Bilingual Canada: Expensive

From Yahoo Canada:
"Bilingualism costs taxpayers $2.4 billion a year"

Being a bilingual country doesn't come cheap. French language services (and English language services in Quebec), such as education, translation, and bilingual signage and forms cost Canadian taxpayers $2.4 billion a year, according to a new report released by the Fraser Institute. Provincially, Ontario spends the most - $623 million annually — the most among all provinces. New Brunswick has the second largest budget for minority language services, $85 million, followed by Quebec at $50 million. Of the remaining provinces, Alberta spends $33 million on bilingual services ($534.70 per francophone), B.C. spends $23 million ($426.90 per francophone), Nova Scotia spends $18 million ($540.10 per francophone), Manitoba spends $16 million ($410.20 per francophone), Saskatchewan spends $9.65 million ($640.50 per francophone), Prince Edward Island spends $5.1 million ($946.20 per francophone), and Newfoundland and Labrador spends $3.4 million ($1780.30 per francophone). The bulk of the provincial expenditures, 58 per cent, were earmarked for primary and secondary school instruction. The report comes at a time when the proportion of francophones is actually declining throughout Canada.

^ I go back and forth on whether I like bilingualism or not. In the case of Canada, I think it is important to give English-speakers English language services in Quebec and French-speakers French language services throughout the country. The varied French-British history created the country and so each group should be able to communicate in their own language. I think French-speakers should learn English and English-speakers should learn French. In the case of the US I do not support bilingualism and believe that English should be the official Federal language of the country. I do think Americans should learn a foreign language for when we travel or do business overseas, but do not think we should have to within our own country. While Canada and the US seem the same on the surface they are very different and so while I think bilingualism is good in Canada I don't like it in the United States. ^

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/blogs/canada-politics/bilingualism-costs-taxpayers-2-4-billion-173241373.html