Ho-ho-hold the unilingual Santa

Posted By: Trudie Mason · 12/5/2012 11:30:00 AM

A Santa Claus has lost his job at a West Island shopping centre because he couldn't communicate with children in English.

Cary Devine's four young children had a few questions for him after meeting a unilingual French Santa at the Les Galeries des Sources shopping centre in Dorval. They worried that Santa hadn't understood their Christmas requests.  Mom and Dad were forced to translate when the communication problem arose.

The mall gets its Santas from the firm Les Animeries. The full-time St. Nick is fluently bilingual but not so the back-up Claus in question.

Louise Gendreau of Les Animeries says this Santa worked the same location last year and this is the first time someone has complained.  She wonders if the political climate might have something to do with it.  She says it is difficult to find candidates who are both good at portraying Santa and proficient in both English and French.

She says the unilingual Santa will no longer be assigned to Galeries des Sources.

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  • 13
  1. Kathryn posted on 12/05/2012 11:53 AM
    Please give me a break the comment Mme Gendreau is out right stupid, maybe the next time she interviews a candidate she should speak to them in both languages as her job requires.
    1. Jen posted on 12/05/2012 01:02 PM
      @Kathryn Not any more my friend Kathryn. According to what we just heard - this unilingual Santa has every right to work in FRENCH ONLY.
      Lancaster and Alexandria are looking mighty fine right now. :)
      I see another English Major excudus!!
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  2. jennifer posted on 12/05/2012 11:59 AM
    Good!
    My 7 year old last year was stressed that Santa said nothing but HO HO HO!
    Why did he not ask me what I wanted? Why was he just saying HO Ho ho?
    Whats wrong with him? I really don't think it's hard to learn 3 sentences
    Have you been a good boy/girl?
    What would you like for Christmas?
    HO Ho ho
    Merry Christmas!
    It's for the kids it has nothing to do with politics.
    Christmas is a time of magic and to see your child start questioning the whole Santa magic because of a language it's heart breaking!
    So good for Galeries des Sources!
  3. Jenny posted on 12/05/2012 12:27 PM
    You can BET your last dollar our great premier will make a comment if this gentleman is fired or not hired due to his uni-Lingualism. But she was MUM when the Canadian flag was stomped on by her moron followers. She is NOW the PREMIER of this Province and as such she represents ALL Quebecers - she should have DENOUNCED the act and acted like a lady not smile coyly when a report asked her about it and ignore the question. SHAME on her and you know what this Santa should be let go IMMEDIATELY - in the West Island the Santa should be BI-lingual POINT-FINAL!!
  4. Mike posted on 12/05/2012 12:42 PM
    Louise Gendreau said that this has something to do with the "political" climate - No, it has to do with the fact that you hired a Santa that could not communicate with the CHILDREN the beings that he was supposed to entertain in THEIR LANGUAGE. As a West Island resident I EXPECT to be served in MY LANGUAGE - ENGLISH and if the person servicing me tries, then I will change to french to faciliate them, however if they don't try, I make sure the manager is notified and I demand English service. After all people, we are still in CANADA.
  5. Roger posted on 12/05/2012 01:29 PM
    its about time anyone that has to deal with the public should be bilingual, shame on Quebec
  6. Eric posted on 12/05/2012 02:27 PM
    Never mind English or French, Santa travels the world delivering presents and visiting children of all nationalities. He should be multilingual as much as possible or have a universal language translator on hand for the more complex languages!
  7. Chris posted on 12/06/2012 01:55 AM
    So it's ok for the French people to graduate high school without being able to speak English, but heaven forbid the Anglophones for not speaking French. Here is yet another classic example of the one-sided, short-sighted mentality of the Francophone Separatist state which STILL hasn't changed one bit since I grew up there from the '50's thru to the '80's...
    1. Joe posted on 12/06/2012 10:31 AM
      @Chris Move to eastern Ontario and work in Quebec. The drive is not too bad and you get an extra large present from the government at tax time. Get away from the language BS.
  8. Manager posted on 12/06/2012 08:23 AM
    Make sure the manager is fired too. What kind of an idiot hires any kind of unilingual staff in the West Island. East end maybe. But West Island, come one. He or she was trying to make a statement.
  9. chuck posted on 12/08/2012 07:04 AM
    God help the stupid managers of the dorval shopping center cannot find good and bilingual help! Wow she must be saying to herself "there are still anglos here?" "What else can i do to get rid of them to ontario?"
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