Editing French language (section)

==== Canada ====
{{multiple image
| direction         = vertical
| image1            = French language distribution in Canada.png
| caption1          = French language distribution in Canada
{{legend|#0049a2|Regions where French is the main language and an official language at both the federal and provincial level}}
{{legend|#006aFF|Regions where French is an official language at the federal level but not a majority native language or an official language at the provincial level}}
| image2            = Arret.jpg
| caption2          = The [[Stop sign|"arrêt" signs]] (French for "stop") are used in the Canadian province of Québec, while the English ''stop'', which is also a valid French word, is used in France and other French-speaking countries and regions.
}}
French is the second most commonly spoken language in Canada and one of two federal official languages alongside English. As of the [[2021 Canadian census]], it was the native language of 7.7&nbsp;million people (21% of the population) and the second language of 2.9&nbsp;million (8% of the population).<ref name="2021-census">{{cite web |title=Profile table |url=https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2021/dp-pd/prof/details/page.cfm?Lang=E&SearchText=Quebec&DGUIDlist=2021A000011124,2021A000224&GENDERlist=1,2,3&STATISTIClist=1,4&HEADERlist=15,13,18,12,16,14,17,45,46,47 |website=Census Profile, 2021 Census of Population | date=9 February 2022 |publisher=[[Statistics Canada]] |access-date=2024-11-13}}</ref><ref name="Qu'est-ce que la Francophonie">{{Cite web |title=Francophonie ("Qu'est-ce que la Francophonie?") |url=http://www.axl.cefan.ulaval.ca/francophonie/francophonie.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150713040533/http://www.axl.cefan.ulaval.ca/francophonie/francophonie.htm |archive-date=13 July 2015 |access-date=6 July 2015 |website=axl.cefan.ulaval.ca}}</ref> French is the sole official language in the province of [[Quebec]], where some 80% of the population speak it as a native language and 95% are capable of conducting a conversation in it.<ref name="2021-census"/> Quebec is also home to the city of [[Montreal]], which is the world's fourth-largest French-speaking city, by number of first language speakers.<ref>{{cite web |title=Montreal |url=https://www.olympiccities.org/montreal/ |website=World Union of Olympic Cities |access-date=2024-11-13 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241007092422/https://www.olympiccities.org/montreal/ |archive-date=2024-10-07}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Péladeau |first1=Pierrot |title=Montréal n'est pas la deuxième ville française du monde |url=https://www.journaldemontreal.com/2014/09/13/montreal-nest-pas-la-deuxieme-ville-francaise-du-monde |access-date=2024-11-13 |work=Journal de Montréal |date=2014-09-13 |language=fr-ca}}</ref> [[New Brunswick]] and [[Manitoba]] are the only officially bilingual provinces, though full bilingualism is enacted only in New Brunswick, where about one third of the population is Francophone. French is also an official language of all of the territories ([[Northwest Territories]], [[Nunavut]], and [[Yukon]]). Out of the three, Yukon has the most French speakers, making up just under 4% of the population.<ref>{{Cite web |date=7 December 2010 |title=Detailed Mother Tongue (186), Knowledge of Official Languages (5), Age Groups (17A) and Sex (3) (2006 Census) |url=http://www12.statcan.ca/english/census06/data/topics/RetrieveProductTable.cfm?ALEVEL=3&APATH=3&CATNO=&DETAIL=0&DIM=&DS=99&FL=0&FREE=0&GAL=0&GC=99&GK=NA&GRP=1&IPS=&METH=0&ORDER=1&PID=89201&PTYPE=88971&RL=0&S=1&ShowAll=No&StartRow=1&SUB=701&Temporal=2006&Theme=70&VID=0&VNAMEE=&VNAMEF=&GID=838089 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090202091813/http://www12.statcan.ca/english/census06/data/topics/RetrieveProductTable.cfm?ALEVEL=3&APATH=3&CATNO=&DETAIL=0&DIM=&DS=99&FL=0&FREE=0&GAL=0&GC=99&GK=NA&GRP=1&IPS=&METH=0&ORDER=1&PID=89201&PTYPE=88971&RL=0&S=1&ShowAll=No&StartRow=1&SUB=701&Temporal=2006&Theme=70&VID=0&VNAMEE=&VNAMEF=&GID=838089 |archive-date=2 February 2009 |access-date=22 February 2011 |publisher=2.statcan.ca}}</ref> Furthermore, while French is not an official language in [[Ontario]], the [[French Language Services Act (Ontario)|French Language Services Act]] ensures that provincial services are available in the language. The Act applies to areas of the province where there are significant Francophone communities, namely [[Eastern Ontario]] and [[Northern Ontario]]. Elsewhere, sizable French-speaking minorities are found in southern Manitoba, [[Nova Scotia]], Prince Edward Island and the [[Port au Port Peninsula]] in Newfoundland and Labrador, where the unique [[Newfoundland French]] dialect was historically spoken. Smaller pockets of French speakers exist in all other provinces. The Ontarian city of [[Ottawa]], the Canadian capital, is also effectively bilingual, as it has a large population of federal government workers, who are required to offer services in both French and English,<ref>{{cite web |title=Services and communications from federal institutions |url=https://www.clo-ocol.gc.ca/en/language-rights/services-communications-federal-institutions |website=Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages of Canada |publisher=Government of Canada |access-date=2024-11-13 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241114030845/https://www.clo-ocol.gc.ca/en/language-rights/services-communications-federal-institutions |archive-date=2024-11-14}}</ref> and is just across the river from the Quebecois city of [[Gatineau]].