Name
Access to and usage of services among Francophone immigrants across Ontario: examining the role of language practices in settlement
Date & Time
Wednesday, May 21, 2025, 1:15 PM - 1:30 PM
Description
Ontario is home to Canada’s largest Francophone minority community (FMC), but its landscape is rapidly changing. As the overall demographic weight of francophones has been in decline, increased francophone immigration to Ontario’s FMCs in response to this has caused increasing diversification in the francophone population across the province. However, these patterns of diversification affect regions of the province differently as immigrants tend to settle in large gateway cities such as Toronto and Ottawa (Statistics Canada, 2021). These dynamics raise questions about Francophones’ lived experiences of settlement and community across the province, particularly relating to their everyday access to and usage of French-language services. Using the notion of superdiversity, this study documents patterns of Francophones’ access to and use of French-language services across Ontario, along with the influence of sociodemographic characteristics, with a focus on the role of migrant status and length of time in Canada, on service access and use. This is done with data collected via a province-wide online survey conducted between 2023-2024 (n= 1584). Data analysis focuses on sociodemographic characteristics and language practices in diverse public spaces and services (e.g., schools, religious spaces, community organizations, health services) using a descriptive analysis and by inferring the significance of these relationships using a series of non-parametric tests. Results from these analyses help to better understand geographical differences in French language service accessibility, provide an up-to-date mapping of language practices and diversity for francophone immigrants accessing and using services across Ontario, and look to identify potential barriers to settlement stemming from the (in)accessibility of these services.
Location Name
Mackenzie (ME) 3165
Session Type
Oral Presentation
Abstract ID
344
Speaker Name
Shannon Leitch
Speaker Organization
University of Ottawa
Session Name
CS114-B Global Migration and Mobilities in Uncertain Times