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 Canada’s 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 different legislative regimes when it comes to language. Not only does the legislation differ but the message directed towards language communities is also different 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 effect possesses symbolic importance for the rest of the country as regards the importance of official languages.  The survey was conducted via web panel by the firm 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 first 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 19 times out of 20 Please indicate whether you feel very attached,
somewhat attached, not very attached or not at all
attached to each of the following: / Canada
Somewhat
Very attached
attached
Total Attached
19.9%
40.4%
60.3
Quebec
French
Ontario
English
71.2%
23.3%
94.5
French
59.6%
23.4%
83.0
Total
70.1%
23.4%
93.5%
Having a bilingual National Capital Region is an
important source of pride
Somewhat
agree
35.8%
Total Agree
72.9
Quebec
French
Strongly agree
37.1%
Ontario
English
17.2%
25.0%
42.2
French
56.3%
29.2%
85.5
Total
21.2%
25.4%
46.8
Everyone in the NCR should speak both English
and French
Somewhat
agree
23.7%
Total Agree
77.6
Quebec
French
Strongly agree
53.9%
Ontario
English
12.1%
19.1%
31.2
French
54.2%
22.9%
77.1
Total
16.3%
19.5%
35.8
Everyone in the NCR should understand both
English and French
Somewhat
agree
28.3%
Total Agree
88.2
Quebec
French
Strongly agree
59.9%
Ontario
English
13.0%
23.8%
36.8
French
57.4%
27.7%
85.1
Total
17.4%
24.2%
41.6
Not enough is being done in the schools in the NCR to help
children learn the other official language.
Quebec
French
Strongly
agree
42.8%
Somewhat Somewhat
agree
disagree
33.6%
8.6%
Strongly
disagree
3.3%
I don't
know
11.2%
Ontario
English
17.0%
25.5%
20.5%
18.6%
15.8%
French
33.3%
29.2%
16.7%
2.1%
16.7%
Total
18.6%
25.8%
20.1%
16.9%
15.9%
To be successful in the NCR it is essential to learn the other
language.
Quebec
French
Strongly
agree
42.8%
Somewhat
agree
34.2%
Somewhat
disagree
14.5%
Strongly
disagree
2.0%
I don't
know
6.6%
Ontario
English
29.5%
32.8%
20.5%
12.5%
3.8%
French
56.3%
29.2%
8.3%
Total
32.2%
32.4%
19.3%
4.2%
11.2%
3.8%
Speaking both official languages is important when seeking
employment in the NCR
Quebec
French
Strongly
agree
62.3%
Somewhat
agree
29.1%
Somewhat
disagree
5.3%
Strongly
disagree
1.3%
I don't
know
2.0%
Ontario
English
40.7%
35.7%
9.9%
10.4%
2.4%
French
66.7%
27.1%
4.2%
Total
43.3%
34.8%
9.3%
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
French
Strongly
agree
21.1%
Somewhat
agree
43.4%
Somewhat
disagree
21.7%
Strongly
disagree
7.9%
I don't
know
5.3%
Ontario
English
22.6%
27.8%
24.5%
20.0%
3.8%
French
29.2%
16.7%
35.4%
14.6%
2.1%
Total
23.3%
26.7%
25.6%
19.5%
3.6%
French is on the decline in the NCR
Quebec French
Strongly
agree
19.2%
Ontario English
5.9%
17.3%
30.7%
26.2%
17.3%
French
19.1%
25.5%
34.0%
6.4%
12.8%
7.2%
18.1%
31.1%
24.3%
16.8%
Total
Somewhat Somewhat
agree
disagree
49.0%
14.6%
Strongly
disagree
2.0%
I don't
know
15.2%
More than ever, I hear French spoken in Ottawa
Quebec
French
Strongly
agree
3.3%
Somewhat
agree
19.2%
Somewhat
disagree
51.7%
Strongly
disagree
17.2%
I don't
know
7.9%
Ontario
English
19.4%
35.7%
21.7%
8.7%
12.3%
French
12.5%
29.2%
29.2%
8.3%
18.8%
Total
18.7%
35.0%
22.5%
8.7%
13.0%
More than ever, I hear English spoken in Ottawa
Quebec
French
Strongly
agree
27.3%
Ontario
English
5.4%
15.5%
20.7%
21.6%
33.9%
French
17.0%
25.5%
14.9%
6.4%
34.0%
6.6%
16.5%
20.1%
20.1%
33.9%
Total
Somewhat
agree
45.3%
Somewhat
disagree
18.0%
Strongly
disagree
8.0%
I don't
know
.7%
More than ever, I see French on public signs in Ottawa
Quebec
French
Strongly
agree
3.9%
Somewhat
agree
19.1%
Somewhat
disagree
39.5%
Strongly
disagree
18.4%
I don't
know
12.5%
Ontario
English
25.5%
25.5%
22.9%
8.3%
15.6%
French
19.6%
39.1%
19.6%
6.5%
13.0%
Total
24.9%
26.8%
22.6%
8.1%
15.3%
More than ever, I see English on public signs in Gatineau
Quebec
French
Strongly
agree
22.0%
Somewhat
agree
30.7%
Somewhat
disagree
35.3%
Strongly
disagree
1.3%
I don't
know
9.3%
Ontario
English
2.8%
9.4%
24.8%
32.3%
28.1%
French
8.5%
19.1%
17.0%
4.3%
46.8%
Total
3.4%
10.4%
24.0%
29.5%
29.9%
I am concerned about the condition of the French language in
the National Capital Region (NCR).
Quebec
French
Strongly
agree
48.0%
Somewhat
agree
30.9%
Somewhat
disagree
11.2%
Strongly
disagree
5.3%
I don't
know
2.0%
Ontario
English
9.4%
13.6%
26.8%
40.7%
8.5%
French
39.1%
21.7%
17.4%
10.9%
6.5%
Total
12.3%
14.4%
25.9%
37.8%
8.3%
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
49.4%
28.4%
10.2%
7.3%
3.8%
French
48.9%
34.0%
10.6%
2.1%
2.1%
Total
49.4%
28.9%
10.2%
6.8%
3.6%
I have not encountered problems in getting provincial government
services in my official language.
Quebec
French
Strongly
agree
61.8%
Somewhat
agree
21.7%
Somewhat
disagree
11.2%
Strongly
disagree
.7%
I don't
know
3.3%
Ontario
English
52.0%
25.8%
7.6%
6.4%
7.3%
French
36.2%
38.3%
17.0%
4.3%
2.1%
Total
50.4%
27.0%
8.5%
6.2%
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
52.1%
24.8%
6.6%
9.4%
5.7%
French
31.9%
29.8%
19.1%
8.5%
8.5%
Total
50.1%
25.3%
7.9%
9.3%
5.9%
I have not encountered problems in getting retail and hospitality
services in my official language
Quebec
French
Strongly
agree
19.9%
Somewhat
agree
43.7%
Somewhat
disagree
25.8%
Strongly
disagree
5.3%
I don't
know
5.3%
Ontario
English
47.3%
28.6%
11.8%
7.6%
3.1%
French
21.3%
34.0%
23.4%
10.6%
6.4%
Total
44.7%
29.1%
13.0%
7.9%
3.4%
I have not encountered problems in health care services in my
official language.
Quebec French
Strongly
agree
50.3%
Somewhat Somewhat
agree
disagree
32.5%
11.9%
Strongly
disagree
2.0%
I don't
know
2.6%
Ontario English
53.1%
23.3%
9.7%
7.5%
5.4%
French
31.3%
37.5%
22.9%
4.2%
Total
50.8%
24.8%
11.0%
7.2%
4.9%
I regularly commute between Ottawa and Gatineau.
Somewhat
agree
29.6%
Somewhat
disagree
14.5%
Strongly
disagree
I don't know
4.6%
.7%
Quebec
French
Strongly agree
50.0%
Ontario
English
8.7%
14.9%
22.9%
48.1%
French
21.3%
29.8%
21.3%
25.5%
Total
10.0%
16.3%
22.7%
45.9%
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
24.8%
33.0%
25.2%
10.4%
4.7%
French
27.7%
27.7%
31.9%
4.3%
4.3%
Total
25.1%
32.5%
25.9%
9.8%
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%
Somewhat
agree
37.1%
Somewhat
disagree
11.3%
Strongly
disagree
4.0%
I don't
know
1.3%
Ontario
English
26.2%
30.3%
25.8%
11.3%
4.5%
French
30.4%
32.6%
26.1%
8.7%
Total
26.7%
30.5%
25.8%
11.1%
4.1%
In the last five years, relations between English and Frenchspeakers in the NCR have worsened
Quebec
French
Strongly
agree
8.7%
Ontario
English
11.3%
24.3%
26.0%
15.6%
21.0%
French
6.4%
21.3%
25.5%
10.6%
34.0%
10.9%
24.0%
26.0%
15.1%
22.3%
Total
Somewhat
agree
29.3%
Somewhat
disagree
29.3%
Strongly
disagree
6.7%
I don't
know
26.0%
Most Francophones I know feel positively about Anglophones
Quebec
French
Strongly
agree
9.3%
Somewhat
agree
36.4%
Somewhat
disagree
37.7%
Strongly
disagree
7.9%
I don't
know
8.8%
Ontario
English
9.7%
27.7%
26.3%
19.9%
16.4%
French
18.8%
47.9%
16.7%
2.1%
14.6%
Total
10.6%
29.8%
25.3%
18.1%
16.2%
Most Anglophones I know feel positively about Francophones.
Quebec
French
Strongly
agree
9.9%
Somewhat
agree
29.1%
Somewhat
disagree
33.1%
Strongly
disagree
15.2%
I don't
know
12.6%
Ontario
English
10.1%
34.2%
30.4%
14.9%
10.4%
French
12.8%
42.6%
21.3%
10.6%
12.7%
Total
10.4%
35.0%
29.5%
14.4%
10.6%
Immigrants to the NCR should give up their customs and
traditions and become more like us
Quebec
French
Strongly
agree
32.5%
Somewhat
agree
22.5%
Somewhat
disagree
29.1%
Strongly
disagree
5.3%
I don't
know
10.5%
Ontario
English
22.7%
25.8%
24.6%
21.6%
5.2%
French
23.4%
21.3%
38.3%
10.6%
6.4%
Total
22.8%
25.4%
26.0%
20.5%
5.4%
Ottawa and Gatineau should should work together to develop
programs and policies when it comes to immigrant integration
Quebec
French
Strongly
agree
38.2%
Somewhat
agree
38.2%
Somewhat
disagree
7.2%
Strongly
disagree
6.6%
I don't
know
9.9%
Ontario
English
25.7%
36.8%
15.3%
10.4%
11.8%
French
36.2%
36.2%
10.6%
2.1%
14.9%
Total
26.8%
36.7%
14.9%
9.6%
12.1%
Ottawa and Gatineau should work together to develop programs
and policies when it comes to promoting cultural diversity
Quebec
French
Strongly
agree
38.2%
Somewhat
agree
33.6%
Somewhat
disagree
15.1%
Strongly
disagree
3.9%
I don't
know
9.2%
Ontario
English
23.9%
39.2%
15.6%
11.1%
10.2%
French
40.4%
31.9%
10.6%
6.4%
10.7%
Total
25.5%
38.5%
15.1%
10.6%
10.2%