Throughout Canadian history, the two official languages have been honored more in geographic bases of English and of French dominance than in genuine bilingualism. During the 1970's, Toronto became the multiethnic, multicultural metropolitan center of Canada. English was no longer the language of a clearly-defined ethnic group but the language of communication and information among a cosmopolitan mixture. The city has also experienced a rapid increase in the use of French by groups neither traditional, rural, nor minority. The Collège Glendon, as the city's official bilingual institution, has played a major role in this transformation. [A. W. Novitsky]