Quebcer,
That about sums up the issues with Quebec...they think they are a seperate country with their own rules, and well that kind of pisses off the rest of Canada. A little less nose in the air holier than thou bit and maybe we'd get along better.
The point being made, and it is a valid one, is that it reduces english speaking pilots situational awareness when aircraft communicate in French in an ATC environment. It is not necessary, and simply complicates the communication process. Since you spent 10 years in the military and learned english i would assume you'd understand that. Any other pilot who wants to fly must also learn and speak english regardless of where he comes from in the world, like it or not its the official language. So why is Quebec special yet again? I guess they feel like they have something to prove..sort of like the silly language law.
All over Canada we tiptoe around french politics, trying desperatly not to offend our sensitive quebec neighbours, while the whole time they go out of the way to try and offend the rest of canada. if for one moment someone calls then on that, they drop to the ice and flop around screaming like they just got slashed and are looking for a penalty....guess some are just a bit tired of that status quo.
In any case the end point is simply if you don't speak the language that is supposed to be spoken in aviation, then you reduce SA of pilots that don't understand the local dialect and that reduces the margin of safety wether or not it has caused an accident or not..no point to it at all.