1. Immigration and Official Language Communities in Ottawa and Gatineau from the 2011 National Household Survey Jack Jedwab Executive Director Association for Canadian Studies May 2013

2. Introduction The National Capital region is undoubtedly one of the more fascinating areas for research into the relationship between English and French speakers. Given the predominance of English-speakers on the Ontario side of the NCR in Ottawa and the predominance of French on the Quebec side in Gatineau and the level of commuting by people on both sides of the provincial border there are valuable insights to be gathered about bilingualism, language use in the workplace and language retention. That which follows employs data from the 2011 National Household Survey conducted by Statistics Canada to briefly examine the language choices made by newcomers on both sides of the provincial border. The research invites many questions about the motivation and perceptions of newcomers that others have investigated in more detail. The ACS has laid out the findings with the hope of stimulating further research in an area widely seen as important to the vitality of our official language communities.

3. Overall more francophone immigrants choose to settle in Ottawa over Gatineau; Between 2006 and 2011 francophone immigrants still likely to choose Ottawa over Gatineau ImmigrantsImmigrant 2006 to 2011 Ottawa - Gatineau GatineauOttawa Ottawa- Gatineau GatineauOttawa Total - Mother tongue 2353353089020444540420776532655 English4942527454668548553654490 French1502060808945384516952150 Non-official language 1611552066514048529375536524010 English and French 25535220350 English and non-official language 618543557501385851305 French and non-official language 30308802150830245585 English, French and non-official language 2705021595080

4. Immigrants that arrived between 2006 and 2011 with French mother tongue chose Ottawa more than Gatineau Immigrant statu Time of Arrival 2006 to 2011 Ottawa- Gatineau GatineauOttawa Total - Mother tongue 40420776532655 English48553654490 French384516952150 Non-official language 29375536524010 English and French 350 English and non-official language 1385851305 French and non-official language 830245585 English, French and non-official language 95080

5. Overall Ottawa francophones are more likely switch to English in their homes than were anglophones to switch to predominant French home use in Gatineau 2011 Immigrants Mother Tongue English In Gatineau Mother Tongue French in Ottawa Total - Language spoken most often at home 27458945 English24301820 (20%) French200 (7%)5890 Non-official language95580 English and French0290 English and non-official language 075 French and non-official language 0265 English, French and non- official language 030

6. However amongst immigrants that arrived between 2001 and 2011 anglophones in Gatineau and Francophones in Ottawa were just as likely to switch to home use in the other official language French Mother Tongue Arrived Between 2001-2011 English Mother Tongue Arrived Between 2001 and 2011 2011 Ottawa - Gatineau GatineauOttawa Ottawa - Gatineau GatineauOttawa Total - Language spoken most often at home 66452985366592256958525 English40050 (1.7%)355 (10%)81905457645 French52752700258015595 (13.5%)60 (0.7%) Non-official language 4809039055550505 English and French 1400125 (3.0%)3000290 English and non-official language 20025 (0.7%)NS French and non-official language 295115185NS English, French and non-official language 3000NS