Surveys the French-speaking communities in Quebec and Ontario in the 1970's-80's and assesses the impact of measures in favor of Francophones, questioning their political and philosophical justifications. Quebec has created a favorable environment, and the demographic, economic, and psychosocial position of Francophones has improved even though many inequalities have not been corrected. The Quebec French community is working out less conflicting relations with (the rest of) Canada, but this is not true for its relations with its English-speaking minority. In Ontario, where the Francophones were in an even worse predicament, pro-French language measures increased the francophone community's instrumental value, giving it relative prestige, and Franco-Ontarians can now insure their linguistic and cultural reproduction. Without these measures, assimilation would have been still more devastating; however, prospects for French-language maintenance remain less promising and the process of assimilation to the English-speaking majority continues.