Mark Carney, a prominent figure in Canadian public discourse, criticized Air Canada CEO Michael Rousseau for his recent condolence video regarding a tragic flight incident. The fact that it was subtitled only in English, featuring only two words in French—“bonjour” and “merci”—made Carney’s heart sink. He underscored the need to be sensitive in communications and messaging.
Canadian officials, Carney said, are in constant contact and joint preparation with their American counterparts. They are looking into the incident which caused Air Canada Flight AC-123 carrying passengers from Montreal to New York City’s LaGuardia Airport. Most of those on board were French-speaking Canadians, calling into question Air Canada’s dedication to providing service in both languages.
In Carney’s view, Rousseau’s decision to issue a message solely in English demonstrated a “lack of judgment and lack of compassion.” He emphasized that for any companies that operate in Canada, Air Canada in particular, there is a duty to honor the bilingual character of the country.
“We proudly live in a bilingual country, and companies like Air Canada particularly have a responsibility to always communicate in both official languages, regardless of the situation.” – Mark Carney
Though no stranger to language-related controversy, this was not Rousseau’s first regrettable gaffe. In 2021, he stirred discontent by claiming he had lived in Montreal for 14 years without needing to speak French during a speech delivered almost entirely in English. Unfortunately, his comments at that time attracted the wrath of a rather untamed mob in the French-speaking community.
Conservative MP Joel Godin—who shared many of Julie’s concerns—stepped in. He gently prodded Rousseau about his commitment to work on his French once becoming CEO.
“Don’t forget this company … must respect the official languages (law).” – Joel Godin
That’s why the House of Commons official languages committee has called Rousseau to testify. They are seeking for him to clarify his remarks and the company’s language restrictions policy. We’ll have to wait until next week’s testimony for a better picture of how Air Canada plans to embrace bilingualism and improve relations with its customers.
