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    Portrait of Official Language Minorities in Canada - Francophones in British Columbia

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

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    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 (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 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 British Columbia's Francophone communities regarding various aspects of access to health care services.

    In the 2006 Census, 19% of doctors working in British Columbia, or 1,055 out of a total of 5,460, reported that they were able to conduct a conversation in French, while 2.6% reported using French at least regularly1 in their work.2 For nurses, numbering 34,815, the corresponding proportions were 7% and 0.7% respectively.

    The proportion of doctors and, to a lesser extent, nurses able to conduct a conversation in French is much higher than the relative share of the Franco-Columbian population. Nevertheless, the SVOLM results show that the vast majority of British Columbia Francophones (99%) report using English in their contacts with the different health care professionals about whom information was collected in that survey, namely family doctors, nurses, telephone health line or telehealth service professionals and professionals in other places that people go to in order to obtain care. Table 4.1 shows the languages used with health care professionals.

    The Survey on the Vitality of Official-Language Minorities reveals that 30% of Franco-Columbians report that it is important or very important for them to obtain health services in French.

    Table 4.1 Proportion of Francophones by languages used with different health professionals, British Columbia, 2006

    As Table 4.1 shows, English is used almost exclusively with nurses (99%), with family doctors (97%), and in other places and with other specialists (97%). However, the use of English is somewhat less widespread on the telephone health line (84%). 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 SVOLM and the census show that the weak concentration of Francophones in a municipality of residence, the availability of professionals with knowledge of French and the main language of those requesting service are three important factors that affect the extent of use of one language or the other with health care professionals.

    The presence of French-speaking professionals as well as professionals able to conduct a conversation in the minority language is likely to increase access to health care services in that language. It may also be conducive to a stronger presence and more widespread use of the language in this key sector of the public sphere. However, the gap observed between the proportion of these professionals able to conduct a conversation in French and the population of Francophones using French to obtain health services suggests that the active offer of services in the minority language is possibly an issue that should be examined more closely.

    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. The results of the Survey on the Vitality of Official-Language Minorities reflect the fact that whatever their main language, the vast majority of Francophones (99%) use English in their contacts with different health professionals. In fact, in their interactions with their family doctor, Francophones who have French as their main language are proportionally as likely to use English as those with English as their main language.

    However, information drawn from the SVOLM clearly shows that for Francophones, obtaining health care services in the language of their choice does not necessarily mean obtaining services in French. Since 45% of British Columbia Francophones have English as their main language, it is not surprising that their "language of choice" for obtaining health care services is not French.

    4.2 Justice

    An examination of the Survey on the Vitality of Official-Language Minorities (SVOLM) results concerning the justice field also sheds light on the extent to which the French language is present in institutions that ensure its use by British Columbia Francophones. By accordingly measuring access to justice practitioners who are able to converse in French, it is possible to document a phenomenon that is perceived by British Columbia Francophones as being very important for the status of that language and the future of French-speaking minority communities. With regard 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. Also, with respect to criminal law, as stipulated by the Criminal Code of Canada, Franco-Columbians are entitled to a trial and a preliminary inquiry in French (Fédération canadienne des communautés francophones et acadiennes du Canada, 2009). As regards civil law, an individual can choose the language that will be used before a federal court. However, when the trial is held in a provincial court, English is the only language used.

    In British Columbia, the SVOLM results reveal that access to these services in French does not appear to be highly valued by a majority of Francophones, since 61% feel that if they had to use the services of a lawyer, it would be not important or not very important that the lawyer could speak French. Also, approximately one-third of adult Francophones reported that they would not feel comfortable speaking French if they were to come into contact 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 British Columbia's 52,250 adult Francophones, 27% reported that they had used the services of a lawyer in the two years preceding the survey, while 14% had come into contact with the municipal police and 21% with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP).3

    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, British Columbia had 1,935 lawyers able to conduct a conversation in French, which represents 18% of the lawyers in the province (see Table 4.2.1). As regards police officers, 16% reported that they could conduct a conversation in French (see Table 4.2.2).

    In addition to these statistics on availability or the potential pool of justice system professionals who are able to use French when interacting with British Columbia Francophones, tables 4.2.1 and 4.2.2 show the knowledge of French by these professionals and the use of this language in their work. According to the 2006 Census, 4% of British Columbia police officers reported using French at least regularly at work (see Table 4.2.2). This rate is much lower than the proportion who can conduct a conversation in French, namely 16%. The same applies to lawyers: their rate of use of French at least regularly at work (2%) is also much lower than the proportion of lawyers who are able to conduct a conversation in French, namely 18%4 (see Table 4.2.1).

    Table 4.2.1 Knowledge and use of minority language by lawyers, British Columbia, 2006

    Note that 2006 Census data show that the number of police officers who use French in their work in British Columbia is lower than the number of Francophone police officers. Thus, whereas nearly 300 of the provinces' police officers reported using French at least regularly in their work, 385 had this language as their first official language spoken (FOLS) (see Table 4.2.2). By contrast, the number of lawyers who communicate at least regularly in French in their work, namely 175, exceeds the number of Francophone lawyers, which is 110 (see Table 4.2.1). A certain number of non-Francophones reported using French as a language of work, which adds to the existing pool of professionals who are likely or able to provide services in French.

    Table 4.2.2 Knowledge and use of minority language by police officers (excludes senior management), British Columbia, 2006

    The results of the Survey on the Vitality of Official-Language Minorities indicate that the interactions of British Columbia Francophones with municipal police and the RCMP5 are generally in English. Thus, approximately three Francophones in four used only English in their interactions with the RCMP and municipal police. When using the services of a lawyer, a larger proportion of Francophones, 86%, used only English.

    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, 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 British Columbia, various actors, including individuals, associations, committees, boards and the Fédération des parents Francophones, joined forces to demand and work for the establishment of a French-language education system, for which the Conseil scolaire francophone de la Colombie-Britannique would ultimately be responsible. In 1977, the provincial government granted Francophones the right to education in French. Two years later, in 1979, the Programme cadre de français (PCDF) was created with programs of instruction in French, which were managed by Anglophone school districts. In 1989, the province's School Act was amended: it contained a clause that defined the rights of children of Francophone parents to education in French as provided for in section 23 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. In 1999, le Conseil scolaire francophone de la Colombie-Britannique (CSF) finally obtained responsibility for the Francophone education program throughout the province. Ten years later, in 2009, the CSF had 38 schools with an enrolment of some 4,500 students, who were provided education programs from kindergarten through to grade 12, online courses and an international baccalaureate program.6

    In a minority situation, French schools are granted a 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.

    It is therefore 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 (SVOLM) shed light on this particular aspect of the school situation of children of Francophone parents in British Columbia, since these data 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. Additionally, these data can 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 British Columbia, 15,400 children of Francophone parents were enrolled in elementary or secondary school at the time of the survey. Of those children, approximately 40% were receiving instruction in French, including 22% in French schools but also in French immersion programs at English schools. For the rest of the children who were enrolled in elementary or secondary school, 58% were attending an English-language school (regular program). The results obtained suggest that there may be a link between the language in which children are educated and the proportion of exogamous couples, and between the existence of language transfer toward English for many Francophones under 21 years of age and the fact that a sizeable proportion of Francophones feel more at ease in English than in French. As an example, of the 13,130 Francophone children living in two parent families, the majority (68%) were from French-English exogamous families. Of the children living in this type of family, 58% were attending the regular program of an English-language school.

    The Survey on the Vitality of Official-Language Minorities also shows that attending a French-language school or being enrolled in a French immersion program in an English school seems to be a more popular choice for the parents of the youngest children. The results suggest that there may be some abandonment of French school and French immersion programs in favour of English school in the transition between elementary school and secondary school. The SVOLM results show that approximately one child in two was enrolled in a French-language school or a French immersion program at the elementary level. These proportions are higher than for children enrolled in the same types of schools at the secondary level (see Appendix B2). As for the proportion of children enrolled in the regular program in English, it is 48% at the elementary level and 71% at the secondary level.

    Apart from the environmental characteristics mentioned above, other factors influence the choice of the language of the school attended by the child. In particular, the linguistic path of the parents in their own educational trajectory appears to have some influence on the choice of their children's language of instruction or school system. Thus, of the 9,500 children with at least one parent who had been educated at the elementary and secondary levels in French, approximately 57% were attending a French-language school or a French immersion program and approximately 71% spoke French at home.

    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 attendance of a French school and use of French in various contexts. Thus, the majority of children who attend a French-language school use French, alone or with English, when speaking with their friends (54%) and are able to use it to conduct a conversation in almost all cases (96%). By contrast, the majority of children who attend an English-language school use English at home, in a proportion of 60%.

    4.3.2 Adults

    4.3.2.1 Highest level of schooling

    The highest level of schooling of British Columbia Francophones in 2006 is an important indicator of the progress made since the 1971 Census, which was conducted shortly after the Dunton–Laurendeau Commission completed its work. Based on statistics from the 1961 Census, the Commission's work described the very large disparities observed between Francophones and Anglophones in Canada, with respect to education as well as to labour market status and various spheres of economic activity. Notably because of compulsory education to age 16 and the growing importance assigned to education by governments, employers and the general public, the disparities between Francophones and Anglophones in Canada have greatly diminished over time.

    To illustrate the phenomenon, we will first examine the results shown in Chart 4.3.2.1.1, which concerns the situation observed in 2006. As may be seen, 26% of Anglophones had a high school diploma, compared to 20% of Francophones. Also, Francophones were proportionally more likely (25%) to have a university degree equivalent to or higher than a bachelor's than Anglophones (22%). In the other categories, the statistics show that gaps between these two language groups are now very small.

    Chart 4.3.2.1.1 Highest certificate, diploma or degree obtained by first official language spoken, persons aged 25 years or over, British Columbia, 2006

    The findings that emerge from a reading of the above chart cover the overall population aged 25 and over, and they therefore reflect both the present and the past educational situation of the language groups.

    Chart 4.3.2.1.2 clearly illustrates this point when we look at selected sub-populations defined according to their age group. When we focus on the 65 and over group, we can see that a lower proportion of Anglophones than of Francophones have no certificate, diploma or degree. By the same token, Anglophones are proportionally slightly more likely than Francophones to have a college or university diploma.

    It is a sign of evolving trends in education that the situation of persons aged 25 to 34 and those aged 35 to 54 shows a reversal: in these age groups, Francophones are more likely to have a college or university diploma, while Anglophones are proportionally more likely to have no certificate, diploma or degree.

    Chart 4.3.2.1.2 Highest certificate, diploma or degree obtained by first official language spoken and age group, British Columbia, 2006

    As just noted, an examination of the educational status of young adults must take account of an important factor: Francophones' place of birth. For example, among both Anglophones and Francophones, immigrants are generally more likely to have a university diploma, one reason being that education level is one of the selection criteria for immigrants to Canada. In 2006, among Francophones aged 25 to 34, 59% of those born outside Canada had a university diploma, compared to 38% of those born in British Columbia and 34% born in another province (in most cases, in Quebec) (see chart 4.3.2.1.3). At the lowest education levels, the corollary to this situation is observed, with Francophones born outside Canada being less likely than Franco-Columbians to have a high school diploma as their highest level of schooling or to have no certificate, diploma or degree.

    The sizeable gap between the proportion of Francophones aged 25 to 34 with a university degree or diploma (41%) and the corresponding proportion of Anglophones (29%) is also due to the fact that Anglophones are proportionally much more likely to have been born in British Columbia than their Francophone counterparts. In fact, only 9% of Franco-Columbians with a university diploma were born in their province, compared to nearly 51% of their Anglophone counterparts. Also, 52% of these Francophones were born in another province, in most cases Quebec or Ontario, and they generally obtained such a degree or diploma before migrating to British Columbia. It is well known that young adults have a greater tendency to migrate than others for job-related purposes and there is a strong correlation between a higher education level and a propensity to migrate to another province. Note that among the province's Anglophones and Francophones, the relative share of foreign born university graduates in this age group is the same at approximately 40%.

    Chart 4.3.2.1.3 Highest certificate, diploma or degree obtained by Francophones aged 25 to 34 years, by place of birth, British Columbia, 2006

    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 1971, the proportion of women holding a university degree was two to three times smaller than the proportion of men, depending on the age group (Corbeil, 2003). In 2006, among British Columbia Francophones, the data show that for persons aged 65 and over, that is, those who were at least 30 years of age in 1971, the proportion of women holding a university diploma is 10%, compared to 13% for men in this age group (see table 4.3.2.1). By contrast, among 20 to 24 year-olds, the situation is reversed: the proportion holding such a diploma is 14% for men, whereas it is 18% for women. Also, in this age group, 10% of men have no certificate, diploma or degree compared to 3% of women. In short, women under 65 years of age are proportionally more likely to have a university diploma or degree than their male counterparts, whereas the latter are proportionally more likely to have no certificate, diploma or degree or to have a vocational or trade school diploma.

    Table 4.3.2.1 Highest certificate, diploma or degree obtained by Francophones, by age group and sex, British Columbia, 2006

    4.3.2.2 Adults' language of instruction

    As was seen above, in British Columbia as a whole, approximately half of children with at least one French-speaking parent are enrolled in the regular program of a French-language elementary school or a French immersion program. At the secondary level, the proportion is lower. What about the language of instruction of adults who responded to the SVOLM? In responses to the various survey questions concerning the language in which respondents pursued part or all of their education, a decrease in the presence of French is observed from one age group to the next and from one education level to the next.

    Table 4.3.2.2 shows that a large proportion (77%) of Francophones pursued all or part of their education in French at the elementary level. This proportion declines as young people continue on their educational path, then rebounds in academic programs at the university level. Thus, while 66% of Francophones pursued all or part of their secondary education in French, the corresponding proportion is 50% for those who completed non university postsecondary education and 60% for those who pursued a university education.

    The Survey on the Vitality of Official-Language Minorities (SVOLM) results reveal a sizable gap between adults under age 25 and those aged 25 and over as regards attending elementary and secondary school in French. Thus, while approximately 55% of Francophones under age 25 attended French school at the elementary and secondary levels, this proportion approaches 75% among Francophones aged 25 and over. This difference is notably attributable to the fact that many Francophones aged 25 and over residing in British Columbia were educated in French in Quebec.

    Table 4.3.2.2 Proportion of Francophones who did all or part of their studies in French by age group and level of schooling, British Columbia, 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 (SVOLM) 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 results of the SVOLM reveal that Franco-Columbians, like their Anglophone counterparts, are heavy consumers of media, led by television (92%) and books (88%) (see Table 4.4).

    Table 4.4 Proportion of Francophones by use of certain media (all languages included), British Columbia, 2006

    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. Thus, a majority of British Columbia Francophones are inclined to report that they watch television, listen to the radio, read books and newspapers and access the Internet mainly or only in English. Newspaper reading (95%), Internet use (80%) and television viewing (79%) are the activities for which the predominance of English is the strongest.

    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, "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).

    The Survey on the Vitality of Official-Language Minorities (SVOLM) 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 results of the SVOLM show that between one-quarter and one-third of British Columbia Francophones participate in one or another of the activities for which data were collected in this survey. Thus, 32% of Francophone adults reported that they had been a member of an organization, network or association in the 12 months preceding the survey, while 34% reported doing volunteer work and 26% had provided unpaid assistance with everyday activities to someone not living in their household. Approximately 6% of Francophones reported having participated in all three types of activities.

    For the community activities engaged in by Franco-Columbians, the language of interaction varies depending on the type of activity. However, English is the language that Francophones favour in all these activities. English is used mainly or only by 75% of Francophones when they do volunteer work, 64% when they provide social support for daily activities to persons not living in the household, and 61% when they are involved in organizations, networks or associations. It is worth noting that friends (46%) are more often the beneficiaries of assistance with daily activities. Consequently, family and friends seem to be an important element in the networks of British Columbia Francophones. For example, in case of illness, 36% report that they would turn to other members of their family for support, while 20% would turn to their children and 21% to their friends. The use of French in social support activities thus seems to be associated mainly with the private sphere.

    The Survey on the Vitality of Official-Language Minorities shows that nearly two-thirds of British Columbia Francophones report that it is "important" or "very important" to them that individuals or organizations work at the development of the Francophone community. Also, 29% 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 British Columbia. Data from both the census and the SVOLM can be used to examine the extent to which British Columbia Francophones work in different industry sectors than Anglophones. 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 statistics reveals that British Columbia Francophones are proportionally more likely than their Anglophone counterparts to work in particular sectors such as education services and public administration. These two sectors employ respectively 11% and 8% of the province's Francophones, compared to 7% and 5% of Anglophones. For their part, Anglophones are proportionally more likely to have jobs in retail trade at 12%, compared to 8% of the province's Francophones. In the other major industry sectors, there are few differences between the two groups.

    Chart 4.6 Proportion of workers by industry sector and first official language spoken, British Columbia, 2006

    Table 4.6 Distribution of Francophone workers by the industry sector, British Columbia, 2006

    4.6.1 Use of French at work by industry sector

    Of all British Columbia workers aged 15 and over, 1.5% use French most often or on a regular basis in their work. Among those with French as their first official language spoken, this proportion is 4.3%, with 1.4% most often and 2.9% regularly (that is, less often than the predominant language).

    Francophones who work in the education, health care and social assistance, public administration, and construction sectors account for more than one-third (36%) of the province's 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 have French as their main language of work; 42% use it most often while 16% report using it on a regular basis. Francophones in the information industry and cultural industry sectors, which account for only 3% of the province's Francophone workers, are solidly in second place as regards the use of French most often at work (17%). However, in the public administration sector, a larger proportion of Francophones report using French at least regularly at work, 8% most often and 42% on a regular basis.

    Chart 4.6.1 Use of French most often and regularly at work by Francophones by industry sector, British Columbia, 2006

    4.6.2 Income differentials

    Historically, Francophones in Canada have been economically disadvantaged. Franco-Columbians are no exception. Since individuals' income level is highly dependent on their education level, their occupation and the industry sector in which they work (to name only these factors), it would appear that the substantial changes that British Columbia's Francophone communities have undergone over the past 40 years have had major effects on their income level.

    It is beyond the purpose and scope of this report to analyze the factors that have influenced how income differentials between the language groups have evolved. However, statistics from the 2006 Census suggest that the status of Franco-Columbians has greatly improved over time.

    The 2006 Census statistics reveal that the average and median incomes of persons with French as their first official language spoken are slightly higher than those of Anglophones. Men with French as their only first official language spoken (FOLS) have an average income $1,600 higher than men with English as their only FOLS. The results for median income are quite similar; that of Francophone men is $1,200 higher than that of their Anglophone counterparts. Among women, the average and median incomes of Francophones are respectively $2,400 and $1,800 higher than those of Anglophones (see Table 4.6.2). As for the average and median incomes of persons with French and English as first official languages spoken, they are much lower than those of Francophones and Anglophones. For the population with a dual FOLS, the lower incomes would seem to be explained by the fact that these people are mainly immigrants. A number of studies have shown that despite a higher education level, immigrants have a higher unemployment rate and lower income levels than their Canadian-born counterparts (Frenette and Morissette, 2003; Picot and Hou, 2003; Zietsma, 2010).

    Table 4.6.2 Average and median income for males and females by first official language spoken, British Columbia, 2006

    In light of the historical context described above, it is clear that the median income of the two language groups is age-related, with older Francophones having a lower median income than their Anglophone counterparts. The statistics shown in charts 4.6.2-a and 4.6.2-b reflect the fact that among persons aged 65 and over, the median income of Anglophones is higher than that of Francophones, for both men and women, although the income gaps are smaller for women. On the other hand, among 25-to-44-year-olds, the median incomes of both women and men who speak French are higher than those of their Anglophone counterparts, by $3,500 and $2,500 respectively. As for men and women for whom both French and English is their first official language spoken, their median incomes are mostly lower than those of Francophones and Anglophones. However, the income gaps are greater for men than for women.

    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, as previously noted, British Columbia's Francophone population under 65 of age is more educated than the Anglophone population. The age structure of the 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, type of place of residence, industry sector and immigrant status play an important role, and help to explain these differences. Thus, when we control for these characteristics, it emerges that the average income of Francophone men aged 65 and over is $2,900 lower than that of Anglophones. For men under 65 years of age, the gap in average incomes is almost non-existent. For women, the results of the multivariate analysis show that the incomes of Francophones aged 65 and over are $4,000 lower than those of Anglophones. As for women under 65 years of age, the gap between the average incomes of Francophones and Anglophones is very small.

    Chart 4.6.2-a Median income for females by age group and first official language spoken, British Columbia, 2006

    Chart 4.6.2-b Median income for males by age group and first official language spoken, British Columbia, 2006

    Notes

    1. In other words, most often or on a regular basis.
    2. On this subject, see Table 2.1 of Health Care Professionals and Official-Language Minorities in Canada: 2001 and 2006 (Blaser, 2009: p. 20).
    3. Because of the very small number of members of the official language minority that came into contact with the provincial police, data obtained in the Survey on the Vitality of Official-Language Minorities remain confidential under the provisions of the Statistics Act.
    4. Just as in the case of health care professionals, the use of French by lawyers and police officers depends on various factors, including the proportion of Francophones in a given community. However, an analysis of these factors is beyond the scope of this statistical portrait.
    5. Because of the very small number of members of the official-language minority who had contact with the provincial police, no conclusions regarding them can be drawn from the data obtained in the Survey on the Vitality of Official-Language Minorities.
    6. At the Conseil scolaire francophone de la Colombie-Britannique (CSF)website, readers will find a summary of the history of French education in British Columbia from 1793 to 2010. Also see Martel (1991) and Fédération canadienne des communautés francophones et acadiennes du Canada (2009) for more information on French education in the province.
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