Official Languages

The committee dealt with two motions. The first concerned Air Canada’s CEO, Michael Rousseau, who had announced his retirement after a controversy over his failure to offer condolences in French to the family of a francophone pilot. The committee unanimously adopted a motion, as amended, that cancelled the invitation to Rousseau and instead invited the chair of Air Canada’s board of directors to appear no later than May 29, 2026, to explain the organization’s priorities for official languages in recruiting the next CEO and in its broader operations. The motion also invited the next CEO to appear within two months of their appointment, so the committee could assess their commitment to official languages obligations.

Some members noted that while they would have preferred Rousseau to appear for accountability, the amended motion was a proactive way to focus on the future. One member raised a concern about whether the committee was overstepping its mandate by influencing hiring decisions, but others argued it was appropriate to ask about the criteria and direction the board would set. The committee agreed to revisit the issue if Rousseau remained in his role beyond his announced September departure.

The committee then adopted a second motion, moved by Joël Godin, to send a letter of congratulations to Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen for his use of French during the Artemis II mission, recognizing it as the furthest the French language has ever been spoken from Earth.