'We need to protect diversity,' Acadian leader says

Francophones are not about to give up fundamental rights people spent 50 years fighting for, says the new president the organization that promotes Acadian interests in New Brunswick.

Bilingualism policies can't be blamed for things going wrong in the province, said Robert Melanson, president of the  Société de l'Acadie du Nouveau-Brunswick, or SANB.

'It's a treasure for the anglophones to have us in this province and I find that we have a lot more in common in the two communities than we have in differences.'- Robert Melanson, Societé de l'Acadie du Nouveau Brunswick'

"It is not bilingualism that is the responsibility of the death of the province," Melanson, who was elected earlier this month, told Information Morning Moncton.

"For us, it is not any question of going back on what we fought and what our fathers and mothers and ancestors fought for for the last 50 years."

In 1969, New Brunswickers gained the fundamental right to receive services in the official language of their choice under the Official Languages Act.

But Melanson said he's concerned this right might be slipping and said anglophone communities should help keep the francophone communities alive.

Both communities should focus on their similarities rather than their differences.

"It's a treasure for the anglophones to have us in this province and I find that we have a lot more in common in the two communities than we have in differences," Melanson said.

"We both came here to find something and a peaceful living."

Commissioner's final report

On June 20, New Brunswick's official languages commissioner, Katherine d'Entremont, urged elected politicians to debunk myths that fuel anti-bilingualism sentiment.

D'Entremont, who's retiring in July, noted in her final annual report that the percentage of New Brunswickers using French as their first language was 31.9 per cent in 2016, down from 33.8 in 1971.

Her saw this as evidence of a "slow decline" of the language and said it shows the need for a more robust effort to protect the equality of both languages and communities.

Melanson agreed the drop is significant.

Sees language as campaign issue

"In 50 years, we lost two points and that is enormous," he said. "We cannot go down. … We need to protect that specificity. We need to protect diversity."

He said he thinks language will be an election issue.

"It is going to be an election issue, especially the privatization and the loss of governance in the community."

The Liberal government's decision to turn extramural hospital over to a private company to manage has upset many groups and areas in the province, including the francophone community, where opposition has been led by the Vitalité Health Network.

Melanson said people should take pride in the fact that New Brunswick is the only constitutionally bilingual province.

"People should celebrate that instead of criticizing it," he said. "It's not being against somebody. It's being for us to protect ourselves and to be able to be respected. 

"Equality is equality."