Jack

Jedwab October 2012

 Does the possession of a common language trump geography when it comes to issues of

identity, intergroup relations and perceptions about the condition of minority? Rarely is the question subjected to a better test than in the Canadas National Capital Region where francophones live in relatively close proximity across the Quebec and Ontario borders where in former the French language population represents the majority in Gatineau, Quebec and the minority in the Ottawa, Ontario. Very often separated geographically by only a few kilometres francophones on either side of the Ontario/ Quebec border live under dierent legislative regimes when it comes to language. Not only does the legislation dier but the message directed towards language communities is also dierent and this is also the case for immigrants and ethnic minorities as regards their respective process of adaptation. The degree of commuting between the groups across the provincial border makes perhaps for the most mixed of messages when it comes to issues of language and cultural diversity and it also gives rise to divergent perceptions around the condition and presence of English and French respectively depending on where one resides and how they understand their surrounding environment. Does a shared language trump geography when it comes to the perceptions of francophones on opposed sides of the provincial border? As we shall observe it does on matters of national identity as well as on language issues but to a lesser degree. The study is important not only as an example of how minorities and majorities share a common space but also in the Canadian context over how well bilingualism works in the capital part of the country which in eect possesses symbolic importance for the rest of the country as regards the importance of ocial languages.

 The survey was conducted via web panel by the rm

Leger Marketing for the Association for Canadian Studies. Some 627 respondents were surveyed in the National Capital Region with some 350 anglophones on the Ontario side of the National Capital Region, 100 francophones on the Ontario side of the NCR and 150 francophones on the Quebec side of the NCR. The survey was conducted in the rst week of July, 2012. As it was conducted via the web panel, the margin of error is probabilistic and thus an equivalent telephone survey done in the national capital region would have a margin of error of 5.9 points 9 times out of ten.

Quebec Ontario

French English French Total

Please indicate whether you feel very attached, somewhat attached, not very attached or not at all attached to each of the following: / Canada Somewhat attached Total Attached Very attached 19.9% 40.4% 60.3 71.2% 59.6% 70.1% 23.3% 23.4% 23.4% 94.5 83.0 93.5%

Having a bilingual National Capital Region is an important source of pride Strongly agree 37.1% 17.2% 56.3% 21.2% Somewhat agree 35.8% 25.0% 29.2% 25.4% Total Agree 72.9 42.2 85.5 46.8

Quebec Ontario

French English French Total

Everyone in the NCR should speak both English and French Somewhat agree 23.7% 19.1% 22.9% 19.5%

Quebec Ontario

French English French Total

Strongly agree 53.9% 12.1% 54.2% 16.3%

Total Agree 77.6 31.2 77.1 35.8

Everyone in the NCR should understand both English and French Somewhat agree 28.3% 23.8% 27.7% 24.2%

Quebec Ontario

French English French Total

Strongly agree 59.9% 13.0% 57.4% 17.4%

Total Agree 88.2 36.8 85.1 41.6

Not enough is being done in the schools in the NCR to help children learn the other official language.

Quebec

French English French Total

Strongly agree 42.8% 17.0% 33.3% 18.6%

Somewhat agree 33.6% 25.5% 29.2% 25.8%

Somewha t disagree 8.6% 20.5% 16.7% 20.1%

Strongly disagree 3.3% 18.6% 2.1% 16.9%

I don't know 11.2% 15.8% 16.7% 15.9%

Ontario

To be successful in the NCR it is essential to learn the other language.

Quebec Ontario

French English French Total

Strongly agree 42.8% 29.5% 56.3% 32.2%

Somewhat agree 34.2% 32.8% 29.2% 32.4%

Somewhat disagree 14.5% 20.5% 8.3% 19.3%

Strongly disagree 2.0% 12.5%

I don't know 6.6% 3.8% 4.2%

11.2%

3.8%

Speaking both official languages is important when seeking employment in the NCR Strongly agree 62.3% Somewhat agree 29.1% Somewhat disagree 5.3% Strongly disagree 1.3% I don't know 2.0%

Quebec

French

Ontario

English French Total

40.7% 66.7% 43.3%

35.7% 27.1% 34.8%

9.9% 4.2% 9.3%

10.4%

2.4% 2.1%

9.3%

2.3%

Only those who grew up in a French environment will ever become proficient enough to meet the bilingualism criteria of the federal civil service

Quebec Ontario

French English French Total

Strongly agree 21.1% 22.6% 29.2% 23.3%

Somewhat agree 43.4% 27.8% 16.7% 26.7%

Somewhat disagree 21.7% 24.5% 35.4% 25.6%

Strongly disagree 7.9% 20.0% 14.6% 19.5%

I don't know 5.3% 3.8% 2.1% 3.6%

French is on the decline in the NCR

Quebec French Ontario English French Total

Strongly agree 19.2% 5.9% 19.1% 7.2%

Somewhat agree 49.0% 17.3% 25.5% 18.1%

Somewha t disagree 14.6% 30.7% 34.0% 31.1%

Strongly disagree 2.0% 26.2% 6.4% 24.3%

I don't know 15.2% 17.3% 12.8% 16.8%

More than ever, I hear French spoken in Ottawa Strongly agree 3.3% Somewhat agree 19.2% Somewhat disagree 51.7% Strongly disagree 17.2% I don't know 7.9%

Quebec

French

Ontario

English French Total

19.4% 12.5% 18.7%

35.7% 29.2% 35.0%

21.7% 29.2% 22.5%

8.7% 8.3% 8.7%

12.3% 18.8% 13.0%

More than ever, I hear English spoken in Ottawa

Quebec

French

Strongly agree 27.3%

Somewhat agree 45.3%

Somewhat disagree 18.0%

Strongly disagree 8.0%

I don't know .7%

Ontario

English French Total

5.4% 17.0% 6.6%

15.5% 25.5% 16.5%

20.7% 14.9% 20.1%

21.6% 6.4% 20.1%

33.9% 34.0% 33.9%

More than ever, I see French on public signs in Ottawa Strongly agree 3.9% Somewhat agree 19.1% Somewhat disagree 39.5% Strongly disagree 18.4% I don't know 12.5%

Quebec

French

Ontario

English French
Total

25.5% 19.6% 24.9%

25.5% 39.1% 26.8%

22.9% 19.6% 22.6%

8.3% 6.5% 8.1%

15.6% 13.0% 15.3%

More than ever, I see English on public signs in Gatineau

Quebec Ontario

French English French Total

Strongly agree 22.0% 2.8% 8.5% 3.4%

Somewhat agree 30.7% 9.4% 19.1% 10.4%

Somewha t disagree 35.3% 24.8% 17.0% 24.0%

Strongly disagree 1.3% 32.3% 4.3% 29.5%

I don't know 9.3% 28.1% 46.8% 29.9%

I am concerned about the condition of the French language in the National Capital Region (NCR).

Quebec

French

Strongly agree 48.0% 9.4% 39.1% 12.3%

Somewhat agree 30.9% 13.6% 21.7% 14.4%

Somewhat disagree 11.2% 26.8% 17.4% 25.9%

Strongly disagree 5.3% 40.7% 10.9% 37.8%

I don't know 2.0% 8.5% 6.5% 8.3%

Ontario

English French Total

I have not encountered problems in getting federal government services in my official language

Quebec

French

Strongly agree 38.2%

Somewhat agree 35.5%

Somewhat disagree 19.1%

Strongly disagree 2.6%

I don't know 3.9%

Ontario

English French Total

49.4% 48.9% 49.4%

28.4% 34.0% 28.9%

10.2% 10.6% 10.2%

7.3% 2.1% 6.8%

3.8% 2.1% 3.6%

I have not encountered problems in getting provincial government services in my official language.

Quebec Ontario

French English French Total

Strongly agree 61.8% 52.0% 36.2% 50.4%

Somewhat agree 21.7% 25.8% 38.3% 27.0%

Somewhat disagree 11.2% 7.6% 17.0% 8.5%

Strongly disagree .7% 6.4% 4.3% 6.2%

I don't know 3.3% 7.3% 2.1% 6.8%

I have not encountered problems in getting municipal government services in my official language.

Quebec

French

Strongly agree 66.0%

Somewhat agree 26.1%

Somewhat disagree 3.3%

Strongly disagree .7%

I don't know 2.6%

Ontario

English French Total

52.1% 31.9% 50.1%

24.8% 29.8% 25.3%

6.6% 19.1% 7.9%

9.4% 8.5% 9.3%

5.7% 8.5% 5.9%

I have not encountered problems in getting retail and hospitality services in my official language

Quebec Ontario

French English French Total

Strongly agree 19.9% 47.3% 21.3% 44.7%

Somewhat agree 43.7% 28.6% 34.0% 29.1%

Somewha t disagree 25.8% 11.8% 23.4% 13.0%

Strongly disagree 5.3% 7.6% 10.6% 7.9%

I don't know 5.3% 3.1% 6.4% 3.4%

I have not encountered problems in health care services in my official language.

Quebec French Ontario English French Total

Strongly agree 50.3% 53.1% 31.3% 50.8%

Somewhat agree 32.5% 23.3% 37.5% 24.8%

Somewha t disagree 11.9% 9.7% 22.9% 11.0%

Strongly disagree 2.0% 7.5% 4.2% 7.2%

I don't know 2.6% 5.4% 4.9%

I regularly commute between Ottawa and Gatineau.

Quebec Ontario

French English French Total

Strongly agree 50.0% 8.7% 21.3% 10.0%

Somewhat agree 29.6% 14.9% 29.8% 16.3%

Somewhat disagree 14.5% 22.9% 21.3% 22.7%

Strongly disagree 4.6% 48.1% 25.5% 45.9%

I don't know .7% 3.1%

2.8%

I prefer to live in an area where the majority of people are part of my language group

Quebec

French

Strongly agree 45.7%

Somewhat agree 36.4%

Somewhat disagree 9.3%

Strongly disagree 3.3%

I don't know 5.3%

Ontario

English French Total

24.8% 27.7% 25.1%

33.0% 27.7% 32.5%

25.2% 31.9% 25.9%

10.4% 4.3% 9.8%

4.7% 4.3% 4.7%

I prefer to work in an area where the majority of people are part of my language group

Quebec

French

Strongly agree 40.4% 26.2% 30.4% 26.7%

Somewhat agree 37.1% 30.3% 32.6% 30.5%

Somewha t disagree 11.3% 25.8% 26.1% 25.8%

Strongly disagree 4.0% 11.3% 8.7% 11.1%

I don't know 1.3% 4.5%

Ontario

English French Total

4.1%

In the last five years, relations between English and Frenchspeakers in the NCR have worsened

Quebec

French

Strongly agree 8.7% 11.3% 6.4% 10.9%

Somewhat agree 29.3% 24.3% 21.3% 24.0%

Somewha t disagree 29.3% 26.0% 25.5% 26.0%

Strongly disagree 6.7% 15.6% 10.6% 15.1%

I don't know 26.0% 21.0% 34.0% 22.3%

Ontario

English French Total

Most Francophones I know feel positively about Anglophones

Quebec Ontario

French English French Total

Strongly agree 9.3% 9.7% 18.8% 10.6%

Somewhat agree 36.4% 27.7% 47.9% 29.8%

Somewhat disagree 37.7% 26.3% 16.7% 25.3%

Strongly disagree 7.9% 19.9% 2.1% 18.1%

I don't know 8.8% 16.4% 14.6% 16.2%

Most Anglophones I know feel positively about Francophones.

Quebec Ontario

French English French Total

Strongly agree 9.9% 10.1% 12.8% 10.4%

Somewhat agree 29.1% 34.2% 42.6% 35.0%

Somewha t disagree 33.1% 30.4% 21.3% 29.5%

Strongly disagree 15.2% 14.9% 10.6% 14.4%

I don't know 12.6% 10.4% 12.7% 10.6%

Immigrants to the NCR should give up their customs and traditions and become more like us Strongly agree 32.5% 22.7% 23.4% 22.8% Somewhat agree 22.5% 25.8% 21.3% 25.4% Somewha t disagree 29.1% 24.6% 38.3% 26.0% Strongly disagree 5.3% 21.6% 10.6% 20.5% I don't know 10.5% 5.2% 6.4% 5.4%

Quebec Ontario

French English French Total

Ottawa and Gatineau should should work together to develop programs and policies when it comes to immigrant integration Strongly agree 38.2% Somewhat agree 38.2% Somewhat disagree 7.2% Strongly disagree 6.6% I don't know 9.9%

Quebec

French

Ontario

English French Total

25.7% 36.2% 26.8%

36.8% 36.2% 36.7%

15.3% 10.6% 14.9%

10.4% 2.1% 9.6%

11.8% 14.9% 12.1%

Ottawa and Gatineau should work together to develop programs and policies when it comes to promoting cultural diversity Strongly agree 38.2% Somewhat agree 33.6% Somewha t disagree 15.1% Strongly disagree 3.9% I don't know 9.2%

Quebec

French

Ontario

English French Total

23.9% 40.4% 25.5%

39.2% 31.9% 38.5%

15.6% 10.6% 15.1%

11.1% 6.4% 10.6%

10.2% 10.7% 10.2%