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Dion's bilingual wave

Éditorial - Stéphane Dion likes a challenge. The federal Intergovernmental Affairs Minister has his mind ever on the battle between the forces of light, national unity, and the forces of darkness, separatism. It was in that spirit that he suggested on Monday that provinces across Canada declare themselves officially bilingual. "I think a lot of French-speaking Quebeckers would feel more comfortable," he said, "and they would encourage their own [Quebec] government to be even more open to the English language than is the case today."

One should not read too much into Mr. Dion's musing. He was speaking to reporters in Fredericton while attending ceremonies in honour of New Brunswick's language law. New Brunswick is Canada's only officially bilingual province, constitutionally bound to serve constituents in their choice of English or French. The province has done well at this; a Welsh delegation visited last year for tips on how to implement official bilingualism in Wales. Pledging services in both official languages makes sense in the significantly francophone New Brunswick. It is understandable that Mr. Dion was caught up by the moment, and dared to dream.

In practice, a dream is all it was. Ontario and Manitoba have signalled that official bilingualism isn't in the cards, though they offer significant services in French to their francophone minorities. The issue isn't on the radar farther west, where provinces are already busy enough trying to serve much larger minorities who speak, say, Chinese.

The national government embraces bilingualism because it is the national government. It took on its institutional promise of bilingual services, made formal by the Official Languages Act and the Constitution, because it recognized the country's English and French colonial origins and the fact that French is the principal mother tongue in the country's second most populous province. There is not the same practical or even symbolic imperative to make every province incur those legal obligations.

And, no minor consideration, it would be costly. For a hint of that cost, consider that New Brunswick has just announced that seven of its cities and municipalities will translate all bylaws and documents and provide services in both English and French. The initial cost will be $4-million. Multiply that by a country.

In the end, Mr. Dion's argument is disingenuous. He suggests that French-speaking Quebeckers who are able to deal with provincial officials in French from coast to coast will persuade the Quebec government to increase its English-language services to Quebeckers. If only national unity were that simple. The greater likelihood is that the provinces would be unable to live up to the promises explicit in official bilingualism and that a Parti Québécois government -- which would never declare Quebec itself officially bilingual -- would cheerfully exploit the shortfall.

But then, Mr. Dion knows this. He was just dreaming.