Preliminary report finds complaints about Air Canada CEO’s speech well-founded: commissioner
Air Canada CEO has been taking French lessons since saying he ‘didn’t need to learn’ the language
The Commissioner of Official Languages says a preliminary report investigating whether a speech by Air Canada’s chief executive in November met the airline’s obligations under the Official Languages Act found the complaints are well-founded .
However, Raymond Théberge notes that the conclusions are not final and that the parties concerned will have the opportunity to provide comments before the final report.
Air Canada CEO Michael Rousseau sparked an uproar last year when, following a speech almost entirely in English, he told reporters he didn’t need to learn French to get by in Montreal.
He later apologized and has since started taking French lessons.
The Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages has received 2,680 complaints as of February 28 about the speech, making it the highest number of complaints ever received for a single case.
Théberge said in his statement that bilingualism is a crucial skill for leaders, especially those of institutions subject to the Official Languages Act.
– The Canadian Press
Air Canada
Create a free account today and get top headlines delivered to your inbox Monday through Saturday.
Comments are closed.