Quebec, the French Language, and Quebecois Identity - Page 57

thewave46 · #**1121** Posted **Nov 4, 2021, 4:35 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Acajack

Pop quiz - who founded Air Transat?

Heh.

Are we maybe obliquely inferring that maybe some of this tempest in a teapot might be due to a certain former Air Transat founder - now Quebec Premier - that might be just enjoying a certain measure of sticking it to a former competitor? Especially a competitor that just had a self-inflicted language-based wound?

A fun (and probably not true) conspiracy if I ever heard one.

dleung · #**1122** Posted **Nov 4, 2021, 4:46 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by kwoldtimer

And?

It means he understands what it's like to be a minority in a majority-white country...

...JUST KIDDING

MolsonExport · #**1123** Posted **Nov 4, 2021, 4:57 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by kwoldtimer

I doubt that the head of lAir Canada is making flight announcements.

OldDartmouthMark · #**1124** Posted **Nov 4, 2021, 5:00 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by kwoldtimer

I doubt that the head of lAir Canada is making flight announcements.

How do you know?

Acajack · #**1125** Posted **Nov 4, 2021, 5:07 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

Geez - with those creds, AC should be headquartered in Toronto! They were made for each other.

Good one!

I'll add that Michael Rousseau could be on the short list as the next Governor General of Canada!

Acajack · #**1126** Posted **Nov 4, 2021, 5:08 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by MolsonExport

And I know you didn't have to cheat!

MolsonExport · #**1127** Posted **Nov 4, 2021, 5:14 PM**

yes, after all he is from ste. anne de bellevue, which is where I went to CEGEP.

whatnext · #**1128** Posted **Nov 4, 2021, 6:24 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by esquire

Major outrage about AC CEO Michael Rousseau's apparent inability to speak French.

Speak White, Air Canada

https://www.lapresse.ca/actualites/c...air-canada.php

Oh God, here we go again. The Great Province of Butthurt whinging over yet another perceived slight.

Just face the reality and move AC's head office to Toronto.

Fischbob · #**1129** Posted **Nov 4, 2021, 6:45 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by JHikka

It's easy to live English-only in Montreal if you live in specific neighbourhoods and spend all your time with specific people. Very easy to find unilingual Anglophones at, say, McGill.

Having studied there, I can confirm this is the case. The "McGill Bubble" is a real phenomenon and many students will live in the city for years without ever having to use French in any significant way. Spending most of my time in the Downtown/Golden Square Mile/Shaughnessy Village areas, easily more than 95% of my day-to-day life was conducted in English.

I did find that having a good comprehension of French and the ability to carry out some passable basic conversation was very helpful. But I had largely developed those skills before moving to Montreal - I didn't really find that my French improved all that much while I was living there.

kwoldtimer · #**1130** Posted **Nov 4, 2021, 6:51 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by whatnext

Oh God, here we go again. The Great Province of Butthurt whinging over yet another perceived slight.

Just face the reality and move AC's head office to Toronto.

What part of the story does not conform to reality?

Acajack · #**1131** Posted **Nov 4, 2021, 7:24 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by kwoldtimer

What part of the story does not conform to reality?

That La Presse headline is definitely inflammatory, but the guy who wrote the piece (Paul Journet) is a credible journalist and no hothead.

Acajack · #**1132** Posted **Nov 4, 2021, 7:40 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by MolsonExport

yes, after all he is from ste. anne de bellevue, which is where I went to CEGEP.

Speaking of Legault, he's with Bonnie Prince Charlie at COP26 today.

OK I know he's the real Bonnie Prince Charlie of historical lore. I just couldn't resist.

Acajack · #**1133** Posted **Nov 4, 2021, 7:58 PM**

Oh yeah, and Prince Charles, unlike the head honcho of Air Canada, actually speaks French!

Wigs · #**1134** Posted **Nov 4, 2021, 9:03 PM**

I think if you're the CEO of any company HQ'd in Quebec, you should at least have basic conversational French.

MolsonExport · #**1135** Posted **Nov 4, 2021, 9:08 PM**

I don't think Hunter Harrison (former CNR CEO) and Hollis Harris (former AirCanada CEO) spoke more than a couple words of French. not sure about Robert Milton (another former AirCanada CEO)

Louise Harel, former Mayoral candidate of Montreal, did not speak English, and this liability probably cost her the position. Yes, Quebec is French, but Montreal is not always.

kwoldtimer · #**1136** Posted **Nov 5, 2021, 2:01 AM**

Square peg, round hold. Same old, same old.

Loco101 · #**1137** Posted **Nov 5, 2021, 2:08 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

Geez - with those creds, AC should be headquartered in Toronto! They were made for each other.

It's just like the Toronto office I work with in the federal public service. We get sent all of the French stuff to deal with from there. They don't have anyone who can work in French. Nobody. And when I have to call their main telephone number the greeting message part in French is majorly embarassing. None of our regional (Ontario) administration is bilingual and they are all in Toronto.

Acajack · #**1138** Posted **Nov 5, 2021, 10:50 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by MolsonExport

I don't think Hunter Harrison (former CNR CEO) and Hollis Harris (former AirCanada CEO) spoke more than a couple words of French. not sure about Robert Milton (another former AirCanada CEO)

Louise Harel, former Mayoral candidate of Montreal, did not speak English, and this liability probably cost her the position. Yes, Quebec is French, but Montreal is not always.

Well yeah. Don't want to excuse him too much but Rousseau is a victim of circumstance, timing and a perfect storm of sorts. Wrong place wrong time.

kwoldtimer · #**1139** Posted **Nov 5, 2021, 11:16 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Acajack

Well yeah. Don't want to excuse him too much but Rousseau is a victim of circumstance, timing and a perfect storm of sorts. Wrong place wrong time.

If there were any blame to be attached, I might look to the Montreal Chamber of Commerce, which must have known that the guy would make his speech in English. Interesting that they wouldn't have seen any problem with that.

Acajack · #**1140** Posted **Nov 5, 2021, 12:22 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by kwoldtimer

If there were any blame to be attached, I might look to the Montreal Chamber of Commerce, which must have known that the guy would make his speech in English. Interesting that they wouldn't have seen any problem with that.

It was made known ahead of time that it would be in English, and I am 99.99% sure that the Chambre hosts speakers that are unilingual anglophones on a regular basis.

As I said, this one came across a bit sideways due to the perception that he's a "local" (or at least supposed to be), prior history with Air Canada, and the political timing (Bill 96, Balarama Holness, and other stuff).

MolsonEx is a pretty good sleuth for these things, and I wouldn't be surprised if he could find past instances where the Chambre has hosted other AC bosses, or maybe the head of CN or other corps, and that they spoke only English too.

But sure it was interesting to see the Chambre's president express shock and dismay after the speech and Rousseau's comments. He's clearly faking it as no one in his position could be that tonedeaf and misread the "room" (which in this case is the city and province) that badly.