Governor General Mary Simon's inability to speak French causes unease among Liberals

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The inability of Governor General Mary Simon’s to express herself in French, three years after her appointment, is creating deep unease among the federal Liberals, who were behind her appointment.

The Journal de Québec made the observation on Tuesday during the Governor General’s visit to the Quebec City region for two days. She was unable to hold a conversation in French beyond a simple hello, speaking only in English.

The affair caused a stir in Ottawa and, on Wednesday morning, Simon’s office announced that “it is with regret that Her Excellency the Right Honourable Mary Simon, Governor General of Canada, must cancel her visit to Pignon Bleu today,” a community organization that was to receive her on Wednesday.

Simon was born in Quebec, in Kangiqsualujjuaq in Nunavik, but speaks only English and Inuktitut. When she was appointed in July 2021, she promised to learn French.

No progress

Three years later and despite French classes, she has not made any real progress in learning the language of Molière.

“I know she is making efforts and I appreciate her efforts, but after three years, we would like to see a little more progress,” said Nova Scotia Liberal MP Darrell Samson, when questioned on the subject Wednesday morning in the Commons.

Samson, who is Acadian, added that once appointed, Simon “has a responsibility to deliver the goods,” but he did not hesitate to express a clear opinion on this subject: “I believe that the person who is appointed to this seat should be bilingual, absolutely.”

Childhood evoked

Justin Trudeau’s new Quebec lieutenant, Public Services and Procurement Minister Jean-Yves Duclos, acknowledged that the Governor General “must demonstrate not only the desire and reality of learning French, (but also) the demonstration that she is increasingly proficient in this language.” However, he sought to excuse this shortcoming, bringing up her childhood: “We know that she comes from an environment where, despite the fact that she probably would have wanted to learn French as a child, she did not learn it for reasons beyond her control and that of her community.”

He dismissed out of hand the idea that she should be removed from her duties, recalling “that she is the first Indigenous Governor General. … She does a lot to bring Canadians together and bring them closer together, including obviously working for reconciliation, for the affirmation of Indigenous Peoples,” he said.

He did, however, acknowledge before leaving the press scrum that “on the issue of French, she must continue to make efforts and demonstrate more success.”

For his part, Labour Minister Steven McKinnon did not want to address the subject, repeating twice that “it is not an issue I have thought about.” He simply added that he has “great respect for the Governor General.”

Blanchet sharp

Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet was much more critical, joking that “the big boss of everything Canadian who needs an interpreter to walk around Quebec City, that’s already a bit surprising.”

More directly, Blanchet said “she should not have been appointed without being able to speak French. She should have learned French. We understand that she will never learn French,” he said, adding that the real problem is not so much her learning French, but rather her monarchical function, “an archaism that should be abolished.” He promised that the Bloc will continue to demand the abolition of all symbols, practices and powers linked to the British monarchy.

Simon responds

In a statement Thursday, Simon said “as a Canadian and a Quebecer, I understand very well the critical relationship between identity, culture and language. That is why speaking my mother tongue, Inuktitut, is an integral part of my identity.

“Although I am fluent in Inuktitut and English, I was unable to speak French.”

She added that she understands the importance of French to French-speaking Canadians and that “it is an essential part of their culture and identity.

“That is one of the reasons why, when I took office as Governor General, I committed to learning French and continuing to practise it, in order to improve and use all three languages.”

She also indicated her desire to remain true to what she said in her installation speech, namely that she will strive to “build bridges between the diverse backgrounds and cultures that reflect the uniqueness and promise of our great country.”