Ottawa – Gatineau becoming increasingly multilingual
Posted Oct 24, 2012 09:03:45 AM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
OTTAWA – The number of “non-official” languages in the metropolitan region of Ottawa – Gatineau continues to increase, new census data shows – evidence that despite the dominance of English and French elsewhere in the country, CanadaIs major cities have become multi-tongued mosaics of immigration-fuelled diversity.
English was identified as the mother tongue for 50.2 per cent of people in the census metropolitan area of Ottawa – Gatineau, Statistics Canada said Wednesday as it released new information on languages from the 2011 census. French, CanadaIs other official language, was cited by 32.3 per cent.
But a total of 17.4 per cent of the population of metro Ottawa – Gatineau has a mother tongue other than one of CanadaIs official languages. ThatIs an increase from 17.1 per cent in the 2006 census.
According to the 2011 census, the top five non-official languages spoken in the metropolitan area of Ottawa – Gatineau: Arabic (2.9 per cent); one of the Chinese languages (2.3 per cent); Spanish (1.3 per cent); Italian (0.9 per cent); and German (0.6 per cent). Five years ago, the census reported the top five other languages spoken were Arabic, one of the Chinese languages, Spanish, Italian and German.
Statistics Canada defines “mother tongue” as the first language learned at home in childhood and still understood at the time the census was taken in May 2011. The census also documented languages spoken at home and knowledge of CanadaIs official languages.
Statistics Canada noted a change in the response patterns for some of the mother tongue data for the 2011 census. Previously, language questions were asked only on what was known as the long form census, which went to just 20 per cent of the population. Last year, the government did away with the long form questionnaire and put the language question on the census that went to all Canadians.
As a result of the change in methodology, Statistics Canada reported that Canadians appear to have been less inclined than in previous years to report languages other than French or English as their only mother tongue – and also more inclined to list multiple languages as their mother tongue and the language used most often at home.
Across Canada, a total of 57.8 per cent of the population spoke English, 21.7 per cent spoke French and 20.6 per cent spoke other languages. The proportion of Canadians speaking one of the countryIs official languages has decreased over the years as the immigrant population has increased.
The top “non-official” languages spoken in Canada: one of the Chinese languages (3.3 per cent); Punjabi (1.3 per cent); Spanish (1.3 per cent); Italian (1.3 per cent) and German (1.3 per cent).
In total, the 2011 census reported 191 different languages as mother tongues among the countryIs population. Canada is one of the few countries in the world that counts language in its census.
In the census metropolitan area of Ottawa – Gatineau, a total of 158 languages were identified.
Statistics Canada uses the term census metropolitan area to describe any area with a population of at least 100,000, where the urban core of that area has at least 50,000 people. Census metropolitan areas are often different from municipal boundaries and take into account the growing impact of suburban areas on Canada’s largest cities.
Here is a local breakdown of language details for some communities in the Ottawa – Gatineau area:
Community 2011 % pop. 2006 %pop.
Ottawa – Gatineau census metropolitan area
Mother Tongue
English 614,185 50.2 559,515 50.0
French 395,470 32.3 369,495 33.0
Arabic 35,940 2.9 29,620 2.6
one of the Chinese languages
28,480 2.3 26,605 2.4
Spanish 15,555 1.3 12,985 1.2
Italian 10,410 0.9 11,210 1.0
German 6,885 0.6 7,280 0.7
Knowledge of official languages
English 556,405 45.5 507,320 45.3
French 105,280 8.6 103,505 9.2
English and French 547,625 44.8 497,630 44.4
City of Ottawa
Mother Tongue
English 555,490 63.7 508,710 63.5
French 131,300 15.0 124,020 15.5
Arabic 29,715 3.4 24,780 3.1
one of the Chinese languages
26,960 3.1 25,345 3.2
Spanish 11,305 1.3 10,065 1.3
Italian 9,865 1.1 10,640 1.3
Somali 6,415 0.7 6,335 0.8
Knowledge of official languages
English 522,980 59.9 479,745 59.9
French 12,915 1.5 12,985 1.6
English and French 324,695 37.2 298,245 37.2
Arnprior
Mother Tongue
English 7,425 92.5 6,595 93.1
French 350 4.4 295 4.2
German 45 0.6 40 0.6
Polish 30 0.4 30 0.4
Dutch 25 0.3 25 0.4
Greek 20 0.2 5 0.1
Finnish 15 0.2 5 0.1
Knowledge of official languages
English 7,085 88.3 6,245 88.2
French 5 0.1 10 0.1
English and French 925 11.5 825 11.7
Clarence-Rockland
Mother Tongue
English 7,395 32.3 6,100 29.8
French 14,880 65.0 13,680 66.8
German 125 0.5 155 0.8
Creoles 60 0.3 10 0.0
Spanish 60 0.3 20 0.1
Arabic 50 0.2 110 0.5
Dutch 45 0.2 65 0.3
Knowledge of official languages
English 4,940 21.6 4,115 20.1
French 2,140 9.3 2,235 10.9
English and French 15,810 69.0 14,095 68.9
Casselman
Mother Tongue
English 620 17.7 500 15.7
French 2,835 81.0 2,660 83.8
Greek 10 0.3 0 0.0
Arabic 5 0.1 0 0.0
Creoles 5 0.1 0 0.0
Ukrainian 5 0.1 0 0.0
Japanese 5 0.1 0 0.0
Knowledge of official languages
English 320 9.1 190 6.0
French 585 16.7 650 20.5
English and French 2,590 74.0 2,340 73.7
Hawkesbury
Mother Tongue
English 1,700 16.4 1,820 17.3
French 8,245 79.7 8,235 78.4
Bengali 75 0.7 35 0.3
Arabic 35 0.3 0 0.0
Tamil 30 0.3 25 0.2
German 30 0.3 35 0.3
Greek 25 0.2 65 0.6
Knowledge of official languages
English 955 9.2 1,170 11.1
French 2,415 23.3 2,445 23.3
English and French 6,965 67.3 6,850 65.2
Champlain
Mother Tongue
English 2,970 34.9 2,645 30.7
French 5,290 62.1 5,650 65.7
German 110 1.3 55 0.6
Dutch 25 0.3 45 0.5
Spanish 20 0.2 50 0.6
Polish 15 0.2 25 0.3
Russian 10 0.1 0 0.0
Knowledge of official languages
English 1,730 20.3 1,575 18.3
French 1,080 12.7 1,330 15.5
English and French 5,695 66.9 5,700 66.2
Gatineau
Mother Tongue
English 31,685 12.0 26,825 11.2
French 206,495 78.4 193,265 80.5
Arabic 6,040 2.3 4,520 1.9
Spanish 4,025 1.5 2,770 1.2
Portuguese 2,590 1.0 2,780 1.2
one of the Chinese languages
1,455 0.6 1,190 0.5
Creoles 855 0.3 470 0.2
Knowledge of official languages
English 17,195 6.5 12,920 5.4
French 76,055 28.9 74,695 31.1
English and French 168,475 64.0 151,160 63.0
L’Ange-Gardien
Mother Tongue
English 540 10.7 380 8.8
French 4,470 88.5 3,830 88.6
Portuguese 10 0.2 0 0.0
Spanish 10 0.2 5 0.1
Inuktitut, n.i.e. (Inuktitut, Inuvialuktun and Inuit languages n.i.e.)
5 0.1 0 0.0
Italian 5 0.1 0 0.0
German 5 0.1 5 0.1
Knowledge of official languages
English 200 4.0 155 3.6
French 1,990 39.4 1,760 40.7
English and French 2,860 56.6 2,405 55.6
Notre-Dame-de-la-Salette
Mother Tongue
English 50 6.6 155 20.0
French 690 91.4 605 78.1
Polish 5 0.7 10 1.3
Russian 5 0.7 0 0.0
Spanish 5 0.7 0 0.0
German 5 0.7 10 1.3
0 0.0 0 0.0
Knowledge of official languages
English 15 2.0 65 8.4
French 385 50.7 275 35.5
English and French 355 46.7 430 55.5
Val-des-Monts
Mother Tongue
English 1,285 12.3 1,185 12.4
French 9,005 86.4 8,185 85.8
Portuguese 25 0.2 15 0.2
German 25 0.2 45 0.5
Arabic 10 0.1 0 0.0
Russian 10 0.1 5 0.1
Spanish 10 0.1 0 0.0
Knowledge of official languages
English 555 5.3 475 5.0
French 3,775 36.2 3,650 38.3
English and French 6,085 58.4 5,410 56.7
Cantley
Mother Tongue
English 1,180 11.9 800 10.1
French 8,415 85.1 6,940 87.7
Portuguese 45 0.5 20 0.3
Spanish 40 0.4 10 0.1
Arabic 30 0.3 20 0.3
Romanian 30 0.3 10 0.1
German 20 0.2 40 0.5
Knowledge of official languages
English 515 5.2 350 4.4
French 3,145 31.8 2,775 35.1
English and French 6,215 62.9 4,790 60.5
Chelsea
Mother Tongue
English 3,265 46.8 3,160 47.1
French 3,355 48.1 3,155 47.1
German 70 1.0 95 1.4
Spanish 40 0.6 75 1.1
Portuguese 35 0.5 45 0.7
Dutch 35 0.5 35 0.5
Polish 30 0.4 20 0.3
Knowledge of official languages
English 1,530 21.9 1,510 22.5
French 685 9.8 905 13.5
English and French 4,760 68.2 4,280 63.9
Papineauville
Mother Tongue
English 65 3.0 35 1.6
French 2,065 95.6 2,100 97.7
Spanish 10 0.5 0 0.0
Swahili 5 0.2 0 0.0
one of the Chinese languages
5 0.2 0 0.0
Dutch 5 0.2 0 0.0
Italian 5 0.2 0 0.0
Knowledge of official languages
English 10 0.5 10 0.5
French 1,315 60.9 1,410 65.7
English and French 830 38.4 735 34.3
Plaisance
Mother Tongue
English 30 2.7 20 2.0
French 1,060 95.9 990 98.0
Dutch 10 0.9 0 0.0
0 0.0 0 0.0
0 0.0 0 0.0
0 0.0 0 0.0
0 0.0 0 0.0
Knowledge of official languages
English 10 0.9 0 0.0
French 695 63.2 655 64.9
English and French 400 36.4 355 35.1
Thurso
Mother Tongue
English 95 3.9 75 3.3
French 2,350 95.7 2,215 96.5
one of the Chinese languages
10 0.4 0 0.0
Italian 5 0.2 0 0.0
0 0.0 0 0.0
0 0.0 0 0.0
0 0.0 0 0.0
Knowledge of official languages
English 25 1.0 20 0.9
French 1,530 62.3 1,445 63.0
English and French 905 36.9 820 35.7
Maniwaki
Mother Tongue
English 250 6.5 235 5.8
French 3,565 92.7 3,665 90.9
Algonquin 10 0.3 0 0.0
Greek 5 0.1 10 0.2
Arabic 5 0.1 5 0.1
Rundi (Kirundi) 5 0.1 0 0.0
Creoles 5 0.1 0 0.0
Knowledge of official languages
English 60 1.6 105 2.6
French 2,400 62.4 2,645 65.7
English and French 1,380 35.9 1,285 31.9
