THE PURPOSE OF THIS BOOK is to analyse and interpret the present state of biculturalism in Canada. This is an examination of the way in which English-speaking and French-speaking Canadians behave toward each other as parts of the same national whole, and the way in which the ideas of one group have been affected by those of the other. The underlying assumption of these studies is that these two groups constitute the foundation of the Canadian nation, and that the behaviour of each can only be understood in the context of its relationship with the other. The basic question raised in these studies is whether there has been communication, adjustment, and co-operation between the two cultural groups, or misunderstanding, friction, and conflict. Inevitably, since Canada has been created on the basis of compromises, the answers do not fall neatly into either category, but partly under both. This book is intended to shed some light on the questions "What is Canada?" and "How much have English-speaking Canadians and French-speaking Canadians contributed to the Canadian whole?"

Since the answers inevitably vary greatly in different areas of national life, it has seemed useful to limit this book to such basic fields as social outlook, religion and philosophy, the law, demography, economics, labour, and politics. Because the situation varies so much in Quebec and in other parts of Canada where there are significant French-Canadian groups, there are special studies of the Maritimes, Ontario, and the west. A section on New England, where more than a third of the French-Canadian people in North America have found homes away from home, is included for the useful comparisons it affords. Since the time is not yet in Canada when a Canadian of either group can speak with confidence for both English and French Canadians, each topic is dealt with by both an English Canadian and a French Canadian. One of the best ways of getting a better understanding of a complicated situation is to see it through the eyes of another person, and in these fundamental matters even the difference of approach can be suggestive of the different ideologies involved.

If this book should be found useful, it is hoped that it may be [xviii] supplemented by another concerned with the more humanistic aspects of biculturalism, such as education, literature, art, music, radio, and television. In these fields until very recently there has been little contact between English and French Canada ; there were two cultures rather than biculturalism, a situation recalling that described by Pierre Chauveau in 1876 when he likened the Canada of that day to the famous staircase of the Chateau de Chambord, so constructed that two persons could mount it without meeting and without seeing each other except at intervals : "English and French, we climb by a double flight of stairs toward the destinies reserved for us on this continent, without knowing each other, without meeting each other, and without even seeing each other, except on the landing of politics. In social and literary terms, we are far more foreign to each other than the English and French of Europe. [1] But with the official recognition of biculturalism by the Report of the Massey Commission, the former "Two Solitudes" have been drawing closer to each other, the process expedited by a general recognition that if Canadian culture is not to be swamped by American culture, it must be both French and English.

Obviously these brief essays do not pretend to be definitive studies. The intention is to state the situation, suggest tentative hypotheses on the basis of present knowledge, and indicate the areas where further research is most urgently needed. The book will serve its purpose if it stimulates further study of these matters. In the past there has been a curious reluctance on the part of both English and French Canadians to examine the fundamentals of their national relationship, presumably for fear of disturbing it, and in a desire to let well enough alone. But now that the diplomatic tradition of the bonne entente, with its formal exchanges of polite compliments, has been outmoded by the rapid national development of Canada, both English and French Canadians appear willing to join in frank and searching examinations of their attitudes in the interest of true mutual understanding. It is probably unfortunate that thus far so much of the research has been done on French Canada by English-speaking scholars. There is no reason why French Canada should be the only Canadian guinea-pig, and French-Canadian studies of English Canada would certainly be enlightening and valuable. With the growth of exchanges of professors and students between the English and French universities, the prospects for a better-balanced mutual examination of the Canadian heritage are much brighter.

Such an examination need not be mere contemplation of one's navel, [xix] as some criticism of the Canadian tendency toward self-examination has suggested. Findings of international significance have been achieved by such group efforts as the Laval symposium on the social effects of industrialization in the province of Quebec, the Canadian Westinghouse conference on Canada's future, and the Laval symposium on renewable natural resources. [2] The device used at the latter Laval symposium of examining a major problem successively from the world, North American, Canadian, and provincial points of view proved very rewarding, as did the pooling of the talents of French-Canadian, English-Canadian, and American scholars in studying the impact of industrialization in Quebec. It would appear that many cooks do not necessarily spoil a bicultural broth.

A word should be said about how this volume was put together. The editor was asked by the Committee on Biculturalism of the Social Science Research Council of Canada to prepare an outline of topics and to suggest authors. Both this outline and the list of contributors were modified by the committee and by the hazards attendant upon all collaborative scholarly enterprises. The authors were selected both for their expertness in their fields and for their acquaintance with the situation on the other side of the ethnic fence which still exists in some areas of Canadian life. Since many of the older generation of Canadian scholars have frequently put their views on these matters on record, an effort was made to select younger men whose views were not so well known. It is the editor's belief that there is a significant difference in the attitudes of the older and younger generation, reflecting the recent rapid growth of Canadian national feeling and the coming together of French- and English-Canadian nationalism in a common Canadian nationalism. The focus of this volume is on the present, although there must necessarily be some consideration of the historical development of contemporary attitudes. The general reader will probably regret that not much is said about the future, but the scholar is understandably reluctant to engage in crystal-ball gazing. And then, if the present situation is well understood, the future may confidently be left to take care of itself. Finally, it should be noted that the individual contributions are dated as of the time of writing, since the completion and publication of this book have been postponed by the delays inevitably attendant upon collective scholarly enterprises.

The editor has not attempted to offer any guidance to the contributors, [xx] other than to try to keep the French and English writers on each topic within shouting distance of each other. It was his feeling that each contributor should be left free to formulate and analyse the particular problem as he saw fit, since the varying approaches would in themselves be revealing. The editor's principal function has been the ungrateful one of prodding busy people to fulfil the promises which be wrung from them in unguarded moments. In the final section entitled "Conclusions" he attempts to sum up the symposium, to bring out the differences and analogies of English and French attitudes, and to suggest the most urgent areas for further investigation. He has sought to be a neutral arbitrator, looking at a domestic situation from outside the family, but with sympathy for both English and French points of view acquired from his residence in and study of both parts of Canada. The editor wishes to express his indebtedness to Professor Jean-C. Falardeau for preparing French translations of the preliminary pages and for checking the French texts at various stages. He is also most grateful to Miss Francess G. Halpenny and Miss Jean C. Jamieson of the University of Toronto Press for their unfailing helpfulness with the problems that arose during the course of publication.

MASON WADE

Director, Canadian Studies Program
University of Rochester