Bilingualism declines in Canada for first time in 4 decades

Bilingualism is drops 17.5 per cent in Canada according to a recent Statistics Canada finding.

The CBC reports that this is the first decline in the past 40 years.

The statistic is measured as the number of being who can conduct a conversation in both the languages.

This decline raises concerns over the effectiveness of the Official Languages Act.

Bilingualism is still on the rise in Quebec and New Brunswick, with 42.6 per cent of Quebec residents reported as bilingual according to a 2011 report.

STORY WRITTEN BY: HANNAH BESSEAU