Prime Minister Mark Carney has publicly criticized Air Canada CEO Michael Rousseau for delivering a condolence message in English only, following a fatal plane crash in New York that claimed the lives of two pilots, including one from Quebec. The incident has sparked outrage, with many viewing it as a lack of respect for the French-speaking community in Canada.
The Air Canada Jazz flight crashed at LaGuardia Airport on Sunday evening, killing pilots Antoine Forest, a French-speaking Quebecer, and Mackenzie Gunther. In a four-minute video posted online, Rousseau offered condolences, but only included two French words: "bonjour" and "merci". Federal Transport Minister Steven MacKinnon also expressed his disappointment.
Carney stated that he was "very disappointed" in Rousseau's unilingual message, emphasizing that companies like Air Canada have a responsibility to communicate in both official languages. Bloc Québécois leader Yves-François Blanchet called it a "sad and crude lack of respect". Rousseau has been summoned to appear before the House of Commons official languages committee to explain his actions. He has until May 1 to appear. This isn't the first time Rousseau's language skills have come under scrutiny. In 2021, he sparked controversy after delivering a speech in Montreal largely in English and boasting about living in Quebec for 14 years without learning French. He later apologized and pledged to improve his French.
