The French Language Services Act (1986) (FLSA) guarantees an individual's right to receive services in French from Government of Ontario ministries and agencies in 25 designated areas.
The preamble of the FLSA recognizes the contribution of the cultural heritage of the French-speaking population and wishes to preserve it for future generations. The francophone presence in Ontario dates back more than 350 years.
Thanks to the French Language Services Act, all of the services that are provided to the public by a ministry or agency of the Government of Ontario (driver's licence, birth certificate, information, etc.) are available in French in the government offices located in or serving a designated area.
About 85% of Franco-Ontarians live in a designated area. However, if you do not live in a designated area, you may obtain service in French by contacting the central office of a ministry or a branch office located in a designated area or by going on-line at Service Ontario.
Municipalities are not required to offer French-language services, even in the designated areas. The municipalities themselves are responsible for deciding whether or not to provide their services in French. In the event that provincial services are transferred to the municipalities, agreements must be reached to ensure the delivery of French-language services.
Agencies that are partially funded by the province (hospitals, daycare centers, group homes, etc.) are not automatically subject to the FLSA. These agencies may ask to be officially designated, in which case Cabinet will pass a regulation to designate them as official providers of services in French.
The Minister Responsible for Francophone Affairs is responsible for administering the application of the FLSA, but each ministry is responsible for delivering services in French in its offices. The Office of Francophone Affairs and the French Language Services Coordinators assist the ministries in this task.
In May 2007, the French Language Services Act was amended to create the Office of the French Language Services Commissioner. Reporting to the Minister Responsible for Francophone Affairs, but independent of the OFA, the Commissioner is responsible for handling complaints relating to the FLSA, conducting investigations to ensure compliance with the FLSA and submitting an annual report to the Minister that is tabled in the Legislative Assembly.
The French Language Services Act is part of a group of legal provisions guaranteeing the language rights of francophones. Other provincial and federal laws guarantee the language rights of francophones, including the Education Act, Courts of Justice Act, and Child and Family Services Act at the provincial level and the Official Languages Act and Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms at the federal level.

 

 
The French presence in Ontario dates back nearly 400 years to the establishment of the Mission of Sainte-Marie-Among-the-Hurons (Simcoe County) in 1639.
Today, after four centuries, Ontario's francophone community numbers 582,690, i.e. 4.8% of the province's total population (according to Statistics Canada 2006 census). It represents the largest francophone community in Canada outside of Quebec.
The distribution of the francophone population in Ontario is as follows: 41.5% of francophones live in Eastern Ontario; 28.7% live in Central Ontario; 22.5% live in Northeastern Ontario; 5.9% live in Southwestern Ontario; and 1.4% live in Northwestern Ontario.
Like the general population of Ontario, the Franco-Ontarian community is diverse and vibrant. For many years, it has welcomed francophones from Africa, Asia, the Middle East and Europe. Today, francophone racial minorities represent 10% of the province's Francophone population.
Ontario's Francophonie is a dynamic community because of its many institutions and associations in the fields of education, culture, health, justice, the economy and communications.
Franco-Ontarians have access to a school system that spans from junior kindergarten to high school. High school graduates may study in French at one of three French-language colleges (University of Guelph's Alfred College, Collège Boréal, La Cité collégiale) or at one of six Ontario universities that offer instruction in French (York University's Glendon College, Collège universitaire de Hearst, Dominican University College, University of Ottawa, Laurentian University, and Saint Paul University).
Francophones also have access to community centres, health care centres, festivals, art galleries, publishers, and numerous media that offer them services in French. This network of institutions and associations has contributed to the construction and growth of the Franco-Ontarian identity.

 

Introduction
Vibrant, complex and changing, this community in Ontario is comprised of Francophones born in Ontario, other parts of Canada, and increasingly, around the world. While they all share French as a common language, each group contributes to the unique heritage, cultural practices and settlement history of the Province of Ontario.
Better understanding the Francophone community and helping to ensure its well-being and success is of great importance to both the Office of Francophone Affairs (OFA) and the Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF) who are undertaking this joint venture.
To better grasp the trends at play within Ontario’s Francophone communities, our organizations have asked Statistics Canada to use its most recent census information to produce this provincial profile of the Francophone population.
This report, the first to use the new inclusive definition of Francophone, provides a closer look at the demographic, economic and social trends in the Francophone population in Ontario between 2001 and 2006.
The OFA and the OTF are pleased to share this recent information with the general public. We believe that it has relevance for and can be of benefit to Ontario’s Francophone community and the province at large, as well as community organizations, the not-for-profit sector, colleges and universities, and anyone interested in Francophones of Ontario.
Inclusive Definition of Francophone
On June 4, 2009, the Government of Ontario introduced a new, broader definition of the Francophone population to better reflect the changing face and diversity of Ontario's Francophone community.
This report uses this more inclusive definition and the numbers may, therefore, differ from those recorded in the 2001 Census, and previous OTF and OFA reports.
Francophones were previously defined as those whose mother tongue is French. The mother tongue category identifies Francophones solely on the basis of French as the first language learned at home in childhood and still understood at the time of the census.
The new Inclusive Definition of Francophone (IDF)1 is based on three questions in the census concerning mother tongue, the language spoken at home, and knowledge of official languages.
Ontario's dynamic Francophone community is increasingly diverse: 10% are visible minorities and nearly 22% of immigrants arrived between 2001 and 2006.

Demography
Ontario is home to close to 600,000 Francophones – in 2006, the total population of the Francophone community was 582,695 – an increase of 4,545 people since 2001.
One in every twenty people in Ontario is a Francophone with the population largely concentrated in Eastern and Northeastern Ontario. A significant proportion of the Francophone population lives in Central Ontario.
The Francophone community is older compared to the province overall – proportionately there are more seniors 65 years and over and fewer people under 35 years.

Mobility and Place of Birth
Three out of five Francophones were born in Ontario and one in five was born in Québec. About 14 percent of Ontario Francophones were born outside of Canada and most Francophone immigrants settled in Central Ontario.
The demographics of the community is changing – nearly 22% of all Francophone immigrants arrived between 2001 and 2006 – a greater percentage than among the general population.Ten percent of Ontario Francophones are visible minorities.

Language Retention
The majority of Francophones (55%) reported French as the language most often spoken at home – although its use at home is decreasing across all regions except Central Ontario. About two-thirds of Francophones in Eastern and Northeastern Ontario speak French at home.
Over two-thirds of Francophones use French at work and close to 90% of all Francophones are bilingual.

Economic Situation
Francophones are more likely to complete apprenticeship or trades certification compared to the overall population. Slightly fewer Francophones complete high school compared to Ontario overall.
In 2006, Francophones in Ontario had higher average employment incomes than the overall population. This also held true across all regions, although Francophones in Southwestern and Northern Ontario had lower average incomes than those in Central and Eastern Ontario. The wage gap between Francophone women and men was smaller than for Ontario overall.
While the unemployment rate was similar to that of the overall population, there were regional variances: the highest unemployment was in Northern Ontario while the lowest was in Eastern Ontario.
In 2006,fewer Francophones in Ontario were living below the low-income cut-off compared to the overall population. Regionally, Francophones living in Central Ontario, and in particular Toronto, had the highest proportion of people living below the low-income cut-off.

Demographics
The Francophone population grew in Eastern and Central Ontario.
Between 2001 to 2006 the Francophone community grew by 4,545 to a total of 582,695 people. The Francophone community grew in Eastern and Central Ontario and decreased in the other regions of the province. Although the Francophone community in Central Ontario grew by over 5,000 people, in Toronto the population decreased by about 1,300 people.
The Francophone community represents 4.8% of the population of the province but by region this can be as high as one in four in Northeastern (24%) and close to one in six in Eastern Ontario (15.3%). Elsewhere, the Francophone community represents less than 5% of the total population.

The largest concentration of Francophones is in Eastern Ontario. Almost two-thirds of the province’s Francophones live in Eastern and Northeastern Ontario (41.5% in Eastern Ontario and 22.5% in Northeastern Ontario). Two out of five or 226,465 Francophones live in the Champlain area2.
Although Francophones only account for 2% of the total population in Central Ontario, this region is home to 28.7% of the province’s Francophone population – almost one-third of whom live in the City of Toronto.

Visible minority Francophones are concentrated in Central and Eastern Ontario.
Ten percent of Francophones in Ontario identify as visible minorities. Like visible minorities in the general population, Francophone visible minorities are heavily concentrated in Central Ontario – home to three out of five visible minority Francophones in the province. In fact, one out of five Francophones in Central Ontario is a member of a visible minority group – and almost one in three in Toronto.
There is also a large concentration of visible minority Francophones in Eastern Ontario. Over 20,000 live in the Champlain area, almost all in Ottawa (19,905). While this is more than one-third of the visible minority Francophone population in Ontario, it is only 9% of the total Francophone population in Champlain.

There are significantly fewer visible minority Francophones in other parts of the province: less than one out of ten Francophones in Southwestern Ontario is a member of a visible minority group, and less than one in a hundred in Northeastern and Northwestern Ontario.

Age Groups
Ontario’s Francophone community is older than the overall provincial population.
Compared to Ontario overall, there are proportionately more Francophones in each age category 35 and over and proportionately fewer in each category under 35 years of age.
The age pyramid for Ontario illustrates in more detail the differences between the Francophone community and the Ontario population in terms of age distribution. Compared to the total population, there are proportionately more Francophones in the age categories 40 and over and proportionately fewer in the younger ones. The pyramid also shows that there are more women than men in all age groups 70 and older – for both the Francophone community and the total population.
The Francophone community is aging. Between 2001 and 2006, the median age of Francophones – the age which divides the population into two groups of equal size – was older and increased more quickly than the province overall. The median age of the Francophone population increased from 40.3 in 2001 to 42.7 in 2006, compared to an increase from 37 to 38.7 for Ontario overall. In fact, the Francophone community has a higher median age in each region of the province.

The Francophone population is older in Southwestern and Northwestern Ontario than in the other regions.
Seniors make up almost one in four Francophones in Southwestern Ontario (23.2%) and one in five in Northwestern Ontario (19.2%).
The proportion of seniors in the Francophone community is particularly high in EKL (27%). It is notably lower in Toronto than in the other regions of the province (12.6%).

Place of Birth and Immigration
Overall, three out of five Ontario Francophones were born in Ontario, one in five in Québec and the rest from outside of Canada (13.7%) and other provinces (5.2%).
The composition of the Francophone community varies from region to region. In Northeastern Ontario, four out of five Francophones were born in Ontario, with comparatively few born in Québec (14%) and less than one percent born outside of Canada. In Northwestern Ontario, just over half were born in Ontario and almost one-third in Québec and 16% in another Canadian province.
Conversely, only 37% of Francophones in Central Ontario were born in the province, while a quarter were born in Québec and nearly a third born outside Canada. In Toronto, almost half of the Francophones were born outside the country.
It is interesting to note that the proportion of Francophones born outside of Canada is higher in Southwestern than in Eastern Ontario (13% compared to 9.6%).
Majority of Francophone Immigrants born in Europe and Africa
Over one-third of Francophone immigrants are from Europe (36.7%) and one-quarter are from Africa (26.4%).
The pattern is very different for Francophone immigrants who reported belonging to a visible minority. Only 3.3% were from Europe and about two in five were born in Africa (41.2%). Close to one in four visible minority Francophone immigrants was from Asia (23.2%).

The Francophone community has a high proportion of recent immigrants.
More than one in five Francophone immigrants arrived between 2001 and 2006 – a greater percentage than in the total population. Recent immigration is particularly high among Francophone immigrants in EKL, Toronto and Central Ontario.

Mobility
Ontario migration mainly from Québec and outside Canada
Between 2001 and 2006, 44,530 Francophones moved to Ontario: 19,740 came from Québec, 6,965 came from other Canadian provinces and 17,825 came from other countries. Almost as many moved to Ontario from another country as from Québec – just 2,000 fewer than the number who moved from Québec to Ontario3.

Toronto and Ottawa – communities of choice for Francophones moving to Ontario.
More than one in three Francophones from other countries moved to Toronto (36.2%) and over one in four (27.4%) to Ottawa. The majority of Francophones who came from another country are members of the visible minority community (53.3%).
Almost one-third of Francophones coming from Québec (32.8%) settled in the Ottawa region and close to one in ten settled in Toronto (11.1%).
3. Individuals 20 years of age and over

Language Retention
Over half use French at home but its use is declining
In Ontario, 55% of Francophones4 report French as the language most often spoken at home.
Between 2001 and 2006, the proportion of the Francophone community who reported that French was the language spoken most often at home decreased in every region except in Central Ontario where the proportion remained stable at about 33%. The sharpest decreases in mother-tongue retention were recorded in Northeastern and Southwestern Ontario.
Francophones in Northern and Eastern regions most likely to speak French at home
Mother-tongue retention rates are higher in Eastern Ontario (68.5%) and Northeastern Ontario (63.5%), the two regions with the highest concentration of Francophones. Language retention is noticeably lower in Southwestern (24.1%) and Central Ontario (33.8%).

Increase in families with only one Francophone partner.
The increase in the proportion of unions in which only one partner has French as mother tongue (exogamous families), is one of the causes of the decrease in retention of the French language.
Since 1996, there has been a steady decline in the number of families where two partners have French as a mother tongue. Only one-third of Francophone families have both spouses that have French as a mother tongue (endogamous families) – down from 35.2% in 2001 and 39.4% in 1996.
The proportion of endogamous families varies from region to region. It is highest in Northeastern (46.2%) and Eastern Ontario (42.5%) and lowest in Southwestern (14.1%) and Central regions (17%).

Language Spoken at Work
Speaking French at work common among Francophones
More than two-thirds of Francophones (67.1%) use French at work – either regularly or most often – although this varies significantly from region to region.
Almost one Francophone in three reported using French most often at work (32.6%). The proportion of the Francophone community who uses French most often at work is notably higher in Eastern (45.2%) and Northeastern Ontario (37.7%) than in the other regions.

Bilingualism
Most Ontario Francophones are bilingual5
Close to nine in ten (87.7%) Francophones are bilingual compared to 11.5% of the total population. In fact, in the five regions of the province, over 85% of Francophones are bilingual.
4. Unlike other information in this report that is based on the IDF, language retention is determined on the basis of the language spoken at home for persons whose mothertongue is French.
5. The rate of bilingualism is measured according to knowledge of the official languages, i.e., the ability to carry on a conversation in English and French.

 
Levels of Education
Francophones are more likely to have apprenticeship/trades certification and less likely to have a university degree
In 2006, fewer working-age Francophones (25 to 64 years) had completed high school compared to the total population (23.1% compared to 25%). The proportion of the Francophone community with a university diploma or degree is also lower (28% compared to 30.7%). However, Francophones are more likely to have completed an apprenticeship or trade certification than the total population (11% compared to 8.8%).
The proportion of Francophones with a university degree varies from region to region. Almost a third of Francophones in Central Ontario have a university degree, compared to one in ten in Northeastern Ontario. In fact, proportionately more Francophones in Central Ontario have at least a bachelor's degree than Ontarians overall (32.2% compared to 28.1%).

Fields of Study
Francophone men and women opt for different fields of study
For men, the two most popular fields of study are: business, management and public administration; and architecture, engineering and related technologies. For women, education and social and behavioural sciences and law are the most popular.
Compared to Ontarians overall, Francophones with a degree are more likely to study the field of education (17.6 % compared to 11.8%), and slightly more likely to study the humanities (12.3% compared to 11.1%).
In other fields of study, Francophones with a university degree are underrepresented; this is particularly true in architecture, engineering and related technologies (10.8% compared to 13.2%) and in physical and life sciences and technologies (6% compared to 7.4%).

Occupations
Francophone men and woman opt for different occupations
Almost one-third of Francophone women are employed in business, finance and administrative occupations compared to one in ten of their male counterparts (30.8% versus 11.1%). Notably more Francophone women than men work in sales and services (24.7% compared to 18.2%) or in occupations in social science, education, government service and religion (16% compared to 6.5%). By contrast, a much higher proportion of Francophone men than women are in trades, transportation and equipment operators and related occupations (26.5% compared to 1.8%).
In general, Francophones are concentrated in similar occupational categories as the general population. However, there are some differences between the two groups. Men and women in the Francophone community are underrepresented in occupations in sales and services, processing, manufacturing and utilities. They are overrepresented in occupations in social science, education, government service and religion, especially in the teaching subcategory (i.e., teachers, professors).

Labor Force Participation
In 2006, proportionately fewer Francophone men and women participated in the labour force6 compared to the province overall.
Francophones in Central Ontario have a higher participation rate (67.3%) than in other regions of the province. Compared to the total population, Francophones had lower labour force participation, with the exception of Eastern Ontario. The largest gap between the Francophone community and the total population is in Southwestern Ontario (56.7% compared to 66.4%).
We observe a similar pattern in the other areas with the exception of Toronto, where the participation rate of the Francophone population is higher than that of the total population (68.5% compared to 65%).
Unemployment Rate7
In 2006, slightly more Francophone women were unemployed than men (6.4% compared to 6%). The gender gap was wider in the general population with 6.8% of women being unemployed compared to 6% of men overall.
There are significant regional variations. For both the Francophone community and the total population, unemployment was highest in Northeastern Ontario and lowest in Eastern Ontario.
In terms of unemployment, Francophones fared better in 2006 than the total population in Northeastern, Northwestern and Eastern Ontario. However, unemployment was higher for Francophones than the total population in Southwestern Ontario.
Although unemployment for Francophones in Central Ontario was 6.4%, in Toronto it was higher (7.8% compared to 6.4%). This pattern is true for the total population as well (7.6% compared to 6.4%).
6. Labour force participation rate corresponds to the population that is employed or looking for work, compared to the total population aged 15 years and over. Labour force information in this section uses responses that refer to the period of time preceding the Census in May 2006. Since that time there have been significant changes in the state of the economy in Ontario including increased unemployment rates, loss of full-time jobs, and a downturn in the automotive and related manufacturing sectors.
7. The unemployment rate is the percentage that is unemployed compared to the total labour force.

Income Overview
Historically, the Francophone community in Ontario has tended to have lower income levels compared to the total population. This is changing. In 2006, Francophones earned more than their provincial counterparts. This held true when considering a variety of income types – employment, total or family income8.
Francophones overall
Overall in 2006, Francophones in Ontario earned close to $3,500 more than the total population when considering median employment income. While average employment incomes were more closely matched between the two groups, Francophones still out-earned the provincial population by $600. The exception is for Francophones 55 and over, who have lower median9 employment incomes than Ontario overall. Additionally, Francophones tend to be underrepresented in income levels below $40,000 and overrepresented in higher income levels. When considering the other types of income (i.e. total individual or family income), Francophones in Ontario also had slightly higher income levels than the overall population as well.

Regional variations
While the median employment income for Francophones in Ontario in 2006 was $32,804, there were variations across regions – ranging from $28,129 in the Northeast to $34,406 in the East. Regardless of the type of income considered, Francophones in Northeastern Ontario earned less compared to Francophones in the other regions, and Francophones in Eastern Ontario earned more. We observe a similar pattern in the total population for these regions. Income levels were also relatively low in Southwestern Ontario which may be influenced by a higher proportion of older people in that area.

Women and men
Francophone women tend to have higher employment or total incomes than women in the total population – this is true whether considering average or median values. The difference is greatest when comparing median employment income – where the mid-point for employment earnings for Francophone women is $3,656 more than that of women in the total population ($27,411 compared to $23,755).
Francophone men in Ontario have an average employment income that is slightly less than that of men in the total population ($46,815 compared to $47,513). However, mid-point or median employment income for Francophone men was $3,225 higher than for men in the total population ($38,927 compared to $35,702). In the same vein, the median total income of men in the Francophone community is slightly less than for men in the total population ($46,001 compared to $46,962) but the median total income is higher ($36,597 compared to $34,454).
The wage gap between men and women is narrower for Francophones than for the total population. The average employment income of Francophone women is 70.8% of the average employment income of Francophone men. The average income of women is equivalent of 64.5% of the male counterparts in the total population.

Primary Source of Income
Employment income is the primary source of income for the large majority of Francophones. This is also true for Ontarians overall. However, in the Francophone community, more than one in five derives his or her income mainly from government transfers. This percentage is higher than for the general population (23.7% compared to 21.8%).
There is a marked difference between men and women. More Francophone women than men are dependent on government transfers (28% compared to 18.8%).

Low-Income Cut-Off
In Ontario, close to one in ten Francophones was living below the after-tax low-income cut-off in 200610.
The proportion of Francophones living below the low-income cut-off is relatively high in Central Ontario (12.2%), especially in Toronto (18.7%). It is lower in Northeastern and Northwestern Ontario (7.1%), including MNPST (6.9%) and ACMS (7.2%) areas that are part of the Northeastern region.
In most regions, there were proportionately fewer Francophones living below the low-income cut-off than in the overall population. The difference is most noticeable in Northeastern Ontario, where 7.1% of Francophones live below the cut-off, compared to 8.7% of the population of the region.
Only in Southwestern Ontario is the proportion of the Francophone community living under the low-income cut-off markedly higher than in the total population (9.6% compared to 8.3%). In Central Ontario, the proportion of the Francophone community below the low-income cut-off is close to that of the total population in Central Ontario (12.2% compared to 12.1%).
8. The Census provides a number of ways to measure a community’s collective income – such as earnings through employment, total income (earnings from wages, salaries or self-employment, investments, pensions and government transfers); or by considering how much income comes into a household. For this report, income data was evaluated from each of these perspectives to provide a broad, yet comprehensive picture on the status of income within the Francophone community.
9. The median income is the income level at which half of the individuals are above and half of the individuals are below. The median is a distribution measure that is less affected by the presence of extreme values than the average.
10. For the first time, the census collected information on the after-tax income of Canadians that is, total income from all sources minus income tax. The low-income cut-off after tax presents the advantage, over the low-income cut-off before tax, to more accurately depict what families have available to spend.

Designated Regions
The large majority of Francophones (81.2%) live in the 25 areas designated under the French Language Services Act, whereas only 53.7% of the province's total population lives in these areas.
Municipalities, Counties or Districts
• City of Greater Sudbury (All)
• City of Hamilton (All)
• City of Ottawa (All)
• City of Toronto (All)
• County of Dundas: Township of Winchester
• County of Essex: City of Windsor, Towns of Belle River and Tecumseh; Townships of: Anderdon, Colchester North, Maidstone, Sandwich South, Sandwich West, Tilbury North, Tilbury West and Rochester
• County of Frontenac: City of Kingston
• County of Glengarry (All)
• County of Kent: Town of Tilbury, Townships of Dover and Tilbury East County of Middlesex: City of London
• County of Prescott (All)
• County of Renfrew: City of Pembroke, Townships of: Stafford and Westmeath
• County of Russell (All)
• County of Simcoe: Town of Penetanguishene, Townships of Tiny and Essa
• County of Stormont (All)
• District of Algoma (All)
• District of Cochrane (All)
• District of Kenora: Township of Ignace
• District of Nipissing (All)
• District of Parry Sound: Municipality of Callander District of Sudbury (All)
• District of Thunder Bay: Towns of Geraldton, Longlac and Marathon; Townships of Manitouwadge, Beardmore, Nakina and Terrace Bay
• District of Timiskaming (All)
• Regional Municipality of Niagara: Cities of: Port Colborne and Welland Regional
• Municipality of Peel: Cities of: Mississauga and Brampton

Regional Characteristics

Eastern Ontario
Eastern Ontario is home to over 40% of the province’s Francophone community and over one-third of the visible minority Francophone population. Most of the visible minority Francophones of the region reside in Champlain, almost all in Ottawa.
Although Francophones represent a smaller portion of the region’s total population than in Northeastern Ontario (15.3% compared to 24%), retention of the French language is higher (68.5% compared to 63.5%). They are also more likely to use French at work (84.5% compared to 79.8%11). The region’s proximity to Québec and access to a wider range of French media may partially explain this phenomenon.
The level of education of the Francophone community is relatively high – as is true of the general population: more than one-quarter of the Francophone community has a university degree (26.2%). In 2006, the median employment income along with the median total income were the highest in the province. This was also the region with the lowest unemployment rate12.

Central Ontario
Central Ontario is home to 28.7% of the province’s Francophone population – almost one-third of whom live in the City of Toronto.
Central Ontario is also home to three out of five visible minority Francophones of the province (57.6%). In fact, one out of five Francophones in Central Ontario is a member of a visible minority group (20.1%) – and in Toronto, nearly one in three (31.4%).
This is also the region with the most Francophones born outside of Canada (30.4%). In particular in Toronto, almost half of Francophones are born in another country (47.7%).
A relatively large proportion of Francophone immigrants arrived between 2001 and 2006 (22.7%). In Toronto, one in four Francophone immigrants (25.8%) arrived during the same period.
Central Ontario is the region with the highest proportion of Francophones with a university degree (28.1%).
In 2006, the labour force participation rate of the Francophone community was also higher than in the other regions of the province (67.3%), especially in Toronto (68.5%)13.
However, Toronto had a relatively high unemployment rate compared to the rate of unemployment observed in Central Ontario in 2006 – this holds true for the Francophone community (7.8% in Toronto; 6.4% in Central Ontario) and the total population as well (7.6% in Toronto; 6.4% in Central Ontario). At the time of the 2006 Census, Central Ontario, especially Toronto, had a relatively high proportion of Francophones living under the low-income cut-off (12.2% in Central Ontario; 18.7% in Toronto).

Southwestern Ontario
Although the Francophones of Southwestern Ontario are 2.3% of the people there, they are actually 5.9% of the total Francophone population in Ontario.
Almost one in four Francophones is aged 65 or over (23.2%). In 2006, the labour force participation rate of the Francophone community was the lowest in Ontario. Of note, 27% of the Francophone community in EKL are aged 65 years and over and their participation in the labour force is even lower (53.3% compared 56.7%)14.
The proportion of families in which both partners are Francophones (14.1%) is the lowest in Ontario; and Frenchlanguage retention is also the lowest (24.1%).

Northeastern Ontario
Northeastern Ontario has the highest concentration of Francophones: one person out of four is a member of the Francophone community. It is not surprising that there are more families in which both partners are Francophones (46.2%). Language retention is also relatively high in Northeastern Ontario (63.5%). Almost four in five use French at work (79.8%)15. Northeastern Ontario has the greatest proportion of Francophones born in Ontario. Five out of six Francophones were born in Ontario (83.2%). Less than one percent of Francophones were born outside the country.
Northeastern Ontario is economically disadvantaged compared to other regions and this is also true for the Francophone population. Francophones in Northeastern Ontario are less likely to have a university degree. In 2006, they had a lower median employment income and total income and a higher unemployment rate than in the other regions16.
Despite lower income levels, the proportion of Francophones living under the low-income cut-off in 2006 was notably lower than in Central and Eastern Ontario (7.1% in Northeastern Ontario; 12.2% in Central Ontario; and, 9.7% in Eastern Ontario), regions with higher median incomes (employment, total and family incomes) than in Northeastern Ontario. We observe a similar pattern in MNPST, with a lower percentage of the Francophone community living under the low-income cut-off than in Central, Eastern and Northeastern regions despite the fact that MNPST had lower median incomes than these three regions (employment, total and family incomes).

Northwestern Ontario
Less than 2% of Ontario’s Francophone community lives in Northwestern Ontario. A relatively high proportion are seniors (19.2%). Three out of ten Francophones were born in Québec and one in seven was born in another Canadian province.
As in Northeastern Ontario, Francophones in Northwestern are less likely to have a university degree (12.8%). In 2006, the unemployment rate was relatively high compared to the other regions. However, the level of unemployment among Francophones in Northwestern Ontario is notably lower than in the regional population (6.9% compared to 8.3%).
Francophones’ median employment and total income in this region were substantially higher than that of Francophones in Northeastern Ontario. The median income of the Francophone community in Northwestern Ontario was also higher than that of the total population – employment and total incomes. In 2006, the proportion of the Francophone population living under the low-income cut-off was similar to that of the Francophone community in Northeastern Ontario.
11. Most often or regularly
12. As in 2006 when the last census was conducted. The overall picture is likely to have changed significantly since this period.
13. Idem
14. Idem
15. Most often or on a regular basis
16. As in 2006 when the last census was conducted. The overall picture is likely to have changed significantly since this period.

Concepts and Definitions
Average Income
The average income refers to the mean income of individuals 15 years of age and over who reported income for 2005. Average income is calculated by dividing the aggregate income of a specified group of individuals by the number of individuals with income in that group.
Bilingualism
Bilingualism refers to the knowledge of official languages, i.e. the ability to conduct a conversation in both official languages, French and English.
Census Family (modified in 2006)
A census family refers to a married couple (with or without children of either or both spouses), a couple living common- law (with or without children of either or both partners), or a lone parent of any marital status, with at least one child living in the same dwelling. A couple may be of opposite or same sex. Children in a census family include grandchildren living with their grandparent( s) but with no parents present.
Census Family Income
The total income of a census family is the sum of the total incomes of all members of the family 15 years of age and over during the calendar year 2005. The income includes wages and salaries, net farm income from self-employment, net non-farm income from unincorporated business and/or professional practice, government transfer, investment income, retirement pensions, superannuation and annuities and other money income.
Designated Areas
The French Language Services Act (1986) guarantees each individual the right to receive provincial government services in French in 25 designated areas of Ontario. Designated regions are areas with 10% or more Francophones; urban centers with 5,000 or more Francophones; and areas previously designated by the Government of Ontario between 1978 and 1985.
Employment Income
Employment income refers to the income received by persons 15 years of age and over during the calendar year 2005 as wages and salaries, net income from a non-farm unincorporated business and/or professional practice, and/or net farm self-employment income.
Endogamous and Exogamous Families
Endogamous families are two-parent families with children where both spouses are Francophone. Exogamous families are two-parent families with children where only one spouse is Francophone.
Francophone Population
The Francophone population is estimated by a new variable introduced by the Ontario Government in June 2009 to better reflect the changing face and diversity of Ontario's Francophone communities. The new definition or Inclusive Definition of Francophones (IDF) is a derived variable calculated based on three questions in the census concerning: (1) mother tongue; (2) the language spoken at home; and, (3) knowledge of official languages.
The IDF estimates the number of persons whose mother tongue is French, plus those whose mother tongue is neither French nor English but have particular knowledge of French as an official language and use French at home, including many recent immigrants to Ontario for whom French is the language of integration.
Highest Certificate, Diploma or Degree
This is a derived variable indicating the person’s most advanced certificate or degree.
Home Language
Refers to the language spoken most often or on a regular basis at home by the individual at the time of the Census. Statistics Canada has been gathering data on languages spoken regularly at home since 2001.
Immigrant Population
Refers to people who are, or have been landed immigrants in Canada. A landed immigrant is a person who has been granted the right to live in Canada permanently by immigration authorities. Some immigrants have resided in Canada for a number of years, while others have arrived recently.
Labour Force
Labour force refers to persons 15 years of age and over who were either employed or unemployed during the week (Sunday to Saturday) prior to Census Day (May 16, 2006). It excludes institutional residents.
Labour Force Participation/Participation Rate
The rate of labour force participation is the percentage of the total active population, or the population that is employed or looking for work, compared to the population 15 years of age and over. Respondents were classified as Employed, Unemployed, or Not in the labour force.
Language of Work
Refers to the language spoken most often or on a regular basis at work by the individual at the time of the Census. This variable was introduced in the 2001 Census.
Low-income Cut-offs
Income levels of the population in private households who spend 20% more than average on food, shelter and clothing. The low-income cut-off is based on national family expenditure data, the size of the household and the residential area. The incidence of low-income is the proportion or percentage of economic families or unattached individuals in a given classification that falls below the low-income cut-off.
Major Field of Study
Major field of study refers to the main discipline or subject area of learning or training of the person's highest postsecondary degree, certificate or diploma according to the Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP).
Median Income
The median income of a specified group of income recipients is that amount which divides their income size distribution into two halves, i.e. the incomes of the first half of individuals are below the median, while those of the second half are above the median.
Mother-tongue
Refers to the first language learned at home in childhood and still understood by the individual at the time of the census.
Occupation
Occupation refers to the type of work performed by the respondent during the reference week, as determined by their kind of work and the description of the most important duties in their job. The 2006 Census data on occupation are classified according to the National Occupational Classification for Statistics 2006 (NOC–S 2006).
Primary Source of Income
Primary source of income refers to the source of income representing the largest proportion of the respondent’s total income in 2005: employment income (salary, wages, and income derived from self-employment); investment income (dividends, interest, and other investment income); government transfers (Old Age Security pension and Guaranteed Income Supplement, Canada Pension Plan benefits, Employment Insurance benefits, Child benefits, and other income from government sources); other income (retirement pensions, annuities and other financial income).
Total Income
Total income refers to the total revenues received from the following sources during the calendar year 2005 by persons 15 years of age and over: total wages and salaries, net income from unincorporated non-farm business and/or professional practice, net farm income, government transfers (Old Age Security pension and Guaranteed Income Supplement, Canada Pension Plan benefits, Employment Insurance benefits, Child benefits, and other income from government sources), investment income (dividends, interest and other investment income), retirement pensions, superannuation and annuities and other financial income.
Unemployment Rate
Unemployment rate = (Unemployed/Labour force) x 100
The unemployment rate refers to the unemployed expressed as a percentage of the labour force in the week (Sunday to Saturday) prior to Census Day (May 16, 2006).
The unemployment rate for a particular group (age, sex, marital status, geographic area, etc.) is the unemployed in that group, expressed as a percentage of the labour force in that group, in the week prior to enumeration.
Visible Minority
Refers to the visible minority group to which the respondent belongs. Canada’s Employment Equity Act defines visible minorities as persons, other than Aboriginal peoples, who are non-Caucasian in race or non-white in colour.
Data Sources
Statistics Canada,
Census of Population,
2001 and 2006.
Source: Statistics Canada. Income Research Paper Series, Low Income Cut-offs for 2006 and Low Income Measures for 2005. Statistics Canada Catalogue no. 75F0002MIE, no. 004.
Additional concepts and more detailed definitions may be found in the Census Dictionary at www.statcan.gc.ca



Demographics of Ontario’s Francophone population

According to data from the 2001 census, French was the mother tongue of 533,975 Ontarians. Statistics Canada defines the mother tongue as the first language a person learned at home in childhood and still understands at the time of census. The Ontario population is marked by the strong presence of racial minorities, especially in urban centres such as Ottawa and Toronto. By adding variables such as racial minority and French as the language officially spoken, the number of Ontarians for whom French is the first language officially spoken increases to 565,515, including 58,520 people who are part of racial minorities. The Francophone population living in Ontario represents more than 50 % of the Canadian Francophone population living outside of Québec.


Knowledge of French spreading in Ontario

Ontario also has an important number of people that know French and that can sustain a conversation in that language. This number has tripled in less than 50 years and according to census data, 1,319,715 Ontarians can converse in both French and English. This important concentration of Francophone Ontarians adds an important critical mass to serve under the Official Languages Act and the Ontario French Language Services Act. The presence of more than 1,885,230 people that possess linguistics knowledge in Ontario is becoming an essential factor to remember in all planning and actions related to the implementation of an action plan entitled Le prochain acte : un nouvel élan pour la dualité linguistique canadienne.