St. John’s International Airport Authority v. Michel Thibodeau (41651)

St. John’s International Airport Authority v. Michel Thibodeau (41651)

From Supreme Court of Canada Hearings (Floor Audio) by SCC Hearings Podcast

April 21, 2026 · 3h 17m

About this episode

The episode discusses a legal case involving complaints about language rights at St. John's International Airport.

In January 2018, the respondent, Mr. Thibodeau, filed six complaints under the Official Languages Act, R.S.C. 1985 (4th supp.) (OLA) with the intervener, the Commissioner of Official Languages of Canada against the appellant, St. John’s International Airport Authority (SJIAA) with regards to the violation of ss. 22 and 23 of the OLA related to the language of communication and services. In summary, Mr. Thibodeau alleged that the SJIAA: (1) has an exclusively English presence on social media such as Facebook, YouTube and Instagram; (2) has a website with an English-only URL and of which the French version is not of equal quality to the English version; (3) publishes its press releases in English only; (4) makes certain documents on its website, including annual reports and its master plan, available in English only; (5) uploads content on Twitter almost exclusively in English; and (6) displays certain automated teller machine (ATM) signage in English only within the airport.Mr. Thibodeau’s complaints resulted in the issuance of two separate reports by the Commissioner: the first addressed the complaints concerning various types of content posted on social media and online, while…

Topics covered

  • Official Languages Act
  • language rights
  • social media communication
  • airport services
  • legal complaints

Keywords

  • Official Languages Act
  • St. John’s International Airport Authority
  • Michel Thibodeau
  • language complaints
  • social media language

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: St. John’s International Airport Authority, Commissioner of Official Languages of Canada, Official Languages Act

More episodes of Supreme Court of Canada Hearings (Floor Audio)

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Supreme Court of Canada Hearings (Floor Audio) podcast page.