Gov. Gen.’s spouse criticizes Quebec media over coverage of Mary Simon’s trip to province

Gov. Gen. Mary Simon’s spouse, former CBC journalist Whit Fraser, is criticizing Quebec media for their coverage of Simon’s French language skills during a trip to the province in late September.

In a Facebook post published Friday, Fraser wrote that when Simon became Canada’s governor general, he accepted he would sometimes have to “bite my tongue.”

“Today is an exception,” Fraser said. “A growing raft of BS stemming from the Quebec media underlines the two things I’ll always fight for. My wife and journalism that was so good to me.”

Fraser directly called out Le Journal de Québec. After Simon visited a food bank in Lévis, Que., the news outlet published an article that said conversations during the visit were held almost exclusively in English.

In a statement to CBC News, Fraser said he was referencing several articles and radio broadcasts, including one from Le Journal.

The trip was cut short after Simon visited the food bank. In a statement on Sept. 26 responding to critical coverage of her language skills, Simon said she understands “the importance of French to French-speaking Canadians as a critical part of their cultures and identities.”

“That is one of the reasons that, as I took on my role as governor general, I committed to learning French and continue to practice, improve and use all three languages.”

Simon, who is Canada’s first Indigenous governor general, is fluent in English and Inuktitut. She was educated in a federal day school in Quebec’s Nunavik region and has previously said she was not given the opportunity to learn French as a child.

Simon started taking French lessons in July 2021, a Rideau Hall spokesperson said in August.

‘Too much hypocrisy to bear’

Fraser wrote that Simon was doing important work in Quebec by highlighting a unique food assistance program, but “overnight, outrage poured from a half dozen additional papers and radio stations, in both ‘official languages.'”

“None were asked if they had ever tried learning the Governor-General’s Indigenous language, Inuktitut,” Fraser wrote.

Journalists who engaged in critical coverage of Simon’s language skills didn’t acknowledge that she wasn’t taught French in Quebec schools, despite being raised in the province, Fraser wrote, adding that “going there is too much hypocrisy to bear.”

Following critical press coverage, Fraser wrote that “a gaggle of insecure Quebec politicians chased the bandwagon — including federal Liberal cabinet ministers.”

Fraser did not specify which politicians he was referring to in his post.

Following his Facebook post, Fraser told CBC News that he stands “by every word — but have nothing more to say at least for the foreseeable future.”

CBC News has also reached out to Rideau Hall for comment but did not hear back in time for publication.

Lawsuit over governor general’s appointment ongoing

Simon’s French-speaking abilities are the subject of an ongoing lawsuit seeking to overturn her appointment as governor general. 

The court challenge, filed in Quebec Superior Court in 2022, argues that Simon, who took over as the King’s representative in Canada in 2021, cannot hold the position because she does not speak French.

The two groups who brought the challenge — Droits collectifs Québec and Justice Pour le Québec — argue the federal government violated two sections of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms by appointing Simon to the position despite not being fluent in French.

In August, the Quebec Superior Court dismissed an application by the attorney general of Canada to have the case thrown out. It ruled the lawsuit can move forward and be heard on its merits.

However, the judge in the case did state in her ruling the two groups will need to file amended submissions to prove their relevance to the case.