'A testament to the city': Air Canada CEO under fire for statement on living in Montreal without French - CTV News Montreal

MONTREAL -- "I’ve been able to live in Montreal without speaking French, and I think that’s a testament to the city of Montreal."

Those were the words of Air Canada's newly-appointed president and CEO, Michael Rousseau, after addressing Montreal's Chamber of Commerce Wednesday -- almost entirely in English. 

His statement has been met by fierce criticism from politicians, including Canada's minister of official languages.

"Air Canada offers an important service to Canadians," said Ginette Petitpas on Twitter. "It must do so in both Official Languages – and its leaders must be an example."

Air Canada offre un service important aux Canadiens. Il se doit de le faire dans les deux langues officielles – et ses leaders doivent montrer l’exemple.https://t.co/AxAlhDLo7R

— Ginette Petitpas Taylor (@GinettePT) November 1, 2021

Rousseau has been living in Montreal for over a decade, but grew up in Ontario. Addressing the press after his speech, he admitted that his command of the French language isn't strong.

"Quebec is now my home and I have acquired some conversational French, but while my comprehension is fair, my ability to speak it fluently remains limited," he said.

He said that while he would like to improve his French, his current priority is "to ensure Air Canada gets back to where they were."

On Twitter, language Minister Simon Jolin-Barrette expressed his thoughts on the matter the day before the speech even took place.

Air Canada et sa direction doivent faire mieux. C’est une marque de respect de s’adresser à la communauté d’affaires de Montréal, métropole francophone du Québec, dans la langue officielle et commune, le français. https://t.co/hwOpMoM2Fr #polqc

— Simon Jolin-Barrette (@SJB_CAQ) November 2, 2021

Evidently having caught wind that an English-only address would be taking place, Jolin-Barette told Air Canada and its management Tuesday "to do better."

"It is a mark of respect to address the business community of Montreal, Quebec's French-speaking metropolis, in the official and common language, French," he wrote.

The head of the Chamber of Commerce, Michael Leblanc, told the press he was surprised by Rousseau's choice.

"We expected that the CEO would recognize the importance of knowing French. For the leader of a major corporation in Quebec, I would hope that he would commit publicly that he would learn French." 

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2021-11-04 01:20:00Z
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