There can be one official state language, or more. And that is no contradiction to people speaking whatever language they’re most comfortable with among themselves. In Europe, Latin was once the official language everywhere. And every region had its own lingua franca, which was whatever it was.
I went to Begbie in the sixties. Grade 3 through 6. I remember the big picture of the hanging judge in the hallway by the office. It was a beautiful old school. I do believe it was torn down a year or two ago and replaced. Looks like they have replaced more than the structure :(