Quebec Pension Fund Caisse Condemns Air Canada CEO’s Video, Joining Carney

Michael Rousseau, chief executive officer of Air Canada Photo by Christinne Muschi /Photographer: Christinne Muschi/Article content(Bloomberg) — Quebec’s powerful government pension manager criticized Air Canada for making a video statement only in English about the deadly collision at LaGuardia Airport, adding to the woes of Chief Executive Officer Michael Rousseau.Sign In or Create an AccountEmail AddressContinueor View more offersArticle contentAn Air Canada Express jet flew from Montreal to New York on Sunday night and, after landing, collided with an airport fire truck, killing both pilots. Rousseau gave an update on the tragic accident in a video delivered almost entirely in English in which he expressed his “deepest sorrow for everyone affected.” The only words he spoke in French were “bonjour” at the beginning and “merci” at the end. French subtitles were provided. Article contentWe apologize, but this video has failed to load.Try refreshing your browser, ortap here to see other videos from our team.Article contentArticle content“There is no doubt that the video should have been in both official languages,” a spokesperson for the Caisse de Depot et Placement du Quebec said in an statement emailed to Bloomberg News in both English and French.Article contentTop StoriesGet the latest headlines, breaking news and columns.There was an error, please provide a valid email address.Sign UpBy signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc.Thanks for signing up!A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder.The next issue of Top Stories will soon be in your inbox.We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try againInterested in more newsletters? Browse here.Article contentLa Caisse’s comments matter, and not only because it’s one of Air Canada’s larger shareholders. Its opinions on corporate activities tend to carry a lot of weight in the Quebec public and media. Criticism from the C$517 billion fund manager can sometimes influence companies and boards to change course — as happened last year when trucking firm TFI International Inc. reversed itself on a proposed head-office move from Quebec to the US. Article contentEarlier Wednesday, Rousseau was rebuked by Prime Minister Mark Carney for the video. “We proudly live in a bilingual country and companies like Air Canada particularly have a responsibility to always communicate in both official languages, regardless of the situation,” he said.Article contentFrancois Legault, the premier of Quebec, suggested the airline executive should resign. Article contentRousseau’s lack of comfort in French has long been a sore point in Quebec. Air Canada is headquartered in the Montreal region, the business and financial center of Quebec, which is the only Canadian province where French is the majority language. The airline is required by law to operate in both of Canada’s two official languages. Article contentArticle contentThe CEO’s video also hit a nerve because one of the two deceased pilots was from Quebec.Article contentA spokesperson for Air Canada said Rousseau is staying in his position, especially given the situation at LaGuardia is still ongoing.Article contentThe flight to LaGuardia wasn’t operated by Air Canada itself — it was a flight by Jazz Aviation LP, which runs some regional routes on its behalf. Article contentThis isn’t the first time Rousseau has erred when it comes to the French language. In 2021, just after being appointed CEO, he gave a speech to Montreal business leaders almost entirely in English. After the event, he expressed some pride in being able to live in Montreal for more than a decade without speaking French, sparking outrage in Quebec.Article contentHe apologized and has taken over 300 hours of French classes, according to Air Canada.Article contentTrending Meet the Canadian e-bike maker who is redefining the factory floor Electric Vehicles LNG Canada signs key pipeline agreement required for phase two expansion Energy Canada’s economic performance has been lagging the U.S. for years, and Statistics Canada delves into why Economy Why market bets for interest rate hikes in Canada are so high Economy Wealthsimple receives regulatory approval to offer prediction markets to investors Fintech Share this article in your social networkCommentsYou must be logged in to join the discussion or read more comments.Create an AccountSign in Join the Conversation Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion. 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