Unilingual condolences: Air Canada CEO summoned to Ottawa

Without hesitation, the head of Air Canada was summoned on Tuesday to explain himself before the official languages ​​committee for his unilingual message of condolence to the families of the pilots, including one from Quebec, who died Sunday night in the plane crash at LaGuardia Airport in New York.

The statement provoked “strong indignation” from the committee and is “inconsistent with the obligations under the Official Languages ​​Act and the expectations of the Canadian public,” according to the motion tabled on the floor and adopted almost immediately unanimously by the MPs.

Thus, Rousseau will have to appear before elected officials to “explain” himself for one hour at the latest on May 1 for his statement which is now being attacked in Quebec City, Ottawa and on social media, and which was the subject of over 550 complaints received by the Commissioner of Official Languages ​​by Wednesday afternoon.

During the second hour of the meeting, elected officials will meet with experts who will help them identify solutions that would allow the government to act in this type of situation – an amendment from the Conservatives that was also adopted unanimously.

However, it was this same committee that decided three years ago, during the review of the Official Languages ​​Act, not to require, in particular, the CEO of Air Canada to speak and understand French, as demanded by the Quebec government.

Only the Bloc Québécois and the New Democratic Party voted in favour.

Air Canada was a federal public corporation before being privatized in 1988. The agreement stipulated that the carrier would remain subject to the Official Languages ​​Act.

“A sad and rude lack of respect”

The discontent was already palpable among elected officials from the start of the day when the federal Minister of Transport, Steven MacKinnon, judged that the unilingualism of the video was unacceptable.

“Air Canada, they know better,” he said, noting that Air Canada has a legal obligation to communicate in both official languages.

Federal Minister of Canadian Identity Marc Miller said Rousseau “should know better,” while Prime Minister Mark Carney said he was “very disappointed” in Rousseau’s public message.

Bloc Québécois leader Yves-François Blanchet did not mince words in a message on social media.

“In light of this sad and gross lack of respect towards the relatives and family of the pilot from Coteau-du-Lac, Antoine Forest, a French-speaking Quebecer, the head of Air Canada must seriously consider whether he has clearly disqualified himself from the position he holds,” he said.

In the video, which has been posted on multiple social media platforms, Rousseau refers to a “very dark day” for the carrier and indicates that he is “deeply saddened” by the death of the two pilots.

In nearly four minutes, Rousseau, the same man who in 2021 was pleased to have lived 14 years in Montreal without speaking a word of French, nevertheless utters two words in French: a “bonjour” at the very beginning and a “merci” at the end.

Several comments written in both French and English argue that the CEO showed disrespect by choosing to speak only in English.

“The CEO of the corporation has a responsibility to be able to communicate both in English and French,” said Jack Jedwab, president and CEO of the Association for Canadian Studies and the Metropolis Institute.

He added that focusing strictly on legal requirements risks missing the broader issue.

“If we want to get into the legalities of this thing and whether it’s right or whether he absolutely must do this legally or not, I think we’re missing the point.”

When asked to comment, the airline’s spokesperson, Christophe Hennebelle, stated that Rousseau wanted to speak in person and to do so before going to the scene of the accident.

“Despite his efforts, his ability to express himself in French does not allow him to communicate such a delicate message in that language as he would like. We therefore used subtitles to allow everyone to receive his message directly,” he wrote.

Air Canada insists that all information has been communicated in French and English through all other communication channels, and that the ability for everyone to express themselves in French or English remains a “priority”.

“Contempt”

At the National Assembly, the Minister of the French Language, Jean-François Roberge, did not mince words. “After all these years in Quebec and Montreal, I think this is contemptuous on the part of Rousseau. It’s unacceptable,” he declared.

Quebec MNA Pascal Bérubé echoed this sentiment, stating that Rousseau “lacks sensitivity.” According to him, this proves that, for the CEO of Air Canada, French is not an important issue.

Outgoing Premier François Legault said Rousseau’s inability to speak French after years in Montreal reflects “a lack of respect for his employees and his French-speaking customers,” adding he should resign if that has not changed.

That message was echoed by Justice Minister Simon Jolin-Barrette.

“Honestly, he’s a repeat offender,” he said.

Several media outlets have identified one of the pilots as Antoine Forest, from Coteau-du-Lac in the Montérégie region. The other is believed to be Mackenzie Gunther, a graduate of Seneca Polytechnic in Toronto.

The Jazz Aviation plane, an Air Canada Express carrier, was arriving from Montreal. It collided with a fire truck on the airport runway. More than 40 passengers and crew members were injured. 

This is not the first time Michael Rousseau has found himself in hot water on linguistic issues, not to mention that his company regularly breaks some sad records of the Commissioner of Official Languages.

In 2021, the head of the country’s largest airline sparked outrage after a speech he delivered primarily in English in Montreal.

Rousseau apologized and stated that he did not mean to disrespect Quebecers and Francophones across the country. He also pledged to improve his French, but three years after the controversy, he remained unable to answer questions in that language.

Air Canada said in a statement to La Presse that Rousseau regrets that his message was not well received, but maintains the most important thing was his ability to “convey his message of support directly.”

–This report by La Presse Canadienne was translated by CityNews