In Alberta, French has never been important and this remains the case today. There is therefore no demand for French-language postsecondary programs.
French was the first European language spoken in Alberta, in addition to being recognized as one of the two official languages of Canada. Alberta has the fourth largest French-speaking population in Canada and is the province that will experience the strongest growth in French by 2036.
As well as being the first European language spoken in Alberta, the 2016 census showed that 86,705 Albertans (2.2%) speak French as their mother tongue and that 268,615 Albertans (6.7%) know French. Alberta’s Francophonie has increased by 27% over a ten-year period (2006-2016) and is the French-speaking population outside of Quebec with the highest level of growth.
In addition to the programs offered at the Campus Saint-Jean, there are several services in French in the province. For example, there are approximately 100 non-profit organizations, 41 schools in 27 cities, 4 school boards and 20 daycares. Beaumont, Legal, Falher and Plamondon are municipalities that have declared themselves officially bilingual. Alberta also adopted a French Policy in 2017 to further develop the offer of services in French.
There is also a growing demand in Alberta for French-language programs at the elementary, secondary and postsecondary levels. The number of enrollments in francophone schools in 1996 was around 2,000 students and has grown to over 8,500 today. Registrations in French immersion programs have also increased from 36,753 in 2011-2012 to 46,636 in 2019-2020.
Thus, alongside these increases in interest for French-language programs, the Campus Saint-Jean has experienced a 40% increase in enrollment since 2014. It now has more than 1,000 students.
Sources :
Census Profile, 2016 Census – Government of Canada
Francophone Heritage in Alberta – Government of Alberta
The Francophonie in Alberta: Strong and Vibrant – Government of Alberta
French Policy – Government of Alberta
En Alberta, le Campus Saint-Jean est menacé (article in French only)
Statistics on Official Languages in Canada – Governement of Canada
Retour sur la lutte historique pour les écoles francophones en Alberta, 25 ans plus tard (Article in French only)
Student Population Statistics – Government of Alberta
Canadian Parents for French : Provincial/Territorial Enrolment Tables
