How English-only condolences undid one of Canada's top CEOs

How English-only condolences undid one of Canada's top CEOs A fatal collision at LaGuardia Airport last week marked the start of a difficult period for Air Canada, culminating on Monday with its CEO announcing he will soon retire.

Michael Rousseau's departure comes after he received heavy criticism in the aftermath of the incident, which killed two of the airline's pilots.

But the backlash was not due to the collision itself.

Rather, it was sparked by Rousseau's condolences to the pilots, which were delivered almost entirely in English.

Prime Minister Mark Carney said the video message showed "a lack of compassion", while politicians in French-speaking Quebec urged Rousseau to resign. So why has an English-only video sparked this controversy in Canada?

From condolences to controversy The Air Canada plane, which originated in Montreal, was trying to land in New York on the evening of 22 March before it crashed into an emergency vehicle, killing the two pilots and injuring dozens of passengers.

It was the first fatal crash for Air Canada in more than four decades.

A day later, Air Canada shared a four-minute video message from Rousseau on its social media.

In it, Rousseau acknowledged that it was a "somber day" for his organisation.

He also offered his condolences to the airline's staff and family of the victims in English, with subtitles in both official languages. Almost immediately, Canada's official languages commissioner reportedly received dozens of complaints. By that afternoon, a parliamentary committee had unanimously voted to summon the CEO "to come and explain himself". Quebec politicians accused Rousseau of showing a "gross lack of respect" to the Quebecois family of one of the deceased pilots, Antoine Forest. And lawmakers also passed a non-binding vote in the province's legislature calling on the CEO to resign.

Canadian author Jack Jedwab wrote in French language newspaper La Presse that Rousseau's lack of French knowledge sends a message to Air Canada employees that "bilingualism is a constraint, not a value".

"He is not suitable to be (the airline's) spokesperson," Jedwab wrote.

Three days after that initial video message caused a storm, the airline released an apology from Rousseau, in which he said he was "deeply saddened" that it had taken attention away from those who are grieving.

He also admitted that after years of lessons, his French language ability remains weak.

A few days later, Air Canada announced that Rousseau, who is 68, will be retiring by September.

An airline spokesperson told the Wall Street Journal that the CEO "has reached a natural retirement age" and that his decision is not linked to the language issue.

Many, however, questioned the timing.

Welcome to/Bienvenue à Air Canada Some outside of Canada may wonder why Rousseau's failure to speak French is such a big issue. The answer lies in Air Canada's history and status as the country's largest national airline, as well as the role bilingualism plays - both culturally and legally - in Canada.

The airline was initially owned and operated by the federal government, making it subject to Canada's Official Languages Act, which ensures Canadians can access public services in both English and French.

Air Canada was privatised in 1988, but the government passed a law requiring it to maintain its bilingual obligations, said François Larocque, research chair in language rights at the University of Ottawa.

"This is because the carrier was viewed as a national symbol, and it carried the Canadian identity everywhere it flies," Larocque told the BBC.

Those who have taken an Air Canada flight would have noticed announcements in both English and French, like "Welcome to Air Canada" followed by "Bienvenue à Air Canada". Air Canada has run afoul of its bilingualism mandate in the past.

In 2019, it was fined after a French-speaking couple complained that some signage on a domestic flight appeared only in English.

Rousseau's rise to CEO was also contentious, as he spoke only English despite having lived in Montreal for years.

Shortly after taking on the role in 2021, his unilingualism made headlines when he struggled to answer a reporter's question in French.

"How can you live in Montreal without speaking French?

Is it easy?" the reporter had asked, first in French and then in English. "If you look at my work schedule, you'd understand why," Rousseau had responded.

Five years later, his inability to improve his French was a final straw for many.

'Nowhere else in the world is like this' While many in Quebec were angry, some in the rest of Canada openly questioned the backlash. "Nowhere else in the world is like this," wrote Toronto-based columnist Chris Selley in the National Post last week.

Be heartbroken, be respectful, but do not exploit this tragedy to advance political popularity," wrote Joanne O'Hara from Oakville, Ontario in a published Globe and Mail letter to the editor.

Carney, an anglophone who grew up in western Canada, notably laboured to improve his French before running for prime minister last year, and his French ability was the subject of some scrutiny.

Other officials have faced backlash for not speaking French, including Canada's Governor General Mary Simon, who is the first indigenous woman to hold the role.

Air Canada has said that it had launched an external search for potential CEO candidates in January.

A number of qualifications will be considered, the airline said, including "the ability to communicate in French"