Over 600,000 Francophones in Ontario
The Government of Ontario just released the data on Francophones from the 2011 Census of Population. They show that in 2011, Ontario had 611,500 Francophones, based on the Inclusive Definition of Francophone. This figure is good news in two respects: the number of Francophones was up 5% from 2006, and the proportion of Francophones in Ontario’s population remained steady at 4.8%.
Moreover, except in 1986, the number of Francophones has continued to grow at a constant pace. As a result, in the 20 years between 1991 and 2011, the Francophone population increased by more than 11%. This confirms the growth and vitality of the largest Francophone community in Canada outside Quebec.
The 2011 data are no exception to the rule concerning the distribution of Francophones in Ontario. Nearly three quarters of the Francophone population live in Eastern and Central Ontario. The population increased in every region except Northeastern and Northwestern Ontario. Eastern and Central Ontario posted the largest gains: almost 10% and more than 6% respectively, compared with 2006 data. These regions are among the most popular destinations for Francophone newcomers.
The proportion of exogamous couples – couples composed of an Anglophone parent and a Francophone parent – increased to close to 70% in 2011, compared with a little over 65% five years earlier.
On the other hand, the rate of transmission of French increased over the last 25 years from less than 28% to more than 40% in couples with a Francophone mother. As a result of this transmission, young people are increasingly identifying and representing themselves as bilingual, which should not be seen as a burden.
Detailed data concerning immigration, work and income will be available in the near future with the publication of the National Household Survey, which replaced the long questionnaire. In 2010, the government announced its decision to unilaterally discontinue the mandatory long form and administer a voluntary survey instead. I criticized that decision.
The National Household Survey will not provide the kind of data needed for reliable, high-quality studies of the Franco-Ontarian population that the defunct mandatory long form provided. It will therefore be difficult for the Government of Ontario to prepare profiles of Francophones, especially their economic and education characteristics. This is a story to follow.