Section 4 A few key sectors for the vitality of official-language minority communities

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4.1 Health
4.2 Justice
4.3 Education
4.4 Media, arts and culture
4.5 Community life
4.6 Employment and income characteristics

The Roadmap for Canada's Linguistic Duality 2008-2013 invests in key sectors, including the following five: health, justice, arts and culture, economic development and immigration. The last of these sectors was briefly discussed in a previous section and was dealt with in an analytical report released by Statistics Canada in April 2010.¹This section will present statistics on the other four key sectors identified in the Roadmap. Also, the Roadmap includes financial support for education in the minority language. That sector was identified as being of great importance for the future of official-language minorities in Canada;² therefore, statistics will be provided on this subject.

Drawing on data from the Survey on the Vitality of Official-Language Minorities (SVOLM) and the census, we will provide general information on the presence of French and the situation of Francophones in each of these sectors.

4.1Health

A common language between patients and health care professionals is one of the key elements of access to health care services and the effectiveness of the services provided. Language barriers can mean that some members of minority Francophone communities are less well served by health care services. From this perspective, it is important to examine the situation of the Francophone communities in the territories with respect to various aspects of the access to health care services.

In the 2006 Census, 55 doctors working in the territories, or 32%, reported being able to conduct a conversation in French, while 6% reported using French at least regularly³ in their work.⁴. For nurses, the number was 125, and the corresponding proportions were 13% and 3% respectively.

The proportion of health care professionals who can conduct a conversation in French and, to a lesser extent, the proportion of those who use that language at least regularly, is much higher than the Francophones' relative share of the population in the territories. Nevertheless, the SVOLM results show that the majority of Francophones in the territories report using English when consulting the different health care professionals about whom information was collected in the survey, namely regular medical doctors, nurses, and professionals in other places where health care services are provided.⁵ Table 4.1 shows the languages used with health care professionals. As the table shows, English is prevalent in interactions with them.

Table 4.1 Proportion of Francophones by language used with different health professionals, the territories as a whole, 2006

Lack of knowledge of French by health care professionals, as perceived by the respondents, is the main reason cited by Francophones to explain why they are not served in that language during their visits/consultations. This reason thus greatly influences the main language used in interpersonal communications.

Overall, the results of the Survey on the Vitality of Official-Language Minorities and the census show that two factors that affect the extent to which each of the languages is used with health care professionals are: the availability of professionals with knowledge of French and the main language of those requesting services.

The presence of Francophone professionals as well as professionals able to conduct a conversation in the minority language is not only likely to increase the accessibility of health care services in that language, but it can also be conducive to a stronger presence and more widespread use of that language in this key sector of the public sphere.

4.2 Justice

An examination of the Survey on the Vitality of Official-Language Minorities results concerning the justice field also sheds light on the extent to which French is present in institutions that ensure its use in the public sphere. By measuring access to French-speaking professionals in this field and to those who are able to converse in French, it is possible to document a phenomenon perceived as being vitally important to the future of Francophone minority communities. With regards to this, the Canadian government, in the Roadmap for Canada's Linguistic Duality 2008-2013, undertook to ensure that Canadians will have better access to justice services in the minority official language.

In the territories, the Survey on the Vitality of Official-Language Minorities results reveal that access to these services in French appears to be valued by a sizable proportion of Francophones, in that 42% believe that if they had to use the services of a lawyer, it would be "important or very important" for the lawyer to be able to speak French. Also, approximately 56% of French-speaking adults reported that they would feel at ease speaking French if they were dealing with the police.

It should be noted that interactions with the justice system and its representatives, including lawyers and the police, are not widespread in the population. Of the 2,020 Francophone adults in the territories, 41% reported having used the services of a lawyer, while just over one-third of Francophones, or 36%, had dealt with the police, either to obtain services or because of an offence.

Because the language barrier can hinder access to justice, the Canadian government has made it a priority to train professionals who can provide service in the minority official language. According to the 2006 Census, 25% of the lawyers or notaries in the territories were able to conduct a conversation in French, representing nearly one-third of those in Nunavut, namely 31%, and one-quarter of those in Yukon (23%) and the Northwest Territories (25%). As for police officers in the territories, 105, or 20%, reported that they were able to conduct a conversation in French.

In addition to these statistics on availability or the potential pool of justice system professionals who are able to use French when interacting with Francophones in the territories, the Survey on the Vitality of Official-Language Minorities results show the knowledge of French by these professionals and their use of this language in their work. The analysis of these results reveals that Francophones' interactions both with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and with lawyers generally take place in English. Thus, at least four Francophones in five, or 82%, used only or mainly English in their interactions with the RCMP, while for those using the services of a lawyer, the corresponding proportion was 66% (data not shown).

4.3 Education

4.3.1 Children

Access to French-language schools and management of the educational systems of the Francophone minority have long been burning issues for Francophones outside Quebec. In many provinces excluding Quebec, the education of Francophones in their own language was greatly limited by the fact that most French schools received no government funding until the early 1970s.⁶

In the three territories, the creation of French schools and school boards is a relatively recent phenomenon. Yukon's Francophone school board was established in 1995, mainly owing to the efforts of the Association franco-yukonnaise. In the Northwest Territories, adoption of the new Education Act in 1996 led in 1997 to the creation of the Francophone school board, which became fully independent and operational over the next three years.

As for Nunavut, formerly a part of the Northwest Territories, Francophone parents in Iqaluit began exerting pressure on the Northwest Territories Department of Education back in 1982, demanding instruction in French. In 2004, construction was completed of the first French-language school in Iqaluit, which was to have 38 students. The Nunavut Francophone school board was officially founded in 2004.

In a minority situation, French schools are assigned special status because of their role as an agent of socialization to French culture, transmission of the French language to children and maintenance of skills in that language. School is a public Francophone environment which, along with the family, can contribute to the development and blossoming of Francophone community life.

Table 4.3.1 focuses on enrolment in programs of French immersion or French as a second language. As may be seen, enrolment in immersion programs is greater than in regular programs. In general, enrolment shows little variation from year to year.

Tableau 4.3.1 Number of children registered in French immersion and in a regular French programme at the primary and secondary levels in public schools, Yukon, Northwest Territories and Nunavut, 2000-2001 to 2006-2007

It is also important to be able to measure the extent to which French-language schools are attended by children eligible to attend them, along with the factors that influence decisions concerning children's language of instruction. Data from the Survey on the Vitality of Official-Language Minorities shed light on this particular aspect of the school situation of children of Francophone parents, since they lend themselves to estimating the number of children eligible for education in French who attend a French-language school or who are enrolled in an immersion program. The data can also be used to examine the link between attending a French-language school and the use of languages, in particular at home and with friends.

Because of the small number of members of the official-language minority who are enrolled in elementary or secondary French or immersion schools in the territories,⁷ the data obtained in the Survey on the Vitality of Official-Language Minorities do not yield a detailed portrait of their situation. This said, these data show that out of some 660 students with at least one Francophone parent who were enrolled in school at the time of the survey, approximately 45% were receiving an education in French, mostly in a French school but also, in a smaller proportion, in a French immersion program in an English school.

The Survey on the Vitality of Official-Language Minorities also highlights the fact that attending a French- language school or a French immersion program appears to be a more popular choice for the parents of the youngest children. The results suggest that the proportion of children studying in French at the elementary level (46%) is higher than at the secondary level. Indeed, nearly three students in four were enrolled in the regular secondary program in English at the time of the survey.

A number of factors may influence the choice of the language of the school attended by the child. For example, the SVOLM data on the overall population of Francophones outside Quebec show that two-thirds of children whose respondent parent had his or her elementary and secondary education in French were attending a French school at the time of the survey, while 10% were attending a French immersion program. In the territories, the linguistic path of the parents in their own educational trajectory appears to have less of an influence on the choice of their children's language of instruction or school system. Thus, of the 470 students with at least one parent who had his or her elementary and secondary education in French, approximately one in two were attending a French school or a French immersion program at the time of the survey. However, 71% of these children were using French at least on a regular basis at home, that is, as the primary or secondary language. It should also be noted that exogamy appears to be the main factor influencing student's propensity to attend a French or English school. Thus, whereas of the 540 Francophone children living in two-parent families, the majority, or 59%, were from French-English exogamous families, 60% of these children were attending the regular program in an English school.

Data from the Survey on the Vitality of Official-Language Minorities do not yield statistically significant results as to the link between children's attendance of a French school and the sole or predominant use of French at home or with friends, or to the link between school attendance in French and the ability to use that language to conduct a conversation. However, a link can be established between school attendance in French and the presence or use of French either alone or with English. Thus, the majority of children who attend a French-language school use French, alone or with English, at home in 80% of cases, with their friends in 83% of cases and are able to use it to conduct a conversation in nearly all cases (95%).

4.3.2 Adults

4.3.2.1 Highest level of schooling

An examination of 2006 Census data reveals that the French-mother-tongue population in the territories is highly educated. These data show that Francophones in the territories aged 25 and over are more educated than their counterparts in provinces other than Quebec. Thus, 33% of Francophones in the territories have a university certificate, diploma or degree, compared to 21% of Francophones living in provinces other than Quebec. Nearly 70% of those with such a diploma or degree obtained it from a Quebec university. The 2006 Census data also show that 14% of Francophones in the same age group who live in the territories have no certificate, diploma or degree, while for their counterparts in provinces other than Quebec, the corresponding proportion is 26% (data not shown). In the territories, these proportions are 18 % for Anglophones and 51 % for allophones.

The results provided in Chart 4.3.2.1 show that French-mother-tongue persons have a higher education level than members of the other two major language groups in the territories. In fact, we observe that Francophones were proportionally more likely than Anglophones and allophones to have a post-secondary diploma, certificate or degree.

Chart 4.3.2.1 Highest certificate, diploma or degree obtained by mother tongue, among persons aged 25 years and over, the territories as a whole, 2006

In Canada, one of the greatest changes resulting from the profound social transformations and educational reforms of the 1960s is undeniably the entry of large numbers of women into post-secondary educational institutions, especially universities. In 2006, among Francophones in the territories, the proportion of women with a university diploma is 33%, compared to 22% for men (see Table 4.3.2.1). In short, women are proportionally more likely to have a university diploma or degree than their male counterparts, whereas the latter are proportionally more likely to have a lower level of education or to have a vocational or trade school diploma.

Table 4.3.2.1 Proportion of Francophones by the highest certificate, diploma or degree obtained by sex, persons aged 25 years and over, the territories as a whole, 2006

4.4 Media, arts and culture

Support for the arts and culture is one of the key elements targeted by the Roadmap for Canada's Linguistic Duality, which recognizes the essential role that the arts and culture play in the development of minority official-language communities.

The Survey on the Vitality of Official-Language Minorities targets six media for measuring access to cultural products in the minority language: television; the Internet; radio; newspapers; books; and live performances and arts events. These days, the Internet and cable television facilitate access to these media in various languages and from many countries, thereby increasing the availability of these various French-language cultural products throughout Canada.

The Survey on the Vitality of Official-Language Minorities results show that Francophones in the territories, like their Anglophone counterparts (data not shown) are big consumers of the various media, led by books (94%) and television (91%) (see Table 4.4.1).

Table 4.4.1 Proportion of Francophones by use of certain media (includes all languages), the territories as a whole, 2006

However, access to French-language media is not the only factor that influences consumption in the minority language. The Survey on the Vitality of Official-Language Minorities results show that despite advanced technologies facilitating access to various French-language media, English predominates in media use. A majority of Francophones in the territories are more inclined to report that they watch television or listen to radio, read books and newspapers and access the Internet only or mainly in English. The media consumption activities that register the highest proportions of use "only" or "mainly" in English are reading newspapers (81%) and accessing the Internet (72%) (see Table 4.4.2).

Table 4.4.2 Proportion of Francophones by language used with certain media, the territories as a whole, 2006

4.5 Community life

Individuals' civic engagement and their participation in community activities are generally recognized as dimensions of civic life that contribute to the creation and maintenance of social support networks. Also, "[s]ocial capital (broadly defined as participation in social networks) is increasingly being understood as a key component of community development or a key aspect of the 'capacity' of a community to develop."⁸

The Survey on the Vitality of Official-Language Minorities data lend themselves to measuring several dimensions of Francophones' participation in community life. The statistics on participation in volunteer activities, membership in community organizations and informal caregiving can be used to examine the extent to which Francophones are engaged, through such forms of involvement, in the life of their community.

A number of sociodemographic and economic factors influence community participation, including age, education level, residential environment, socioeconomic status, etc. However, an analysis of these factors goes beyond the objective of this report.

The Survey on the Vitality of Official-Language Minorities results reveal that approximately 40% of Francophones in the territories participate in one of the activities for which data were collected in the survey. More specifically, 38% of Francophone adults reported that they had been a member of an organization, network or association in the twelve months preceding the survey, while 45% reported doing volunteer work. Moreover, 14% of Francophones reported having participated in the three different activities (volunteering, membership in community organizations and informal caregiving) during the twelve months preceding the survey.

For the community activities engaged in by Francophones in the territories, the language of interaction varies depending on the type of activity. However, English is the language preferred by Francophones in the two activities for which the results are statistically significant. English is used "only" or "mainly" by 69% of Francophones when they provide social support for everyday activities to someone not living in their household, while 64% use it in volunteer activities (data not shown).

The Survey on the Vitality of Official-Language Minorities shows that nearly two-thirds (64%) of the Francophones in the territories report that it is "very important" or "important" to them that individuals or organizations work at the development of the Francophone community. Also, 50% of those who join organizations, networks or associations do so in order to promote the Francophone community.

4.6 Employment and income characteristics

Thus far, we have examined the size of differences in education level between the main language groups in the territories. Data from both the census and the SVOLM shed light on the extent to which Francophones in the territories work in different industry sectors than Anglophones and persons with an other mother tongue. It is accordingly possible to identify similarities and differences in how the language groups are distributed among the various industry sectors.

A brief analysis of 2006 Census data reveals that Francophones are proportionally more likely than Anglophones to work in education services (data not shown). This sector employs 12% of Francophones in the territories, or 225 persons, compared to 8% of Anglophones. The latter, for their part, are proportionally somewhat more likely to have jobs in public administration (24%). By comparison, this sector employs 20% of Francophones in the territories, or 375 persons. In most of the other major industry sectors, there are few differences between these two groups. Nearly two-thirds (63.5%) of Francophones in the territories work mainly in six sectors: public administration (20%); education services (12%); construction (8%); accommodation and food services (8%); health care and social assistance (8%); and transportation and warehousing (8%). As for the group with a mother tongue other than French or English, the data show that just over one-third of these individuals work in public administration (24%) and retail trade (11%).

4.6.1 Use of French at work by industry sector

Of all workers in the territories aged 15 and over (60,970), 3% (1,860) use French most often or on a regular basis in their work (data not shown). Among Francophones, the corresponding proportion is 51%, namely 18% most often and 33% on a regular basis (that is, less often than the predominant language).⁹

As we have just seen, the public administration and education services sectors account for nearly one-third (32%) of the territories' Francophones. What about the use of French by the Francophones in these sectors? It is hardly surprising that Francophones in the education sector are proportionally more likely to use French as their main language of work; 63% use it most often while 11% report using it on a regular basis (data not shown). As for Francophones in the public administration sector, a smaller proportion of them report using French, 4% most often and 43% on a regular basis.

4.6.2 Income differentials

Statistics from the 2006 Census show that Francophones' median and mean incomes are greater than those of Anglophones (see Table 4.6.2). Men with French as their only mother tongue have a mean income exceeding that of men with English as their mother tongue by $4,700. The results for median income are quite similar; that of Francophone men is $4,600 greater than that of their Anglophone counterparts. For Francophone women, both mean and median incomes are higher than that of Anglophone women, by $4,100 and $7,300 respectively. As to persons with an other mother tongue, their mean and median incomes are far lower than those of both Francophones and Anglophones. For example, Francophones' mean incomes are higher than those of their counterparts with a mother tongue other than French or English by a margin of $25,000 for men and $15,000 for women.

Table 4.6.2 Average and median income for males and females by mother tongue, the territories as a whole, 2006

The statistics presented in charts 4.6.2-a and 4.6.2-b reflect the fact that the median income of French-mother-tongue men and women varies with age. However, the income gaps between Francophones and Anglophones are larger for men than for women. Francophone men's income is less than that of Anglophone men by $3,400 to $8,200, depending on the age group, except for those aged 25 to 44. For the latter age range, the situation is reversed, with Francophones' income exceeding that of Anglophones by $5,900. Among women, the median incomes of Francophones and Anglophones are roughly the same for those aged 15 to 24 and 45 to 64. However, the median income of Francophone women aged 25 to 44 exceeds that of their Anglophone counterparts by $2,700, while for those aged 65 and over, the situation is reversed; Anglophones' income being $1,800 higher than that of Francophones. For men and women with an other mother tongue, median incomes by age group are mostly far below those of Francophones and Anglophones.

Several factors may explain the income differential between Francophones and Anglophones. Although the results on the general population reveal that for both men and women, Francophones' mean incomes exceed those of Anglophones, these differences are due in part to a number of characteristics that distinguish these two populations. For example, we previously noted in fact that the Francophone population in the territories is more highly educated than the Anglophone population. The age structure of the Francophone population is also a factor affecting the mean and median incomes of this population.

A deeper analysis of the census results, in particular using the technique of multivariate statistical analysis, reveals that education, industry sector and immigrant status play an important role, especially for women, and help to explain these differences. Thus, when the influence of these characteristics is isolated, it emerges that instead, the incomes of Francophone women are $2,600 to $4,900 lower than those of Anglophone women (data not shown). For men,  the results of multivariate analysis also show that Francophones' mean income are lower than that of Anglophones by $700 to $4,200 depending on the age group, except for those aged 25 to 44. In the latter age range, Francophones' mean income exceeds that of Anglophones by $3,400.

An examination of the multivariate analysis results also shows that when the influence of the above-mentioned factors is isolated, the income of Francophone men still exceeds that of men with a mother tongue other than French or English, by amounts ranging between $1,500 and $21,000 depending on the age group. For women, Francophones under 25 years of age have a lower mean income than their counterparts with an "other" mother tongue. However, the situation is reversed for the 45 and over age range, with Francophone women's income exceeding that of women with a mother tongue other than French or English. For women aged 25 to 44, Francophones and those with an "other" mother tongue have substantially the same mean income.

Chart 4.6.2-a Median income for females by age group and mother tongue, the territories as a whole, 2006

Chart 4.6.2-b Median income for males by age group and mother tongue, the territories as a whole, 2006

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Notes

1. Statistical portrait of the French-speaking immigrant population outside Quebec,1991 to 2006. Statistics Canada Catalogue no.89-641-X.
2. Report on the Government of Canada's consultations on linguistic duality and official languages.
3. In other words, most often or on a regular basis.
4. On this subject, see Table 2.1 in the report entitled "Health Care Professionals and Official-Language Minorities in Canada: 2001 and 2006", Statistics Canada Catalogue no.91-550-X.
5. Because of the very small number of members of the official language minority who had contact with professionals on the telephone health line, conclusions regarding them cannot be drawn from the data obtained in the Survey on the Vitality of Official-Language Minorities.
6. 30 years of education: Canada's language groups. Statistics Canada, catalogue no.11-008.
7. For the same reason, the Survey on the Vitality of Official-Language Minorities (SVOLM) did not lend itself to obtaining data for each of the territories taken separately.
8. See page 1 of the document: The influence of education on civic engagement: differences across Canada's rural-urban spectrum. Statistics Canada, Catalogue no.21-006-XIE.
9. The data from the Survey on the Vitality of Official-Language Minorities revealed that when respondents report using a language regularly in addition to the language that they speak most often, they are referring to using it daily.