New Brunswick's Commissioner of Official Languages says poll results positive

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By Nick Moore
Times & Transcript Staff

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FREDERICTON - A new poll says some of the greatest support for official bilingualism in New Brunswick is at the crossroads of English and French in the province -- Metro Moncton.

The survey, commissioned by Continuum Research on behalf of the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages for New Brunswick, found that 91 per cent of people from southeastern New Brunswick (Westmorland and Albert Counties) support official provincial bilingualism.

Regionally, a further breakdown shows that 69 per cent of southeastern New Brunswickers strongly support official bilingualism while 22 per cent somewhat support it. On the side which is opposed, three per cent of southeastern New Brunswickers somewhat oppose official bilingualism while four per cent strongly oppose the concept. A measure of two per cent in southeastern New Brunswick either refused to answer or didn't know. Metro's favouritism for official bilingualism was matched in the poll by more northern reaches of the province (the counties of Victoria, Madawaska, Restigouche, Gloucester, Northumberland, and Kent) where 91 per cent of respondents also fell in the support bracket (regionally, 71 per cent strongly support the concept, while 20 per cent somewhat support it). For all other areas, the majority support official bilingualism according to the poll. However, levels of support fell in areas where only one language (English) was prevalent. Provincially, 82 per cent of New Brunswickers support official bilingualism (54 per cent strongly while 28 per cent somewhat).

Michel Carrier, New Brunswick's Commissioner of Official Languages, said the poll's regional breakdown was telling to him, particularly in southeastern New Brunswick.

"When you look at areas where there's lots of interaction between both linguistic communities, the survey says people see the favourable," he said.

Carrier said people have different viewpoints on how language equality should be achieved and how official language legislation should be interpreted. Still, he said most people support the core concepts of French and English equality. Furthermore, he said areas like southeastern New Brunswick are a fine example of how official bilingualism can work well. He said it was a sign that more dialogue should be undertaken to expose more people to the concept. More results will be revealed this morning at a conference in Fredericton, marking the 40th anniversary of official languages in New Brunswick.