Air Canada language controversy draws Washington Post’s attention

In an article published on Friday, the Washington Post returned to the controversy surrounding the predominantly English-speaking speech of the CEO of Air Canada in Montreal.

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After being reminded that the CEO of Air Canada had indicated that he would have liked better to speak French, but that he had a busy schedule and that he had managed to live in Montreal without speaking French, the American daily made state of the various comments of editorialists and experts who have spoken since the famous speech of Michael Rousseau.

The article highlights those who see the outcry as ridiculous as well as those who believe it is disrespectful. the Washington Post also recalled that Justin Trudeau described the situation unacceptable and François Legault, an insult.

“Mr. Rousseau lacked a lot of sensitivity not to understand the context in which he was making his statements, ”University of Ottawa political scientist Linda Cardinal told the media.

The article puts Canada’s linguistic issue in perspective, with its Official Languages ​​Act, which recognizes the equality of English and French. Thus, the CEO of Air Canada, who is not required to speak French, must ensure that his airline provides services to the public in both languages. However, shortcomings are regularly noted.

The author of the text emphasizes the fragility of French in Quebec and the concern of a decline of the language among Francophones.

the Washington Post recalls that according to Statistics Canada, the proportion of people whose mother tongue is French in Quebec rose from 80% in 1901 to approximately 78% in 2016. This proportion could drop to 70% by 2036, in particular due to the ‘immigration.

“French is the only official language of Quebec and the nationalist government of Legault has made its protection an absolute priority, more recently with a controversial and radical law known as Bill 96”, we can read in the Washington Post.

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