Air Canada CEO apologizes, commits to learning French as backlash in Quebec grows

Air Canada CEO Michael Rousseau has apologized and committed to improving his French amid heavy backlash byfederal and Quebec officials who called his recent comments about not needing to speak French despite having lived in Montreal for 14 years shocking and disrespectful.

"I want to clarify that I did not want in any way to disrespect [Quebecers]and francophones across the country. I apologize to those who were offended by my words," Rousseau said in a statement Thursday, following fiery criticism fromofficials hours earlier.

He noted that he told journalistshe would, in fact, like to be able to speak French.

"Today, I am committed to improving my French, an official language of Canada and the language used in Quebec," he said.

"The head office of this emblematic company is located in Montreal, and it is a source of pride for me as for my entire management team. I reiterate Air Canada's commitment to show respect for French and, as a leader, I will set the tone."

On Wednesday, the CEO delivereda 26-minute speech at thePalais des congrsin Montreal, during which hespoke French for only about 20 seconds. After the speech, Rousseau was asked in French bya journalist for Quebec TV news channel LCNhow he's managed to livein Montreal for so long despite speaking little French.

He was unable to answer the question and asked that itbe posed in English. When pressed, he said despite living in Quebec for 14 years, he's too busy running a company to learn French.

"I've been able to live in Montreal without speaking French, and I think that's a testament to the city of Montreal," said Rousseau, who has beenCEO since February.

WATCH| Air Canada CEO struggles to answer questions in French:

Air Canada CEO struggles to answer questions in French in Montreal

3 years ago

Duration 1:38

Michael Rousseau was asked in French by a journalist for Quebec TV news channel LCN how he's managed to live in Montreal for so long despite speaking little French.

'It's insulting,' premier says

Several elected officials in Quebec and Ottawa,including Canada's minister of official languages,have criticized Rousseau's initial comments.

On Thursday,Premier Franois Legaultalsodenounced Rousseau's attitude about the French language.

"It's insulting. It makes me angry, because [of] his attitude to say 'I have been in Quebec 14 years and I did not have to learn French,' " said Legault on the sidelines of theCOP26environmental summit in Scotland.

Quebec's minister for the French language, Simon Jolin-Barrette, had said Rousseau showed "contempt for our language and our culture in Quebec."

Hedoubled down on that Thursday, saying Rousseau haddemonstrated that he is "not worthy of his duties."

A spokesperson for the Office of the Official Languages Commissioner of Canada said Thursday it has so far received more than 200 complaints related to Rousseau's Wednesday speech.

"In the past five years, we have received an average of more than 80 complaints per year against Air Canada in relation to the official languages as a whole," saidspokesperson Jadrino Huot in an email to Radio-Canada.

All three opposition parties in Quebec have alsocondemned Rousseau's remarks, with the Liberals and QubecSolidaire calling for his resignation.

"What we are asking today is that Mr. Rousseau apologize for his remarks towardfrancophones and Quebecers, that he resign from his post and that companies under federal jurisdiction be subject to the French language," said Andr Fortin,of the Liberal Party of Quebec.

English-speaking Quebecers upset by comments

Members of the English-speaking community in Quebec alsowidely condemned Rousseau's comments, with many pointing out that it plays into stereotypes about anglophone Quebecers.

"Mr. Rousseau's narrow-minded comment that he does not feel the need to learn French feeds the myth that English-speaking Quebecers are a privileged minority indifferent to French," said Marlene Jennings, the president of the Quebec Community Groups Network (QCGN),an umbrella group made up of English-speaking community organizations.

In an interview shortly after, Jennings said, "I'm starting to get smoke coming out of my ears just thinking about it."

She said Rousseau "has just handed the best gift possible to those who claim that in order to protect and promote French in Quebec, one has to eradicate the English language and ultimately our community from the face of Quebec."

Robert Libmancreated the Equality Party in 1988,which focused on promoting anglophone rights, and was a member of Quebec's National Assembly in 1989.

"This just throws us back all those decades as a symbol of anglophone business power and anglophones who don't want to integrate into the reality of Quebec," hesaid.

"That's not the case anymore Ninety per cent of Quebec anglophones can speak French fairly fluently today."

Quebec'slanguage bill

Jennings and the QCGN have denounced Quebec'sBill 96, which proposes to overhaul the provincial law protecting the French language,saying it goes too far and infringes on people's rights.

The bill has also raised controversy among other minority rights groups, who say if it becomes law, it could undermine the independence of the judiciary by requiring judges to be bilingualand that it could exclude job candidates and harm small businesses.

Jennings and Libman say Rousseau's comments feed nationalist sentiments and Quebec government officials in pushing the bill into law.

Jolin-Barrette, whois the minister responsible for Bill 96, saidthe billcould prevent situations like Rousseau's speech by extending its provisionsto include companies under federal jurisdiction, such as Air Canada.

He has described the reform as a reasonable responseto studies by Quebec's French-language office indicating French is on the decline in the province, particularly in Montreal.

The Legault government has once again invoked theConstitution's notwithstanding clause to shield the bill from charter challenges. The first time his government invoked the clause to pass a bill into law was for Quebec's secularism law.

Montrealer Alice Cai started learning French in China before immigrating to Quebec.

She says the language hasn't been easy to learn, but that being able to speak it has helped her integrate in this country.

"For living here in Montreal, it's necessary and, also, it's interesting to learn the language."