The C16 work permit requires you to live and work in 1 of the 9 provinces or 3 territories outside Quebec. English is the main language in all of them, but each has a French-speaking community of a different size.
French speakers by province (2021 Census)
Statistics Canada figures published by Canadian Heritage, by first official language spoken:
| Province or territory | French speakers | English–French bilingual |
|---|---|---|
| New Brunswick | 231,850 (30.3%) | 34.0% |
| Ontario | 533,560 (3.8%) | 10.8% |
| Alberta | 72,203 (1.7%) | 6.1% |
| British Columbia | 65,568 (1.3%) | 6.6% |
| Manitoba | 38,378 (2.9%) | 8.3% |
| Nova Scotia | 27,935 (2.9%) | 10.3% |
| Saskatchewan | 12,243 (1.1%) | 4.7% |
| Prince Edward Island | 4,558 (3.0%) | 12.7% |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | 2,283 (0.5%) | 5.1% |
| Yukon | 1,895 (4.8%) | 14.2% |
| Northwest Territories | 1,213 (3.0%) | 10.6% |
| Nunavut | 623 (1.7%) | 3.8% |
Outside Quebec, French speakers made up about 3.5% of the population in 2021.
How to read this table
- Ontario has the largest number of French speakers outside Quebec, but they are only 3.8% of the province.
- New Brunswick is the only province where nearly a third of the population speaks French.
- Yukon and Prince Edward Island have high bilingualism rates despite small populations.
24 welcoming Francophone communities
IRCC has selected 24 communities outside Quebec that are committed to welcoming French-speaking and bilingual newcomers and offer services in French:
| Province or territory | Communities |
|---|---|
| New Brunswick | Chaleur, Haut-Saint-Jean region, Kedgwick and Saint-Quentin, North-Eastern Acadia |
| Ontario | Cornwall, Hamilton, Hawkesbury, London, Northern Corridor, Sudbury |
| Manitoba | Red River region, Seine River region |
| Saskatchewan | Moose Jaw and Gravelbourg, Prince Albert |
| Nova Scotia | Chéticamp region, Clare |
| British Columbia | Nanaimo, Prince George |
| Alberta | Calgary |
| Prince Edward Island | Évangéline region |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | Labrador City–Wabush |
| Yukon, NWT, Nunavut | Whitehorse, Yellowknife, Iqaluit |
Note IRCC notes that knowing English is still important to settle and thrive in these communities. French is an advantage, not a replacement for English.
Bilingual New Brunswick
Manitoba and St-Boniface
French-speaking Ontario