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OTTAWA — Gov. Gen. Mary Simon remains “deeply committed” to learning French, her office said, after releasing updated figures that show she has taken an average of 1.5 hours of French classes per week since her appointment in July 2021.
The Office of the Governor General said Simon has taken “approximately 324 hours” of French classes from two providers, at a cost of $52,415.
The cost was provided to Parliament in response to questions from Bloc Québécois MP Xavier Barsalou-Duval, who raised the issue in question period on Friday.
Steven Guilbeault, the minister of Canadian identity, responded to Barsalou-Duval’s question by saying Simon should be commended for her efforts to learn French, which he noted is her third language.
Simon, who was born in the Nunavik region of Quebec, speaks English and Inuktitut.
She is Canada’s first Indigenous Governor General and has said in the past that she did not have the opportunity to learn French while attending federally run day schools as a child.
Simon has pledged to learn French from the outset of her term.
“As a Canadian and a Quebecer, the Governor General understands very well the critical relationship between identity, culture, and language,” Simon’s office said in response to questions.
Her office also said she continues to practise speaking French on a regular basis.
Barsalou-Duval said Friday that the average of less than two hours of classes per week is “very little to really learn a language.”
Speaking in French, Barsalou-Duval also said the Liberals showed “what little importance they afford to the French language” by nominating a Governor General who can’t speak it.
Her appointment sparked intense debate and led to more than 1,300 complaints to the Commissioner of Official Languages.
Two Quebec language rights groups also launched a legal challenge of her appointment in Quebec Superior Court in 2022. The federal government tried to have the case thrown out but the court ruled in August of 2024 that it can proceed.
The public criticism flared up during an official visit by Simon to Quebec last fall.
After news articles pointed out that Simon was unable to hold a conversation in French, the Office of the Governor General abruptly cancelled one of her planned engagements.
Jean-Yves Duclos, who was then-prime minister Justin Trudeau’s Quebec lieutenant, said at the time that the Governor General must demonstrate the desire to learn and Simon “is increasingly proficient.” He also defended Simon, noting her work on reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 26, 2025.
Sarah Ritchie, The Canadian Press
