The Official Languages Act, of 1969, officially recognized Canada as a bilingual country. Although it is acknowledged that the French and English languages hold equal status, bilingualism is often resented. This is because it tends to be viewed by English speaking Canadians as special status treatment to appease French-Canadians who sought greater autonomy once.
<Tab/>The 1960's were filled with political unrest as Quebeckers toyed with the concept of separation. Trudeau was confronted with the task of keeping Canada together as a united nation. Francophone's were not exclusive to Quebec. Significant numbers resided in Atlantic Canada and Ontario, more specifically near the Quebec border. In addition, the Prairie Provinces and to some extent British Columbia, also possessed a Métis population that still spoke French. The issue at the time was that many of these individuals supported national unity and were anxious about their future should Quebec separate.
…
