Bilingualism — Two Souls, One Country
Canada is officially bilingual — English and French are equal official languages at the federal level. In practice, this means: Every cereal box, every federal traffic sign, every parliamentary speech is in both languages. The reality on the street is more complicated.
Québec is the only province with French as the sole official language. Here, everything is in French — street signs, business names, menus. In Montréal, the majority speak both languages, but in Québec City and the countryside, French is the language of daily life. New Brunswick is the only officially bilingual province. In the rest of Canada, English dominates — only 17% of Canadians speak both official languages.
The language question is more than linguistics — it touches on national identity. Québec sees itself as a distinct nation within Canada, with its own culture, its own law (civil law based on the Napoleonic Code, not common law), and its own self-concept. The "Quiet Revolution" of the 1960s modernized Québec, and the language laws (Loi 101, 1977) made French the sole business language — English signs were banned or must be significantly smaller than French ones. Controversial but effective: French is more vibrant than ever in Québec.
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As a tourist in Québec: A simple "Bonjour" as a greeting opens every door. The Québécois greatly appreciate any attempt to speak French. After that, you can easily switch to English — but the gesture counts.
