How did Canada get its two main languages?

Answer 1

Canada was founded by two settling colonies. The French colony settled in Lower Canada, in what is now Quebec. The English colony settled in Upper Canada, in what is now Ontario. Those two colonies came together with other surrounding colonies (see: Confederation) to form Canada. Its basis has always been French and English.

Answer 2

Canada has many more than two main languages. For example in British Columbia the main language English is a result of the British Empire kicking out other Europeans including the Spanish and the Russians. The next main language Chinese is the result of population due to more recent Immigration.

Canada has two official languages. They are the result of colonial aspirations of France, England and Canada. Both England and France traded and colonised what is today Eastern Canada.

The British won the Seven Years War and eventually got control of all of Eastern Canada (and what is today the USA). The British allowed the French in Canada to keep their culture, religion and language, they even protected them with many laws over the years. It wasn't just because they were being nice. There were a lot of French in parts of Canada at the time.

Those protections were extended into Confederation.

But that does not explain why other members of the Confederation are required to have and offer French rights and services. In the case of Manitoba the French there were part of early resistance movements against the take over by Canada and they were a large part of the population. That explains why Manitoba is a Bilingual, French/English province.

Further west that is not the case. The French make up a tiny percentage of the population and there are many other languages used by many more people.

French there is a result of Canadian colonisation. The Canadian French do what they can to have French dominate over much larger languages spoken by many more locals. This includes maintaining control over much of the federal government by reserving jobs for people they consider bilingual, French and English. This effectively prevents the majority of Canadians, particularly from Western Canada, from ever having such a significant role in the Federal Government. That also helps ensure that Canada as it is today will always be English and French and never English and any other main language.

Regardless of how many Canadians use that other main language, be it Chinese, Hindi or German (also main languages in Canada).

Answer 3

Canadians mostly speak English and French, which are inheritances from the English and French colonizers who conquered the territory and established Canada.