Former mayor criticizes Plante for speaking English
Former mayor Denis Coderre has thrown in his two cents’ worth on Mayor Valérie Plante’s English-only speech on Tuesday. In a Facebook message Wednesday, Coderre said he has always defended French and that being “a proud Montrealer also means being proud of one’s language and demonstrating it.” “I have always fought for the French fact in Canada and here at home, while respecting and speaking several languages, including English,” he said. Plante has repeatedly apologized for departing from her prepared French speech while making an announcement about the expansion of three British artificial intelligence firms to Montreal. On Wednesday, Plante said that she gives a dozen speeches a week that are entirely or mostly in French, and that on Tuesday her brain just got stuck in English after chatting with guests at the meeting before her speech. Coderre suggested that he would never allow such a thing to happen. “Whether you’re a Montrealer, Québécois or French-Canadian, nothing stops you from expressing your pride in speaking French at all times and speaking that language whether it’s in private or at an official event,” he said. Coderre added that he is always conscious that because of his former responsibilities as a federal and municipal politician, when he speaks, he is not only expressing his own views but is also speaking on behalf of the position he held. “Montreal is a francophone metropolis with magnificent diversity and a vibrant anglophone community. Montreal is Molière meets Shakespeare. It’s the capital of ‘living together,’ ” he posted. Coderre has kept a low profile since losing the municipal election a year ago after a single term in office. Quebec’s Caisse de dépôt et placement recently recruited Coderre to sit on the board of Eurostar, which operates high-speed trains in Europe. A month ago, Coderre said in a radio interview on Radio-Canada that he has not ruled out a third run at the mayoralty in 2021. Plante has also said she plans to run for a second term.