Section 4 A few sectors essential to the vitality of minority official-language 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

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The Roadmap for Canada's Linguistic Duality 2008-2013 calls for investing in five key sectors: health, justice, arts and culture, economic development and immigration. The last of these sectors was dealt with in an analytical report released by Statistics Canada in April 2010 (Houle and Corbeil, 2010). This 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. This sector was identified as being of great importance for the future of official-language minorities in Canada (Lord, 2008); therefore, a section will be devoted to it.

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.

4.1 Health

A common language between patients and health care professionals is one of the key elements to accessing and providing effective health care services. Language barriers can mean that some members of minority Francophone communities are less well served by health care services. With this in mind, it is important to examine the situation of Newfoundland and Labrador's Francophone communities regarding various aspects of access to health care services.

In the 2006 Census, very few doctors and nurses¹ working in Newfoundland and Labrador reported being able to conduct a conversation in French or using French at least on a regular basis² at work³. Nevertheless, the proportion of doctors and nurses who are able to conduct a conversation in French is higher than Francophones' relative share of the population of Newfoundland and Labrador. Even so, results of the Survey on the Vitality of the Official-Language Minorities show that the majority of Newfoundland and Labrador Francophones report using English in their contacts with the health care professionals about whom the survey collected information: nurses (94%), family doctors (87%) and professionals in other places where people go to obtain care (91%). 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 French during their visits/consultations. This reason thus greatly influences the main language used to interact during consultations.

Overall, results of the SVOLM and the census show that three important factors affect the extent to which one language or the other is used with health care professionals: the concentration of Francophones within their municipality of residence, the availability of professionals with knowledge of French and the main language of people requesting service.

The presence of Francophone professionals as well as those able to conduct a conversation in the minority language is likely to increase access to health care services in French. In Newfoundland and Labrador however, there is only a limited number of professionals who are able to conduct a conversation in French, which is not conducive to extensive use of French in this key sector of the public sphere.

It is also important to examine whether Francophones who report having French as their main language were more likely to use French in their interactions with health care professionals than those with English as their main language. It seems clear that the lack of use of the minority official language by Francophones for whom French is the main language—that is, the language in which they are most at ease— does not depend on the same factors as in the case of Francophones who have made a language shift with the result that English is now the language in which they feel most at ease. Results from the Survey on the Vitality of Official-Language Minorities show that whatever their main language, the vast majority of Francophones (93%) use English in their contacts with the various health care professionals about whom the survey collected information: family doctors, nurses, telephone health line or telehealth service professionals and professionals in other places where people go to obtain care. However, it is hardly surprising that in their interactions with their family doctor, Francophones who have English as their main language are more likely to use English (99%) than those with French as their main language (70%).

In short, information from the SVOLM clearly shows that for Francophones, obtaining health care services in the language of their choice does not necessarily mean obtaining them in French. Thus, since 41% of Newfoundland and Labrador Francophones have English as their main language, it is not surprising that French is not their "language of choice" for obtaining health care services.

4.2 Justice

An examination of results from the Survey on the Vitality of Official-Language Minorities in the field of justice sheds light on the extent to which the French language is present among institutions that ensure its use in the public sphere by Newfoundland and Labrador Francophones. By measuring the level of access to justice practitioners who are able to converse in French, one can document a phenomenon that is perceived by Francophones outside Quebec as being very important for the status of French and the future of French-speaking minority communities. In this regard, the Canadian government undertook in the Roadmap to ensure that Canadians will have better access to justice services in the minority official language.

With regard to criminal law in Newfoundland and Labrador, as stipulated by the Criminal Code of Canada, the province's Francophones, like all Canadian residents, are entitled to a trial and a preliminary inquiry in French. However, the province has no linguistic obligation under civil law concerning the provision of judicial and legal services in French.

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, few lawyers or police officers in Newfoundland and Labrador were able to conduct a conversation in French.⁴ However, census data show that the number of police officers and lawyers able to conduct a conversation in French was slightly larger than the number of those who use French at least on a regular basis at work.⁵

The 2006 Census data also show that the number of police officers and lawyers who communicate at least regularly in French at work in Newfoundland and Labrador is greater than the number of Francophone police officers and lawyers. Thus, a certain number of non-Francophones reported using French as a language of work, which adds to the existing pool of police officers and lawyers who are likely or able to provide services in French.

It should be noted that interactions with justice system and its representatives, including lawyers and the police, are not widespread in the population. Of the 1,540 Francophone adults in Newfoundland and Labrador, 21% reported that they had used the services of a lawyer in the two years preceding the survey, while 27% had come into contact with the police.

Results from the Survey on the Vitality of Official-Language Minorities indicate that Francophones in Newfoundland and Labrador generally interact in English with municipal or provincial police and with lawyers.⁶ More than 9 in 10 Francophones used only English in their interactions with the municipal police, the provincial police or a lawyer.

The SVOLM results also show that access to these services in French does not appear to be highly valued by a majority of Francophones in Newfoundland and Labrador: 38% feel that if they had to use a lawyer's services, it would be important or very important that the lawyer be able to speak French. Conversely, 44% report that it would be of little or no importance to have access to the services of a lawyer in French.

4.3 Education

4.3.1 Children

Access to French-language schools and management of Francophone minority education systems have long been burning issues for Francophones outside Quebec. In many provinces, 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 (Corbeil, 2003).

In a minority situation, French schools are accorded 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 help Francophone community life to develop and flourish.

In Newfoundland and Labrador, the first immersion school was opened in 1975 in Cape St. George (Martel, 1991). In 1982, Section 23 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms granted minority parents the right to have their children educated in their language. Following the proposal of a departmental advisory committee on bilingualism, the province's Department of Education issued a policy statement recognizing the right of Francophones to instruction in French. Following this approval, the Report of the Policy Advisory Committee on French Programs in turn recognized, two years later, that Francophones were entitled to education in their mother tongue. This education was to be administered in French schools—known as homogeneous schools— managed by the province's school boards. In 1989, the province's first French homogeneous school opened in La Grand'Terre (English name: Mainland) (FCFA, 2009).

In 1996, Newfoundland and Labrador Francophones obtained the right to manage their own school board. The following year, the Schools Act was amended in the House of Assembly, enabling the Fédération des parents francophones de Terre-Neuve et du Labrador (FPFTNL) to create the Conseil scolaire francophone provincial (CSFP). Today, the Conseil scolaire manages five schools—in La Grand'Terre, Labrador City, Happy Valley-Goose Bay, Cape St. George and St. John's—which provide instruction from kindergarten to grade 12 (CSFP, 2012). Also, people can access courses in French at the Faculty of Education of Memorial University of Newfoundland (PGF research, 2002).

It is important to examine here 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. One can use data from the Survey on the Vitality of the Official-Language Minorities to estimate, for children of Francophone parents in Newfoundland and Labrador, the number eligible for French-language education who are enrolled in a French-language school or an immersion program. These 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.

In Newfoundland and Labrador, 520 children of Francophone parents were enrolled in preschool, kindergarten, elementary or secondary school at the time of the survey. Of those children, more than half were receiving an education in French, either in a French school or an immersion program of an English school, while 44% were receiving an education in English within an English school. The proportions are similar even when looking only at children from French-English exogamous families, who comprise 73% of children with at least one Francophone parent. Of these, half were receiving an education in French in a regular French school program or in the immersion program of an English school.

The Survey on the Vitality of Official-Language Minorities also reveals that enrolment in a French school or a French immersion program of an English school seems a more popular choice for parents of the youngest children than for those of older children. The SVOLM results show that approximately two in three children were enrolled in a French-language school or a French immersion program at the elementary level, compared with only 38% at the secondary level.

A number of factors influence the choice of the language of a child's school. In particular, the language used by parents in their own educational pathway appears to have some influence on the language of instruction or school system they chose for their children. Thus, of the 520 children with at least one parent who had been educated in French at the elementary and secondary levels, approximately 56% were attending a French-language school or French immersion program and nearly half spoke French at home, either most often (26%) or on a regular basis (22%).

Data from the SVOLM do not yield statistically significant results as to the association between children's school attendance in French and the sole or predominant use of French at home or with friends; nor to the association between school attendance in French and the ability to use French to conduct a conversation. However, the SVOLM data reveal that the majority of children who attend a French-language school use French (alone or with English) most often at home (64%) and when speaking with their friends (77%) and are therefore able to use it to conduct a conversation in almost all cases (97%). However, the data do not show a direct link between children's school attendance in French and the sole or predominant use of French at home or with friends.

4.3.2 Adults

4.3.2.1 Highest level of educational attainment

An examination of 2006 Census data reveals educational gaps between Francophones and Anglophones. As shown in Chart 4.1, 32% of Anglophones had no certificate, diploma or degree, compared with 27% of Francophones. On the other hand, Francophones (21%) were more likely to have a university degree at or above the bachelor's level than Anglophones (12%). In all other categories, the differences between these two language groups are quite small.

Chart 4.1 Highest certificate, diploma or degree obtained by first official language spoken, persons aged 25 or over, Newfoundland and Labrador, 2006

4.3.2.2 Adults' language of instruction

As previously seen, in Newfoundland and Labrador as a whole, nearly two-thirds of children with at least one French-speaking parent are enrolled, at the elementary level, in the regular program of a French-language elementary school or in an immersion program; at the secondary level, that proportion is 38%. What about the language of instruction for adults who responded to the Survey on the Vitality of Official-Language Minorities (SVOLM)? According to survey responses concerning the language in which respondents pursued part or all of their education, the presence of French varies from one age group to the next and from one education level to the next.

Data from the SVOLM show that nearly three in four Newfoundland and Labrador Francophones had all or part of their education in French at the elementary level. This proportion declines as young people pursue their educational path, then rebounds at the university level. Thus, while 69% of Francophones pursued all or part of their secondary education in French, the proportion is 56% for those who completed non-university postsecondary education and 66% for those who have a university degree. This result is probably due to the fact that a large proportion of these Francophones were born in Quebec and had their education there (see Table 3.8).

The SVOLM results regarding attendance at elementary and secondary school in French reveal a sizable gap between adults under age 45 and those aged 45 and over. Nearly 90% of Francophones under age 45 attended French school at the elementary level and more than 85% did so at the secondary level, but the proportions are smaller for older Francophones. This difference is notably due to the fact that Newfoundland and Labrador Francophones increasingly have access to French schools.

4.4 Media, arts and culture

Support for the arts and culture is one of the key elements targeted by the Roadmap, which recognizes the essential role played by arts and culture 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 French-language cultural products throughout Canada.

The SVOLM results show that Newfoundland and Labrador Francophones, like their Anglophone counterparts, are big consumers of the various media, led by television (99%) (see Table 4.1).

Table 4.1 Proportion of Francophones by use of certain media (all languages included), Newfoundland and Labrador, 2006

A majority of Newfoundland and Labrador Francophones are inclined to report that they read newspapers (85%), listen to the radio (70%), watch television (68%), use the Internet (64%) and read books (61%) mainly or only in English. Access to French-language media is therefore not the only factor that influences consumption in the minority language: the SVOLM results reveal that despite technological advances facilitating access to various French-language media, English predominates in media use.

4.5 Community life

It is generally recognized that people's civic engagement and participation in community activities are dimensions of civic life that contribute to creating and maintaining social support networks. Also, "social 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." (Rothwell and Turcotte, 2006, p. 1).

Data from the Survey on the Vitality of Official-Language Minorities lend themselves to measuring several dimensions of Francophones' participation in community life. 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 in the life of their community.⁷

The SVOLM results show that approximately 3 out of 10 Newfoundland and Labrador Francophones participate in one of the activities about which the survey collected data. More specifically, 38% of Francophone adults reported that they had been a member of an organization, network or association in the 12 months preceding the survey, while 29% reported doing volunteer work and 26% had provided unpaid assistance with everyday activities to someone not living in their household.

When the province's Francophones engage in community activities, their language of interaction varies depending on the type of activity. French is the language that 44% of Francophones favour (use mainly or only) during their involvement in organizations, while 50% favour French and English equally. When doing volunteer work, 53% of Francophones use mainly or only English, as do 78% of those who provide social support for daily activities to persons not living in their household.

Family appears to be important in the networks of Newfoundland and Labrador Francophones. For example, in case of illness, 20% report that they would turn to their children for support, while 30% would turn to other family members and 19% to their friends.

According to the Survey on the Vitality of Official-Language Minorities, 77% of Newfoundland and Labrador Francophones report that it is important or very important to them that individuals or organizations work to develop the Francophone community. Also, 46% of those who join organizations, networks or associations do so in order to promote the Francophone community.

4.6 Employment and income characteristics

One can use data from both the census and the Survey on the Vitality of Official-Language Minorities (SVOLM) to examine the extent to which Newfoundland and Labrador Francophones work in different industry sectors than Anglophones. These data let one identify similarities and differences in how the language groups are distributed among various industry sectors.

A brief analysis of 2006 Census data reveals that almost 30% of Newfoundland and Labrador Francophones work mainly in two industry sectors in which they comprise a larger proportion than Anglophones: public administration (13% for Francophones versus 8% for Anglophones) and educational services (16% versus 7%).

4.6.1 Use of French at work

Of all Newfoundland and Labrador workers aged 15 and over, 1.5% use French most often or on a regular basis at work. Among those with only French as their first official language spoken, this proportion is 52%—including 27% who use French most often and 25% who use it regularly (that is, less often than the predominant language).

4.6.2 Income differentials

The 2006 Census statistics reveal that persons with French as their first official language spoken have higher mean and median incomes than Anglophones. On the one hand, men with French as their first official language spoken (FOLS), have mean and median incomes respectively about $15,000 and $11,000 higher than those of men in the English FOLS group. On the other hand, for women, the mean income of Francophones is almost $2,600 higher than that of Anglophones, while the median income of both groups is quite similar (see Table 4.2).

Table 4.2 Average and median income for males and females by first official language spoken, Newfoundland and Labrador, 2006

In light of the historical context described above, it is clear that the median income of the two language groups is age-related. Chart 4.2 shows that for men aged 25 to 44, Francophones have a median income $12,000 higher than Anglophones, while for those aged 45 to 64, the gap reaches more than $23,000. For women, Francophones aged 25 to 44 have a median income exceeding that of Anglophones by $5,300, while the gap is smaller for those aged 45 to 64, at just under $700.

Several factors may explain the income differential between Francophones and Anglophones. Although 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 the two populations.

An in-depth analysis of the census results, specifically using the multivariate statistical analysis technique, reveals the important role played by age, education, type of place of residence, industry sector and immigrant status, and helps to partly explain these differences. Thus, if Francophones and Anglophones in Newfoundland and Labrador had exactly the same profile with respect to these characteristics (which is not the case), the mean income of Anglophone men would be approximately $4,000 lower than that of Francophone men. For women, the analysis reveals no statistically significant difference between the mean incomes of Anglophones and Francophones.

Chart 4.2 Median income of women and men, by age group and first official language spoken, Newfoundland and Labrador, 2006

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Notes

1. Because of the very small numbers of doctors and nurses in Newfoundland and Labrador, it is difficult to provide a reliable estimate of the number and proportion of doctors and nurses practising in that province. In light of the sampling error and random rounding that apply to these numbers, it is difficult to estimate precisely how many doctors and nurses are Francophones and how many use French at work as well as the number who are able to speak French.
2. In other words, most often or on a regular basis.
3. On this subject, see Table 2.1 of Health Care Professionals and Official-Language Minorities in Canada: 2001 and 2006 (Blaser, 2009, p. 20).
4. As in the case of doctors and nurses (see note 1), it is difficult to give estimates here because of the very small numbers of lawyers and police officers in Newfoundland and Labrador.
5. As in the case of health care professionals, the use of French by lawyers and police officers depends on a number of factors, including the proportion of Francophones in a given community. However, an analysis of these factors is beyond the scope of this statistical portrait.
6. Because of the very small number of official-language minority persons who had contact with members of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), no conclusions regarding them can be drawn from the data obtained in the Survey on the Vitality of Official-Language Minorities.
7. A number of sociodemographic and economic factors influence community participation, including age, education level, residential environment and socioeconomic status. However, an analysis of these factors goes beyond the objective of this report.