Air Canada CEO Rousseau apologizes and says he will learn French

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QUEBEC – In the face of a barrage of criticism, Air Canada’s president and CEO has apologized for his inability to speak French and says he intends to learn it.

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“I apologize to those who were offended by my comments,” Michael Rousseau said in a statement issued by the airline on Thursday. “Today I promise to improve my French, an official language of Canada and the common language of Quebec.”

Rousseau’s pushback follows the storm sparked by his comments to business leaders and journalists on Wednesday.

Although warned that it might not be a good idea, Rousseau gave almost a full speech at the Chambre de Commerce du Montréal métropolitain in English.

After the speech, he told reporters that he considers it a “testimony from Montreal” that he can live here without speaking French.

The incident sparked an angry response from Prime Minister François Legault and others.

“I saw the video of Mr. Rousseau and found it insulting,” Legault told reporters early Thursday. “It makes me angry… his attitude when he says that I have been in Quebec for 14 years and did not have to learn French. It’s inconceivable, it makes me mad.

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“I hope an apology from Mr. Rousseau and also that he begins to learn French. And I think we need to question the Air Canada board of directors. “

Legault weighed in on the debate at a press conference at the COP-26 summit in Scotland. The comments were tweeted for the world to see.

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By noon, the entire Quebec political class, including the leader of the Projet Montréal, Valérie Plante, had demonstrated against Rousseau.

“It is unacceptable,” Plante told reporters. “I think Montréal’s hope that the leaders of large corporations based in Montréal will be able to express themselves in French,” Plante said, noting that it is particularly important because a corporation like Air Canada is subject to the Official Languages ​​Act of Canada.

“So it is absolutely regrettable that the CEO of has not followed this rule, which is fundamental, out of respect for the fact that Quebec is a French-speaking province and Montreal is a French-speaking city.

“I think it sends the wrong message because many English speakers who come here learn French, because it is important and they value the language. It’s a shame, because I don’t think it represents reality, but this person, because of his role, minimizes French and I don’t think it’s acceptable. “

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“It’s good that he apologized, but the way he did it was worse than speaking in one language,” said Ensemble Montreal leader Denis Coderre. “You better start learning French, but also respect people. This is the headquarters in Montreal. You have to do a better job. It is not enough to apologize. “

In the National Assembly, politicians of all stripes dined on the incident.

“The comments that Mr. Rousseau made show contempt for Quebecers, they are insulting,” the Quebec minister responsible for the French language, Simon Jolin-Barrette, told the legislature in response to a question. “They are not worthy of a man of his position.

“We do not accept this type of comment and Air Canada needs to do an examination of conscience.”

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Jolin-Barrette said the incident is another reason for the government to pass Bill 96 that revises the French Language Charter because a clause in the bill would expand the chart’s francization rules to cover companies authorized by the federal government. like Air Canada.

On Wednesday, Bill 96 took a further step towards becoming law and the NAMs voted in favor of it at the “adoption in principle” stage. All four parties, including the Liberals, voted in favor of the bill, which will now be sent to the committee for consideration clause by clause.

The three opposition parties also condemned on Thursday Rousseau’s statements with the Liberals and the Quebecer solidarity calling for his resignation.

For the Parti Québécois, the problem runs deeper than Rousseau’s attitude.

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“There are a lot of guys like Mike Rousseau in Montreal and the message this sends is terrible,” said PQ MNA Pascal Bérubé. “Send a message to newcomers that it is okay to live a life in English in Montreal. Send a message to young English speakers that it is possible to make a life only in English.

“For a guy like Mike Rousseau, and many others, this is how we live in Quebec. It’s a bit of nostalgia for the Golden Square Mile or the days when we could run a part of Montreal like we were in Toronto or Baltimore. “

Criticism of Québec’s solidarity language, Ruba Ghazal, relied on her own life as an immigrant to illustrate her disgust.

“When I arrived in Montreal, I didn’t speak French, my family didn’t speak French, which is the case with many, many immigrants,” Ghasal told reporters. “But we made an effort.”

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Subsequently, the MNAs adopted two separate motions, one “condemning the public contempt and lack of consideration shown by Air Canada and its president regarding the language of French culture in Quebec.”

The other motion asks that the rules of the linguistic chart be extended to cover companies authorized by the federal government.

In Ottawa, the New Democratic Party also called for Rousseau’s resignation.

The English-speaking community also said that the situation was not acceptable.

“You don’t sell gadgets in Wichita, for yelling,” said Liberal MP David Birnbaum. “Join the program, show a little respect and learn French like the rest of us.”

“I think it is shameful that the Air Canada (CEO) even thinks much less has the balls to say it out loud,” added the president of the Quebec Community Groups Network, Marlene Jennings, on Twitter. “The common language of Quebec is French and many Anglos support it and have made an effort to learn French. He (Rousseau) has no excuse. “

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