[petecox]

I think it's a question of usage.

I went for a hike off the beaten track in Quebec City and asked for directions and a 22yo 'kid' confessed to me he hadn't spoken English since he left school.

Further north, everyone in Riviere du loup understood my butchery of their language and replied in English - except at the farmers' market, where local producers don't get many Anglo customers (except the winemaker who offered tours of her vineyard)