Saskatchewan hosts second largest Indigenous language speaking population: Statistics Canada
Saskatchewan hosts the second largest population of Indigenous language speakers in the country, according to a recent Statistics Canada report.
The report was released on Aug. 17 and breaks down language diversity province by province across Canada.
Quebec hosts the largest Indigenous speaking population, with 45,600 residents reporting an Indigenous language as their mother tongue.
Saskatchewan ranks second with 27,500, Manitoba comes third with 26,500, Alberta comes fourth with 24,600, while Nunavut records at total of 23,000 Indigenous language speakers.
All told, there are approximately 189,000 individuals who reported having an Indigenous mother tongue in Canada. 183,000 reported speaking an Indigenous language at home on a regular basis.
Of those, 86,000 people spoke predominantly an Indigenous language at home, according to the report.
More than 70 Indigenous languages are spoken across Canada. The report noted “in many cases, incomplete transmission to future generations is reflected in the decrease and the aging of populations speaking these languages.”
Over 84 per cent of Saskatchewan residents reported their mother tongue as English. Tagalog (Filipino) ranked second in the province with 2.6 per cent. Indigenous languages came third with 2.5 per cent (With dialects of Cree making up nearly half of the category).
Other mother tongues with substantial populations included:
- German (1.6 per cent)
- French (1.5 per cent),
- Punjabi (0.9 per cent)
- Mandarin (0.9 per cent)
- Ukrainian (0.8 per cent)
- Urdu (0.7 per cent)
- Arabic (0.5 per cent)
- Gujarati (0.5 per cent)
- Spanish (0.5 per cent)
Nationwide, Inuktitut is the most spoken Indigenous language with 27,140 speakers recorded.
This is followed by speakers of the Cree languages with a total of 26,690 across Canada.
According to the federal agency, Canada’s linguistic diversity continues to grow even though the COVID-19 pandemic caused major disruptions to immigration.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Quebec judge orders bus driver to stand trial for 2023 daycare crash deaths
A judge has ordered a Quebec man to stand trial on charges of first-degree murder in the deaths of two children killed when a bus rammed into a Montreal-area daycare last year.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
Multiple bridges in Calgary shut down for police incident
Calgary police have shut down a number of bridges into and out of the downtown core as officers deal with a distraught individual.
Trudeau's latest pre-budget pledge targets millennial moms, vowing $1B in loans for more child-care spaces
The federal government is launching a new loan program to help child-care providers in Canada expand their spaces, and will be extending further student loan forgiveness and training options for early childhood educators, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Thursday.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.
Krispy Kreme doughnuts coming to McDonald's in U.S., but not Canada
Canadians will be missing out on a sweet new partnership between McDonald's and Krispy Kreme, which will see doughnuts available at McDonald's locations across the U.S. by the end of 2026.
Calgary officer charged after allegedly assaulting handcuffed man
A Calgary police officer has been charged after allegedly assaulting a handcuffed man two years ago.
Where is the worst place for allergy sufferers in Canada?
The spring allergy season has started early in many parts of Canada, with high levels of pollen in some cities already. Experts weigh in on which areas have it worse so far this season.
How do you navigate the social media minefield with your kids?
Growing fears about social media's harm have sparked lawsuits against social media companies from hundreds of school districts in the United States and now Canada. CTVNews.ca wants to know whether your children are addicted to social media or if you have concerns about their usage of platforms such as Facebook, Snapchat, TikTok and X.