Brandon groups work to preserve languages as Canada's linguistic diversity grows

A southwestern Manitoba Punjabi group is building community connections to keep the language and culture alive in rural Canada part of a demographic shiftacross the country, according to Statistics Canada data released last week.

The federal agency reported last week that the first language of a quarter of Canadians is now neither English nor French a record high.

In Manitoba, Punjabi ranks second among non-official languages most commonly spoken at home behind only Tagalog in the province, the latest data says.

More than 33,000 of Manitoba's 1.34 million people reported Punjabi as their mother tongue, according to the 2021 census data released last week.

In the province's southwestern region, theBrandon Punjabi Cultural Association has been working for yearsto help newcomers, while hosting language classes and cultural activities led by volunteers, said association member Jaspreet Khela.

"We realized ... our kids are, like, not speaking our language. We are supposed to teach them," she said.

Khela has been living in Brandon for 10 years. She and her mother have beenteaching Khela's daughterPunjabi so she can talk with relatives.

Without these opportunities, young people would not be able to speak with grandparents still living in India, many of whom do not speak English, said Khela.

Having more people in Brandon who can speakPunjabi can also help newcomers to the city feel more comfortable, she said.

"When they get someone who can speak their language, they can ... express their things," Khela said. "If we'respeaking our language, they can understand properly."

Growing diversity: StatsCan

Whilethe latest Statistics Canada data showsthe country'scultural fabricincludes a growing number of language threads, somenewcomers face challenges in keeping theirmother language alive, said Lori Wilkinson, a University of Manitoba sociology professor who leadsan immigration research group.

That's especially difficult if there is limited access to others who have the same linguistic or cultural backgrounds, she said.

But some research shows that more recent newcomers to Canadahave an easier time passing along their culture and language to their children, said Wilkinson likely because there's more willingness in society to help these families maintain their culture andlanguage.

"There's a few more supports and more social acceptability to do that nowadays than there was 30 years ago," she said.

"Even though it's hard, I think the possibility of maintaining your culture and language in the long run is better than it has been. Andit gets better as the community becomes more diverse."

Increasing cultural diversity in Brandon can helpin the settlement process,said Hannah Holt, the community outreach manager for the non-profitWestman Immigrant Services.

"You've got the settlement agency that supports you for all the forms and the applications and everything. Andthen you've got the community that will be there to welcome you with open arms and continue your culture," Holt said.

Based on interactions with Westman Immigrant Services, the topcountries of birth for newcomers to Brandon last year wereIndia, Eritrea, the Philippines, China, El Salvador, Nigeria and Honduras. The languages most spokenwere Mandarin, Punjabi and Spanish.

The growing cultural diversity in Brandon means it'snot surprising to see an increasingnumber of Canadians report a first language other than English or French, said Holt.

"They're trying to keep it alive.They want their heritage, they want their culture, they want their roots to be part of their personality, because it's something that is part of them."

Passing language to future generations

Brandon business owner Dhruv Patel originally hails from Ahmedabad, in the Indian state of Gujarat, where he grew up speaking Gujarati.

When it comes to speakinghis mother tonguein Brandon, there are limited opportunities, he says, though it ispossible to find Gujarati speakers in the cityincluding through a local cricket group.

"I'm happy that I know English [and] Hindi. After coming here, I also had a few Punjabi friends, so I can understand Punjabi," Patel said.

To keeptheir Gujarati sharp, thecommunity members in Brandon speak with each other when they can, he said, adding he also speaks with his parents almost every day in the language.

Patel hopes to have children in the future, and knows one of the biggest challenges his family will face is ensuring those kids can speakGujarati, so they can communicatewith their grandparents.

"The biggest challenge which we [are] going to face" will be that those future children"might be able to catch up some words when we get home, but won't be as smooth as us," hesaid.

But Patel said he'll be happy "as long as he understands what ... other people are talking."