A survey of all Sch children in grades 4 & 9 in Sudbury, North Eastern Ontario, Canada, shows that the bilingual policy of the gov's of Canada & Ontario has inspired optimism among French-Ontarians concerning the future of their language in Canada (N=2,948, adding up all samples given). Parents who 10 yrs age would have sent their children to English Sch's now send them to French Sch's; French is spoken more often in the home now. English remains predominant, but its role is changing. For some, it remains one of the 2 official languages; for everyone, it remains the lingua franca. It is noted that 3rd language people have new hopes for the maintenance of their cultures, because they are discovering that their own languages are receiving increasing recognition in Canada. The idea of a melting pot is fading away. 9 Tables. Modified HA.