I learned legalese in my late-30s and gained a passable mastery of French in my late 40s (though not living in Quebec). But I read this story and fully understand that a man of 60 become a refugee by war, and given sanctuary in a totally different culture, ill himself and with a sick wife and alzheimers mother  is facing different odds than I was.  Think of how many 60-year old Canadians, laid-off and unemployable, struggle without a fraction of what he's gone through.

Yes, it's possible for him to learn English under ideal circumstances, but not likely to happen for most refugees of his circumstances, as past Canadian experience of older family-member immigrants has shown.