Air Canada CEO Faces Backlash for French Language Skills

0:00It's March 25th. You're listening to Toronto News today. AI-powered local news. I'm Corey with the story. Quebec officials are demanding the firing of Air Canada's CEO Michael Russo for his inability to speak French. Simon Jolene Barrett, the minister responsible for relations with Canada, called it completely unacceptable and a sign of contempt toward all, francophone Canadians. This stems from a recent video message Russo gave, delivered almost entirely in English except for a bonjour at the start, and a mercy at the end. Subtitles were available in both languages. It's not the first incident. Two years ago, at a Montreal Chamber of Commerce event, Russo promised to learn French. But he still struggled to say a few words before a House of Commons Committee. Meanwhile, Quebec's Minister of the French Language, Jean-François Robertge, added that Russo must apologize in French and commit once and for all, to learning the language, calling it a matter of respect.

1:01French holds official status across Canada alongside English, fueling these strong reactions as the debate over language expectations at major. Companies like Air Canada continue to simmer.