Thank you for the question.
Yes, I agree wholeheartedly.
Right there in the Immigrants for Canada charter of principles is that language is a unifier. Even on a values front and a cultural front, the mere fact that you have the capacity to turn to the person to your left or the person to your right and have a conversation with that person automatically creates a natural connection.
Think, for any one of us, of any international travel we've done abroad. If I am sitting in the airport in Tokyo, a country that's not my own, but I meet people and they are able to share a language with me, regardless of their ethnicity, I immediately feel a connection to them because I can communicate with them. On that front, it's important.
On the issue that you raised, in terms of the pragmatic approach and the indication of success, absolutely. With respect to hiring, ordering food, going to the bank—even on a safety issue, calling 911 and reporting things—clearly language is important and is something that unites us.