Many first-time visitors to Banff wonder whether it’s essential to know how to speak French, as it’s one of Canada’s two official languages (together with English). Fear not; the answer is no. Still, knowing French could come in handy. In this article, I’ll explain why.
The fact that Canada is a bilingual country becomes apparent as soon as you enter the park. All official signposts are both in English and French.
This might make you think that you need to know how to speak and read French to get by, but you don’t.
Banff lies in Alberta, which is a predominantly English-speaking province. Even though more than 10 percent of Alberta’s population is of French-Canadian heritage, only 2 percent of its people speak French as their first language.
Still, it might be good to know French when visiting Banff, depending on the purpose of your visit. Let’s dive in.
Why Tourists in Banff Don’t Need to Know French
I gave you a quick answer in the introduction to this article. Yes, you don’t need to know French in the park. But here’s a more elaborate version of this answer.
You don’t need to know French in Banff. All written language is in English, from signposts and tourist leaflets to restaurant menus and descriptions on product labels. Additionally, 98,9 percent of Banff residents speak English, according to the latest census by the government of Canada.
The same goes for staff in shops and hotels. They all speak English and might know (some) French. On rare occasions, you might run into staff who don’t speak any English (nor do they speak French).
In this case, you’re likely dealing with a Japanese staff member. The park’s hotels and (souvenir) shops like to hire Japanese staff because the Japanese visitors to the park – and they come in throngs of thousands – generally don’t speak English.
Of course the park is also visited by Canadians from the French-speaking part, mainly the province of Quebec. But in general, the Quebecois speak English well.
The Assets of Knowing French in Banff
After the above, you might think that French is useless in Banff, but that’s not true.
If you’re aiming to find (temporary) work in Banff National Park, knowing the other official language in Canada is definitely an asset. A job board like Indeed.ca shows plenty of job openings requiring French or regarding French as a significant asset. But this also includes knowing other languages, like German, Italian or Dutch.
These are mainly jobs involving contact with tourists (like waiting and working at the reception of a hotel), where knowledge of French, a significant international language, is an asset. And then there are the odd French teacher and translator jobs, which obviously require you to know French very well.
Although I’ve also soon many job descriptions mentioning “French not required”.
Does Banff Have a French Community?
Here, the answer is also no. According to the government of Alberta, the province has 32 “thriving Francophonie municipalities”.
The town of Banff is not among them, though Canmore, at just 25 minutes driving from Banff, does have one.
In fact, À Propos, The Canmore – Banff Regional ACFA is committed to “promoting the development of French life and culture within the Canmore – Banff region Francophone community”, which implies there are some French-speaking people in Banff.
There’s also a French school in Canmore, the École Notre-Dame des Monts.
While Banff doesn’t have a French community, it’s interesting to know that according to official government data, the town has 335 residents who speak French as their first language. That accounts for 4.6 percent of the community, which is substantially higher than Alberta’s average of 2%.
What if You Are in Banff and French Is Your First Language?
Let’s assume you know English, but your first language is French, and you feel more comfortable communicating in French. When visiting the park, this shouldn’t pose any problems regarding written communication.
French is an official Canadian Language, and the park is run by a government organization (Parks Canada). That means all signposts and other official park communication are bilingual.
However, speaking French in town might prove to be much more challenging. As laid out above, most Banff residents don’t speak French. On top of that, many temporary workers from all over the world don’t speak French.
You’ll find them in any job that is tourism related. Besides, most temporary workers come from English-speaking countries like Australia, New Zealand, Great Britain and Ireland.
Yes, you could run into a French Canadian working in Banff or a temporary worker from France, Switzerland or Belgium. But don’t count on being able to speak your native French anywhere you go in town (or the park, for that matter).