Use of the French language in New Brunswick has decreased since the turn of the millennium, according to a new Statistics Canada report. The report found the francophone population decreased between 2001 and 2016, and it indicated a decline in the use of French in homes and workplaces. The number of people who use mainly French at work dropped 5.3 points, to 21.6, by 2016. Carrier pointed to a decline in opportunities to speak French at work. "It's important that if all your immigrants that come here don't have the ability to speak French," he said, "it reduces the numbers, it reduces the opportunities present in the workplace, in the communities."

Source: CBC News March 31, 2019 11:00 UTC