Bilingual Gettos

Canada isn't a bilingual country. For proof, visit Calgary, Toronto, Chicoutimi or Halifax. Rather, it is a country with English parts, French parts and a few enclaves where the two languages mix. The idea that we are all part of one grand bilingual culture -- and that, moreover, it is even feasible to teach everyone both languages -- is a fantasy that no one seriously accepts. Except one: official-languages commissioner Graham Fraser. The staff at the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages, being required to justify a $10-million-plus budget, bide their time by producing hand-wringing reports about the imperiled state of bilingualism. A common theme is forcing public servants to speak both languages -- even if they live in, say, Moose Jaw.

This week, Mr. Fraser took his harassment campaign to the nation's children, declaring that Canada needs a new national test to gauge their fluency in French. Kids who did well would get badges. The multi-million-dollar plan, Mr. Fraser says, would help Ottawa double the number of bilingual high-school graduates by 2013.

The plan is a pipe dream. The trend is in the other direction: According to 2006 census results, 23% of Canadian teens aged 15 to 19 are bilingual, down from 24% in 2001. English is the language of a globalized world. Though it would be nice if most Canadian students were bilingual, it is hardly essential. If implemented, the new proposal would be nothing more than an expensive time-waster for millions of Canadian children. As such, it symbolizes how pointless Mr. Fraser's office really is.

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