A multitude of languages are used in
Canada. According to the 2011 census,
English and
French are the
mother tongues of 56.9
nd 21.3% of
Canadians respectively. Over 85% of Canadians have working knowledge of English while 30.1% have a working knowledge of French. Under the
Official Languages Act of 1969, both English and French have official federal status throughout Canada, in respect of all government services, including the courts, and all federal legislation is enacted bilingually.
New Brunswick is the only Canadian province that has both English and French as its official languages to the same extent, with constitutional entrenchment.
Quebec's official language is French, although in that province, the Constitution requires that all legislation be enacted in both French and English, and court proceedings may be conducted in either language. Similar constitutional protections are in place in
Manitoba.