Back Francófonos de Columbia Británica Spanish Franco-Colombiens (francophones de Colombie-Britannique) French
Franco-Colombiens | |
|---|---|
 Franco-Columbian flag | |
| Total population | |
| French ethnicity: 388,815 (2016)[1] Francophones: 71,705 (2016)[2] | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| British Columbia (Lower Mainland)[3] | |
| Languages | |
| Canadian French · Canadian English · Franglais | |
| Religion | |
| Predominantly Christian (Roman Catholicism, other denominations) | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| French Canadians (Acadians · Franco-Albertan · Franco-Manitoban · Franco-Ontarian · Franco-Newfoundlander · Franco-Ténois · Franco-Yukonnais · Fransaskois · Québécois) · French · French Americans · Métis |
Franco-Columbians (French: Franco-Colombiens) are French Canadians or Canadian francophones living in the province of British Columbia. According to the 2016 Canadian Census, 71,705 residents of the province stated that French is their mother tongue. In the same census, 388,815 British Columbians claimed full or partial French ancestry.
The first francophones to enter the region were French Canadian voyageurs employed with the North West Company during the late 18th and early 19th centuries. French fur traders continued to visit the region in the early 19th century, with the French language serving as a lingua franca for the regional fur trade. Franco-Columbians formed the majority of Europeans in the region until the Fraser Canyon Gold Rush in 1858, which saw anglophone settlers become the predominant group in the area. Franco-Columbians began to lobby for French language rights within the province in the mid 20th century, which led to the public funding of francophone classes in 1978, and an independent public school board in 1995.
There are several Franco-Columbian communities throughout British Columbia; although most are based in the Lower Mainland, with the largest francophone community in that region being Maillardville, a community settled by forty French Canadian families in 1909. The province's francophone community has become diversified since the mid-20th century, with migrants from Africa, Asia, and Europe settling in the province. Radio-Canada, the country's French-language public broadcaster, serves as the main French-language media outlet in the province.
- ^ "Census Profile, 2016 Census: British Columbia and Canada". www12.statcan.gc.ca. Statistics Canada. 9 August 2019. Retrieved 24 April 2020.
- ^ "Census 2016, focus on geography series - British Columbia - Official language minority community". 8 February 2017. Retrieved 17 October 2018.
- ^ "Infographic: The French Presence in British Columbia". Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages. Government of Canada. 13 September 2019. Archived from the original on 25 April 2020. Retrieved 29 April 2020.