Language
This section describes the usage of language within the Sudbury & Districts in terms of mother tongue, language spoken at home, knowledge of official languages and first official language spoken.
In the following tables, i.e. Mother Tongue and Home Language, languages are grouped as follows:
- “English” includes the responses English only, and English and non-official language(s).
- “French” includes the responses French only, and French and non-official language(s).
- “English and French” includes the responses English and French, and English, French, and non-official language(s).
- “Neither English nor French” includes responses for non-official language(s) only and does not include Indigenous languages.
- “Other – Indigenous languages” is self-explanatory.
Mother Tongue
Highlights
- The highest prevalence of individuals in the Sudbury & Districts who identified French as their mother tongue was in Greater Sudbury (where they comprise 26% of the population). This is significantly higher than Ontario (4%). Only 3% of the Manitoulin District population identified French as their mother tongue.
- The Sudbury & Districts population had a significantly lower proportion of persons whose mother tongue was a non-official language (7%) compared to Ontario (27%).
- Manitoulin District has a significantly higher proportion of people whose mother tongue was an Indigenous language (12.5%) than the Sudbury & Districts overall (1.0%) and Ontario (0.2%). Of those whose mother tongue is an Indigenous language in Manitoulin District, 96% spoke Ojibway.
Notes:
- The percentages presented are percentage of the total population.
- Numbers in counts tables may not add up to the total due to random rounding up or down to units of 5.
- Source: 2016 Census, Statistics Canada
Figure 3.1: Mother tongue, by geographic area, 2016
Source: 2016 Census, Statistics Canada
Table 3.1a: Percentage, mother tongue, by geographic area, 2016
| Language | Manitoulin District | Sudbury District | Greater Sudbury | Sudbury & Districts | Ontario |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| English | 81.9% | 70.4% | 66.4% | 67.9% | 69.0% |
| French | 2.8% | 24.7% | 25.7% | 24.0% | 3.8% |
| English + French | 0.2% | 1.4% | 1.8% | 1.6% | 0.5% |
| Neither English nor French | 2.6% | 3.3% | 6.0% | 5.5% | 26.5% |
| Other - Indigenous languages | 12.5% | 0.4% | 0.1% | 1.0% | 0.2% |
| Total | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% |
Table 3.1b: Count, mother tongue, by geographic area, 2016
| Language | Manitoulin District | Sudbury District | Greater Sudbury | Sudbury & Districts | Ontario |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| English | 10,685 | 15,085 | 106,100 | 131,870 | 9,191,985 |
| French | 365 | 5,285 | 41,050 | 46,700 | 501,910 |
| English + French | 30 | 290 | 2,845 | 3,165 | 65,060 |
| Neither English nor French | 335 | 705 | 9,635 | 10,675 | 3,531,155 |
| Other - Indigenous languages | 1,625 | 80 | 230 | 1,935 | 22,760 |
| Total | 13,050 | 21,440 | 159,860 | 194,350 | 13,312,870 |
Home Language
Highlights
- The proportion of homes in which French was spoken most often at home was higher in the Sudbury & Districts (12%) than the province (2%).
- The proportion of homes in which French was spoken most often has decreased in the Sudbury & Districts from 13.9% in 2011 to 12.2% in 2016. The biggest decrease was in Greater Sudbury, which went from 14.8% in 2011 to 13.0% in 2016; a difference of 1.8 percentage points or 2,780 people.
- English was spoken most often at home by 84% of people within the Sudbury & Districts and 82% of people in Ontario.
- In 2016, 94% of Manitoulin residents spoke English most often at home and only 1% of them spoke French most often.
- In Ontario, 14% of people spoke a non-official language most often at home, compared to 2% of the Sudbury & Districts population.
- In Manitoulin District, 5.2% of people spoke an Indigenous language most often in the home, compared to 0.0% of Sudbury District, Greater Sudbury, and 0.1% of Ontario.
Notes:
- The percentages presented are percentage of the total population.
- Numbers in counts tables may not add up to the total due to random rounding up or down to units of 5.
- Source: 2016 Census, Statistics Canada
Table 3.2a: Percentage, home language, by geographic area, 2016
| Language | Manitoulin District | Sudbury District | Greater Sudbury | Sudbury & Districts | Ontario |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| English | 93.7% | 83.7% | 83.2% | 84.0% | 82.3% |
| French | 0.5% | 13.8% | 13.0% | 12.3% | 2.1% |
| English + French | 0.1% | 1.2% | 1.7% | 1.6% | 0.5% |
| Neither English nor French | 0.5% | 1.3% | 2.0% | 1.8% | 14.3% |
| Other - Indigenous languages | 5.2% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.4% | 0.1% |
| Total | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% |
Table 3.2b: Count, home language, by geographic area, 2016
| Language | Manitoulin District | Sudbury District | Greater Sudbury | Sudbury & Districts | Ontario |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| English | 12,230 | 17,950 | 133,070 | 163,250 | 10,959,520 |
| French | 70 | 2,955 | 20,790 | 23,815 | 282,520 |
| English + French | 15 | 255 | 2,745 | 3,015 | 64,510 |
| Neither English nor French | 60 | 275 | 3,205 | 3,540 | 1,907,105 |
| Other - Indigenous languages | 680 | 5 | 50 | 735 | 9,210 |
| Total | 13,050 | 21,440 | 159,860 | 194,350 | 13,312,870 |
Knowledge of Official Languages
Highlights
- Thirty-six percent of the Sudbury & Districts population reported they can conduct a conversation in English and French compared to 11% of the Ontario population.
- A smaller proportion of the Manitoulin population (5%) said they can conduct a conversation in English and French than Sudbury District (34%) or Greater Sudbury (39%).
Notes:
- The percentages presented are percentage of the total population.
- Numbers in counts tables may not add up to the total due to random rounding up or down to units of 5.
- Source: 2016 Census, Statistics Canada
Table 3.3a: Percentage, knowledge of official languages, by geographic area, 2016
| Language | Manitoulin District | Sudbury District | Greater Sudbury | Sudbury & Districts | Ontario |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| English only | 94.6% | 65.0% | 60.2% | 63.1% | 86.0% |
| French only | 0.0% | 1.3% | 0.8% | 0.8% | 0.3% |
| English + French | 5.2% | 33.5% | 38.7% | 35.9% | 11.2% |
| Neither English nor French | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.2% | 2.5% |
| Total | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% |
Table 3.3b: Count, knowledge of official languages, by geographic area, 2016
| Language | Manitoulin District | Sudbury District | Greater Sudbury | Sudbury & Districts | Ontario |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| English only | 12,340 | 13,940 | 96,305 | 122,585 | 11,455,390 |
| French only | 0 | 270 | 1,300 | 1,570 | 39,705 |
| English + French | 680 | 7,190 | 61,865 | 69,735 | 1,490,845 |
| Neither English nor French | 30 | 45 | 395 | 470 | 326,940 |
| Total | 13,050 | 21,440 | 159,860 | 194,350 | 13,312,870 |
First official language spoken
Highlights
- Seventy-six percent of the Sudbury & Districts population reported their first official language spoken was English and 24% was French.
Notes:
- The percentages presented are percentage of the total population.
- Numbers in counts tables may not add up to the total due to random rounding up or down to units of 5.
- Source: 2016 Census, Statistics Canada
Table 3.4a: Percentage, first official language spoken, by geographic area, 2016
| Language | Manitoulin District | Sudbury District | Greater Sudbury | Sudbury & Districts | Ontario |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| English | 97.1% | 75.5% | 73.9% | 75.6% | 93.1% |
| French | 2.6% | 2.4% | 25.3% | 23.7% | 3.8% |
| English + French | 0.0% | 0.3% | 0.5% | 0.5% | 0.7% |
| Neither English nor French | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.2% | 2.4% |
| Total | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% |
Table 3.4b: Count, first official language spoken, by geographic area, 2016
| Language | Manitoulin District | Sudbury District | Greater Sudbury | Sudbury & Districts | Ontario |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| English | 12,670 | 16,190 | 118,150 | 147,010 | 12,394,325 |
| French | 345 | 5,140 | 40,500 | 45,985 | 504,130 |
| English + French | 5 | 65 | 850 | 920 | 92,940 |
| Neither English nor French | 25 | 40 | 360 | 425 | 321,480 |
| Total | 13,045 | 21,435 | 159,860 | 194,340 | 1,331,2875 |
This item was last modified on November 28, 2018