In Canada, French serves as a co-official but also a minority language, whose position is steadily declining, being overshadowed by both the growing importance of English and - as is the case of such as provinces British Columbia and Ontario - by the increasing significance of immigrant, mostly Asian, languages. French speakers are mostly concentrated in Quebec and adjacent bilingual areas in New Brunswick and Ottawa region. This article discusses the protective measures adopted in Canada's federal law and Constitution in order guarantee and promote Francophone language rights. The questions addressed in the article are, among aothers: a) which laws specifically protect the French language and to what extent?; b) are they relevant and effective?, c) how did they evolve to their present form?