To artbrooks: The problem, as I see it, wasn't that he spoke French "with a Canadian accent", if indeed he did. The problem was that he used the expression "You speak French with a Canadian accent" in front of a Canadian audience, on Canadian soil. I realize that he was referring to himself, not his audience. Still, while it may be true, as you imply, that there is such a thing as a Canadian accent for the majority of French-speaking Canadians, I think such a remark - coming from an American - might have been construed by many Canadians as an implication that French as spoken by Canadians is somehow inferior to French as spoken by others (e.g. the French.) I believe there was some controversy over this remark at the time.

If, in fact, Canadians at the time took no offense and were pleased by the fact that an American president had taken the trouble to learn a French greeting to begin this address, I am ready to be corrected.