British Columbia introduces French language policy for Francophone residents

Time to brush up on your high school French! 

British Columbia is no longer the one province out of step on Canada's two official languages, that after Adrian Dix introduced a new French Language policy to help guide the province towards improving and enhancing services for French speaking residents.

In a statement today, the Health Minister, who now also carries the duties of the Minister responsible for Francophone affairs outlined what today's new measures will bring.

“Prior to today, British Columbia was the sole jurisdiction in Canada without an overarching policy on French-language services, despite providing information and services in French to its numerous residents. 

The new policy represents a positive step to increase the Province’s capacity to engage with and provide services to its French-speaking residents. Greater co-ordination and access to information and services in French will bring the added benefit of fostering the vitality of the B.C. and Canadian Francophonie.”

Up next is an implementation program, which will be developed in collaboration with francophone partners. The policy will come into effect on April 1, 2024, and be subject to regular evaluations.  

British Columbia is home to more than 328,000 people in British Columbia (6.6% of B.C.’s population) can conduct a conversation in French, making B.C. the jurisdiction with the third-largest population of French speakers in Canada after Quebec and Ontario. 

More than 76,000, or 1.5% of B.C.’s population, speak French regularly at home.

The five page French Language Policy paper can be reviewed here.

Key to the new policy are these two ares of note: 

More notes from today's announcement can be explored here.

For further items of interest from the Legislature see our archive page here.