Saturday morning I flew to Japan.
First part of the flight: Montreal-Calgary.
Duration: four and a half hours.
Airline: Westjet.
“What’s your problem?”
No employee could pronounce a single word in French.
Not one.
When the pilot spoke to the passengers (to tell us, for example, that we were about to enter a zone of turbulence), it was in English.
When flight attendants spoke to passengers, it was in English.
The only exception: a pre-recorded audio message in French broadcast at very low volume during takeoff and landing.
The rest, in English only.
I asked the employee who was distributing the drinks for an apple juice.
“What?” What do you want?
— Apple juice.
— I don’t speak French.”
When I pointed out to her (in her language, because I am bilingual), that French was one of the two official languages of Canada, the flight attendant told me that it was false, that it There was only one official language in the country: English.
“No, no, I assure you, there are two official languages in Canada!”, I replied in the language of Michael Rousseau, the boss of Air Canada.
“No, just English,” she replied. And you know, at Westjet, we’re not required to speak a second language…”
(“You know, at Westjet, you don’t have to speak a second language.”)
A few minutes later, another flight attendant came to see us.
“Hey guys, what’s your problem?
— We don’t have any problem, my wife replied in the language of Mary Simon, the Governor General of Canada. We just asked to be served in our language. We’re gonna file a complaint!
(“We’re going to file a complaint”)
— Well, ok, do it, Westjet is going to come back to us full time! And I’m gonna file a complaint against you!”
(“No problem, Westjet will support us 100%. And I will be the one to file a complaint against you!”)
The only bilinguals
Westjet does not sell biscuits or tea. It is a Canadian airline based in Calgary. On a plane, there can be safety issues. A sick person, technical problems…
And no employee speaks a word of the country’s “other official language”? Not even “Thank you” or “Hello”?
Do you think that Transat flight attendants are unilingual French-speaking?
Everywhere in Canada, people don’t care about French.
But in Quebec, it’s “Bonjour Hi” here and “Bonjour Hi” there. So as not to offend the English-speaking minority who have the right to be served in their language.
Ultimately, when you think about it, it is only in Quebec where bilingualism exists and is established.
Everywhere in the rest of the country, it’s English Only.
Only Quebecers hold on to the myth of the two official languages.
If we didn’t do this, this myth would be crushed.
Let’s take two Canadians.
The first is unilingual English. The second is unilingual French-speaking.
The first will be able to work anywhere in the country. The second will only be able to work in Quebec. And again, not in Montreal.
However, these two Canadian citizens are supposed to have the same rights.
Will you tell me what we still do in that country?
