.

There are a number of factors that could contribute to the decline in support for a bilingual nation.

The first is the question itself. In the most recent poll, the question is: “Is it important to you that Canada remains an officially bilingual country?”

The poll of three years ago asks if you agree with the statement: “I am proud that Canada is officially bilingual –with English and French as the two official languages?”

When you add the words “proud” and “Canada” in the same sentence, the response will be more positive.

But if the decline is real, a contributing factor could be the COVID pandemic that inserted itself between the two polls.

There has been a growing unease across the land: lockdown measures under the pandemic, declining trust in government and the rise of populism.

The authors of bilingualism, the federal Liberals, are also seen as the creators of sky-high prices for homes and low wages.

Even though I don’t speak French, I’m proud of our culturally-rich Canada and hope a vast number of Canadians agree in their heart of hearts.

David Charbonneau is a retired TRU electronics instructor who hosts a blog at http://www.eyeviewkamloops.wordpress.com.