Official languages commissioner rebukes Air Canada CEO over English-only message

The Commissioner of Official Languages of Canada is rebuking Air Canada’s outgoing CEO for a condolence message he delivered almost entirely in English after a deadly plane crash in New York earlier this year.

The commissioner’s annual report says her office received a large number of complaints after Michael Rousseau posted a four-minute video that only included two French words — “bonjour” and “merci.”

Kelly Burke’s report says it’s important for Canadians to hear and see their leaders speaking equally in both official languages in times of crisis.

Burke adds that bilingualism is an essential skill for any leader, whether in politics, the federal public service or the private sector.