London's Francophone Community: The Quiet Transformation You Need to Know About
London's francophone community remains mostly French Canadian, but the fastest growth is coming from newcomers from sub-Saharan Africa, pointing to a very different future.
New research from the London & Middlesex Local Immigration Partnership shows that 535 African francophone immigrants arrived in London between 2011 and 2021, more than in the previous three decades combined. Primarily from Burundi, Cameroon, and the Democratic Republic of Congo, these newcomers represent a demographic shift redefining what “francophone” means in our region.
The Reality Behind the Statistics
While Franco-Ontarians still make up the majority of London's 7,070 French-speaking residents, the growth trajectory tells a different story. African francophone immigration has surged from just 65 arrivals in the 1981-1990 period to 535 in the most recent decade. With Canada's commitment to increase francophone immigration targets from 6% to 10% by 2027, this trend will only accelerate.
Figure: Immigrant population in London, Ontario with French as their mother tongue, segmented by period of immigration and language profile. The most substantial growth occurred from 2011 to 2021, with a marked increase in immigrants speaking only French. This shift highlights the evolving linguistic makeup of London’s francophone community, particularly the rise of newcomers speaking French alongside other languages. Data from Statistics Canada, 2021.
These newcomers bring something unique: they're multilingual, speaking French alongside English and indigenous African languages. Research shows they face discrimination in three ways: as immigrants, as francophone speakers, and often as visible minorities. These newcomers face challenges that established Franco-Ontarians don't experience. They deal with discrimination based on race, language, and culture all at once. Even in francophone spaces where they should feel welcome, they often feel excluded.
Consider the language barriers. While both groups speak French, African francophone immigrants often report discrimination when using it. The majority report English language barriers as a significant challenge, creating a contradiction: their fluency in French doesn’t guarantee belonging.
But as these numbers grow, it’s becoming clear that our existing francophone infrastructure, designed with a different population in mind, is struggling to keep up.
Building Better Connections
The LMLIP strives to make London and Middlesex a community that promotes positive attitudes toward immigrants of all racial, cultural and religious backgrounds, as well as coordination and collaboration among community organisations. Our francophone services were built for Franco-Ontarians and need to adapt for this growing community.
Research from Western University found that London's francophone minority community experiences "invisibility" that makes it particularly difficult for African francophone immigrants to access services. These barriers compound the marginalisation already faced by African francophone immigrants, who navigate life here as racialised, linguistic, and cultural minorities.
These mismatches limit not only service access but also newcomers’ ability to contribute and thrive.
The Opportunity We're Missing
Too often, we treat this as a social issue, but the economic stakes are just as high. African francophone immigrants bring human capital, including high educational attainment and entrepreneurial skills. They've developed structures such as cultural institutions and financial networks that could strengthen our entire francophone community.
Yet research shows these immigrants face systemic barriers to having their credentials recognised. Many experience underemployment, despite often having more education than the local population. When we don't recognise their skills, we lose economic opportunities and make these newcomers feel excluded.
Economic arguments matter, but so does equity. As we reimagine who our francophone community includes, we also have a chance to reimagine what shared belonging and responsibility look like, especially through the lens of reconciliation.
Truth and Reconciliation Connections
The Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Call to Action #93 specifically requires that newcomer citizenship materials and tests include content on Indigenous history, treaties, and the legacy of residential schools.
African francophone immigrants, with a deep history of being indigenous people themselves struggling with the legacy of colonialism, have a critical understanding of the legacies shaping both African immigrants and Indigenous peoples. Creating dialogue between these communities could strengthen newcomer education and build solidarity around shared colonial histories.
Research shows that successful integration depends on equitable, inclusive environments, exactly what both a welcoming community and a country dedicated to Truth and Reconciliation demand.
Making Space for Everyone
The solution isn't creating separate services, but building inclusive approaches that honour both Franco-Ontarian heritage and African francophone contributions. Research from other communities shows what works: joint cultural events that highlight diversity within francophone identity, joint cultural events and governance that includes African francophone voices.
That means evolving beyond a narrow cultural frame. We need an inclusive francophone identity. One that holds space for both Franco-Ontarian heritage and the contemporary realities of francophone newcomers.
So what does meaningful change look like in practice?
The Path Forward
London recently received designation as a Welcoming Francophone Community, creating new opportunities for coordinated action. But designation means little without changes to how we serve and include African francophone immigrants.
That starts with understanding who our francophone community is and responding accordingly. LMLIP's Matter of Facts series will continue to try to build an idea of what immigration in London and Middlesex looks like. Still, we need settlement services, municipal planning, and community organisations to act on these insights.
We need francophone services designed not just for established Franco-Ontarians, but for the multilingual, multicultural communities shaping their future. We need economic development strategies that recognise African francophone immigrants as assets.
London's francophone future is arriving. Will we build the inclusive, reconciliation-oriented community our values demand, or cling to assumptions that no longer reflect reality?