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Air canada loses lawsuit over stewardess failing to speak in "mother tongue"

StefanoUS

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Quelle horreur! French-Canadians Michel and Lynda Thibodeau were awarded roughly $12,500 last week after suing Air Canada because the airline's stewardesses failed to address them in their mother tongue as legally required, the Canadian Press reports.

The Thibodeau's lawsuit was based largely on being unable to find an agent who spoke French and a baggage announcement that was made only in English when they were traveling from Ottawa to the United States. The couple was seeking $500,000 Canadian in damages.

The carrier, it should be noted, must communicate in both English and French when there is demand.

An important note: Mr. Thibodeau speaks English fluently.

Thibodeau has a history of being litigious. He sued an Ottawa bus company in 2002 because the bus driver said "Hello" not "Bonjour."

It would be easy to chalk this up to one Quebecois being a jerk, but there are actually political groups that cheered the Thibodeau's victory in court. It really is a different world up there. :thumb:
 
K

Kansas Frank

The couple must be Americans, disguised as French Canadians. :lol::lol::lol:

Seriously, it's nice that the court enforced the law. :thumb::thumb::thumb:

In Barcelona, Spain, announcements in public places are made in three different languages: Spanish, Catalan and English. States in the USA finally began to realize the importance of making public announcements in various languages only recently -- tourism generates jobs and tax revenues.
 

Possum Trot

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Complete and utter silliness. AC is required to be blilingual by law as a result of its origin as a crown corporation. What was not mentioned was that the flight in question did not originate nor conclude in Quebec. Just some sleezebag trying to take advantage as evidenged by the request for $500,00 in damages because he was asked in english if he wanted something to drink. If he had simply asked for an apology I might have had an ounce of sympathy for him.
 

voyageur

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I have no problem with AC required to provide bilingual service. They are, after all, a national airline. However, what does upset me is flying with the other national airline, Westjet, where they are NOT required to offer bilingual service. I've had flights out of Montreal where the most they would do is play a taped French safety announcement. I suppose I should be happy, though. At least I don't have to listen to their corny jokes in French as well as English.

It's amazing, though, that I've had better French service on Americain Airlines from Dallas to Montreal than I've had with WestJet from Winnepeg or Toronto to Montreal...

Deux poids, deux mesures....
 

hormone

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Feb 28, 2007
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The carrier, it should be noted, must communicate in both English and French when there is demand.

An important note: Mr. Thibodeau speaks English fluently.

It does not matter that Thibodeau speaks English fluently or not! And it does not matter either that the flight was not originating from/ arriving in Québec. Canada is officially bliingual its people are supposed to be able to be attented to/ served/ questionned at the border/ prosecuted, etc... in one of the languages of their choice whenever they are dealing with a Crown Corporation (Air Canada) or any official federal govenment agency/ service/ office. If French speaking Canadians abdicate their right to this, it will be rapid assimilation, pure and simple. Air Canada-- or its employees??-- is known to neglect the bilingualism issue, mostly outside of Québec, but even sometimes within Québec. I really don't see why any francophone should feel hesitant or shy to demand to be spoken to in French in this context.

Mr Thibodeau's litigiousness seems to be guided by the same principles/ issues. Understandable and very laudable.
 

Techman

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Why is it that even outside Quebec these assholes expect to be addressed in French first? When did French suddenly become the number one language in the world, or even in Canada for that matter? Isn't it enough that every federal speech begins in French no matter where in Canada it is given? Or that the National Anthem is started in French first at every government occasion? If an English couple is served in French first can they sue because they were not addressed in their native language first? Or how about suing when an English Canadian can't get served in their own language in the Montreal PUBLIC Transit system?

I love how these xenophobic bastards are the first to bitch and complain whenever they can't get their bilingual service outside of Quebec but will fight to the death to keep Quebec unilingual French. Convenient for them that Canada is officially bilingual while Quebec refuses to be. Mr Thibodeau's litigiousness was guided by only one thing... he's a closed minded racist ass who was looking for a payday and a pat on the back from his separatist buddies.
 

McFly

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Techman, I really think that you're being ????? here.

And I don't need to elaborate on that.


>>> Édité par Mod 11: Insultes effacées. Edited by Mod 11: deleted insults. <<<
 
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James Joyce

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Elvis

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Je constate que le bon vieux Techman est toujours ?????
C'est évidemment de la mauvaise volonté de la part d'Air Canada, une compagnie nationale.
Que cette compagnie de trouduc obéisse à la loi, un point c'est tout. Et qu'elle cesse de nous emmerder.

>>> Édité par Mod 11: Insultes effacées. Edited by Mod 11: deleted insults. <<<
 
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James Joyce

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Je constate que le bon vieux Techman est toujours ??????.
C'est évidemment de la mauvaise volonté de la part d'Air Canada, une compagnie nationale.
Que cette compagnie de trouduc obéisse à la loi, un point c'est tout. Et qu'elle cesse de nous emmerder.

So Elvis let me understand something. If there was a flight originating from Saskatoon, Sask. and ending in Regina, Sask. in that case, is it always realistic and reasonable that each of those flights have a bilingual flight attendant on board ?
 
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sapman99

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Techman, get a... sense of perspective

Before I address techman, the flight originated from our nations' capital, reason enough for service in French to be available. Did not read the whole story, but at least one flight attendant should have been able to serve the guy in French.

The fact that the man is capable of speaking English is irrelevant: using that argument, we (the French speaking) would be assimilated in no time. Talk about a cop out.

Is the man going a little overboard? Probably. But he is also doing something about French not being swept under the carpet altogether, as some would wish :confused:.
When did French suddenly become the number one language in the world, or even in Canada for that matter?
Newsflash: French is one of Canada's two official languages. I am sorry if this is an inconvenience, as your undertone suggests.
Isn't it enough that every federal speech begins in French no matter where in Canada it is given? Or that the National Anthem is started in French first at every government occasion?
That is totally false: I do not know how many times I was shocked to find out how we here in Quebec go out of our way to be bilingual in these public, nationwide occasions, while French is given the short shrift in all other provinces.
How about suing when an English Canadian can't get served in their own language in the Montreal PUBLIC Transit system?
An off-duty STM employee the other night went out of his way, in broken English, to talk transit matters with me and two anglo friends while riding the Metro. Oh and please check Ottawa, our Nations' Capital: on OC Transpo there, less English service than here. The proportion of francos using it: higher. Meanwhile, I studiously avoid West-end Montreal so I don't develop hives: countless restaurant serving staff there blithely continue to serve me in English even though I am speaking French with them.
xenophobic bastards
Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the most xenophobic of them all?

Do I agree with this guys' tactics? No. But am I happy A/C, one of the worst offenders when it comes to a national company on the French issue gets their nose rubbed in it and must rethink its' policies? Mais OUI mon ami!

Chill, man. THAT is the official language in our beautiful city. Even I, who is a fervent Canadian and can obviously converse in English, sometimes ask myself when I read you: "If this is really what Anglo-Canadians think of this language debate, then I guess the is no future for us francos in this country, so...".

Hey mon ami, aimes tu ça manger des pétaques?
 
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pokerpro

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If there was a flight originating from Saskatoon, Sask. and ending in Regina, Sask. in that case, is it always realistic and reasonable that each of those flights have a bilingual flight attendant on board ?

There is over 2 million french-canadians living outside Quebec. http://fr.wiktionary.org/wiki/francophone_hors_Québec

Thousands of them live in Saskatchewan where they have been established for over 300 years !http://www.ops.gov.sk.ca/Default.aspx?DN=1acd120d-707d-4b66-bfb8-c47a383b2f5a
 
K

Kansas Frank

USA beats every other country by a huge margin when it comes to "ambulance chasing" lawyers and litigants.

I'm not sure that anyone on this thread is a racist; I would say nationalistic.

The plaintiffs in this case were simply asking the Crown to enforce the law. As "silly" as it may seem to some people, I think the plaintiffs wanted to make sure the laws of Canada are respected. Certainly, they had a monetary ulterior motive.

In the US, we have disabled people filing lawsuits against business establishments because they allegedly failed to provide reasonable accommodations to disable people, as required by law. Many businesses, especially those owned and operated by mom and pop, consider these lawsuits shake down and frivolous.

As an outsider, I rather like the fact that Quebec is a bilingual province, under Canada's law and Canada is a bilingual country. IMHO, this enriches the quality of life for all Canadians, politics aside.

Since the US stole California from Mexico, it wouldn't hurt to require folks in California to be bilingual in Spanish and English. (I studied Spanish in college when I was getting my undergraduate degree in Arizona.) As for Louisiana, I wouldn't mind if our federal government required French and English be spoken there. If the The Louisiana Purchase had not occurred, I strongly believe US would face the same deep issues that have perplexed the Crown for decades.

I don't know much about Canadian politics, especially as to Quebec wanting to be recognized as a separate country, but I've always find it charming to be among French speakers whenever I visit Montreal. (My siblings studied French in grade school and university.)

I hope Canada and Quebec continue to be bilingual, French and English, as required by law. I really wish I can speak and understand French, which is a beautiful language to my ears.

As Rodney King famously said "Let's all get along." Canada, despite the social and economic woes, is one of the best countries in the world.
 
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sapman99

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Just a clarification

It is complex to sort out all the different language laws in Canada, but here are the basics:

  • Canada has an "Official Languages Act". It states that every person addressing the Government of Canada has the right to be served in English or French. It does very little in terms of minority language protection in all other areas.
  • Quebec has what was known as Bill 101, now the "French Language Charter". It is a sweeping piece of legislation with provisions in terms of language of employment, signage, education and communication with the public. All this being said, the QC government both serves and funds services to the Anglo population here much better than most other provinces which have no "language regulations" service their French minorities. I know first hand from both having visited all provinces many times over and lived in Ontario over 15 years.
  • New-Brunswick is the only province which is officially bilingual.
  • In Canada, municipalities are creatures of the provincial authorities. As such, they can enact legislation as they see fit, as long as said legislation does not enter into conflict with federal and/or provincial statutes.
Legislation and reality are two totally separate things. Ontario is a flagrant example of a place with a "French Language Services Act" without the proper funding to its' francophone communities.

Wherever else in Canada you go, its' a well understood fact you "may" get some government services in French, but in order to thrive, one must master English. No one in their right mind on either side of the debate can dispute this.

I am always puzzled by the fact that the opposite is not true: many (not all) Quebec Anglos seem to want to live out their life in a province with a French majority without attempting to commune with it and its' culture. I get the "you should be bilingual but we don't need to be" attitude all too often, and it is sad.

English has risen to be one of the dominant languages in the world. But partly because of this, some English people have lost the will to "adapt to the natives".

The French Language Charter is in some its' provisions, unpalatable: it does not uphold the ideals of freedom as I see them, personally. But unfortunately it had become necessary as a societal choice in order for French-speaking culture to survive as a tiny island in a North American sea of English.

Like I said, legislation and reality are two things: the only NHL town where the Canadian anthem is sung in both languages is Montreal. As a Canadian and a Quebecer, I am proud of this.
 

lgna69xxx

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I could see the guys point until the part i read that said he speaks english fluently. What comes around goes around. What a joke this guy is, wasting taxpayers money and time for this act of pettiness and/or greed. Karma's a bitch.
The Thibodeau's lawsuit was based largely on being unable to find an agent who spoke French and a baggage announcement that was made only in English when they were traveling from Ottawa to the United States.

The carrier, it should be noted, must communicate in both English and French when there is demand.

An important note: Mr. Thibodeau speaks English fluently.

Thibodeau has a history of being litigious. He sued an Ottawa bus company in 2002 because the bus driver said "Hello" not "Bonjour."
 
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sapman99

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My bad and DOH

Not true, Ottawa does as well, been to many many games at Scotiabank Place and it is always sung in both languages... click on the link and scroll to the 1.20 mark.
Oops, seems I am wrong. TWO places, not one. Out of six. I sit corrected.
I could see the guys point until the part i read that said he speaks english fluently. What comes around goes around. What a joke this guy is, wasting taxpayers money and time for this act of pettiness and/or greed. Karma's a bitch.
Then the punishment for being bilingual is to lose the right to be served in your native tongue, and the "reward" for being unilingual is that you can?
 

pokerpro

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Jul 6, 2008
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Why is it that even outside Quebec these assholes expect to be addressed in French first? Isn't it enough that every federal speech begins in French no matter where in Canada it is given? Or that the National Anthem is started in French first at every government occasion?

The Canadian national anthem ''O Canada'' originates from Quebec, was composed by 2 french-canadians and later translated in english.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/O_Canada
 
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