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● The
First Canadians
● The
Settlers
● French
Canadians
● The
Story of a Canadian
French
Canadians
 In
recent years, there has been increasing fear that Canada as we know
it will disappear. This is because the mainly French—speaking province
of Quebec has thought that its linguistic
and cultural heritage is threatened by remaining in a country that
is mainly English—speaking. Quebeckers have also felt that they
have been economically dominated by English Canada. As a result
of these worries, many French Canadians feel they should separate
from the rest of Canada and become an independent state, since they
have not been able to reach an agreement to protect Quebec's “distinct
society”.
In
Quebec, French speakers comprise 83 per cent of the population.
Settlers from France established communities in the early 1600s,
and the province is keen to preserve the historic language and culture
of French—speaking citizens.
Many
Canadians both inside and outside Quebec regard the possibility
of Quebec independence with despair and continue to work to find
a way to meet the concerns and interests of all Canadians, including
French speakers throughout the country. Some 600000 French speakers
live outside Quebec. The federal government tries to keep their
culture alive by offering French—language radio and television programs
and protecting the right of French speakers to attend French—speaking
schools. In
areas where there are enough francophones
to
warrant
it,
government offices offer bilingual services. And everyone
throughout the country has the right to a criminal
trial in either official language.
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The "Old City" in Quebec City
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