Canada’s defense minister has announced a review of a directive from 2025 that governs the languages used in military workplaces due to recent concerns. The Department of National Defense (DND) and the Canadian Armed Forces adjusted the rules in January 2025 regarding the languages required for internal activities and services like meetings and documents. Previously, units were designated as English, French, or both.
A blog post from DND in late July highlighted that many organizations in unilingual regions struggled to meet language obligations, leading to complaints and frustrations. The directive, known as DAOD 5039-2, took effect in January 2025, aligning internal language requirements with the language designation of the office location under the Official Languages Act.
Following this change, only workplaces in officially bilingual regions such as New Brunswick, the National Capital Region, and parts of northern Ontario were mandated to communicate solely in English and French. However, these modifications did not impact communication with the public or military families.
Despite the adjustments, the military continued to promote the use of both official languages to enhance inclusivity and uphold Canada’s linguistic diversity. The blog post triggered criticism from advocates and opposition parties, citing concerns about the diminishing protection of French within a major federal department.
In response to the feedback, Defense Minister David McGuinty stated that he takes the concerns seriously and has initiated a review of the workplace language designations. The purpose of the review is to assess the application of language-of-work requirements and determine if the current approach aligns with operational needs while respecting the language rights of the Defense Team. The announcement did not specify a timeline for the review.
Subsequently, the Conservative Party urged McGuinty to revoke the changes promptly, emphasizing that Francophone members should not lose opportunities to work, lead, or advance professionally in French when stationed in predominantly English-speaking regions.