A proposal from the cabinet would rewrite the Official Languages Act that would compel the private sector to hire French speakers, even in provinces with next to no French-English bilingualism.
"French is a minority language in this country and the Government of Canada recognizes the need to intervene vigorously to counter and remedy its decline," the report read, according to Blacklock's Reporter. "However, this important role cannot happen through government action alone."
The newest version of the Act would expand mandatory French to 18,000 businesses already regulated by the federal government. The new act could encompass airports, banks, marine shippers, TV stations, and interprovincial truckers.
"The Government of Canada considers it important to act upon these companies to promote and protect the use of French as a language of service and work," providing "a power to encourage federally-regulated private businesses to promote the equal status of the official languages in order to increase the use of French."
"The power to issue orders would be part of the new gradation of reinforced powers," the report continues.
The report goes on to say that changing demographics in Quebec also remain a threat to the language's presence in the country.
"The demographic reality of North America is a permanent obstacle to the defence of the French language including in Québec," said the report. "The government is concerned about this reality."
"The government wishes that the modernized Act takes the situation of the French language into account," said English And French. "The government proposes to overcome certain challenges, such as those around use of French in the workplace."
French has virtually no notable presence outside of Quebec and New Brunswick. In some provinces, French has fallen behind languages from immigrant groups such as Punjabi, Cantonese, or Tagalog.
In British Columbia, French is the sixth most spoken language behind English, Punjabi, Cantonese, Mandarin and Tagalog.
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