Canada’s defense minister has announced a review of a directive from 2025 that dictates the languages used in military workplaces due to recent concerns. The Department of National Defense (DND) and the Canadian Armed Forces altered regulations in January 2025 regarding the language requirements for internal activities and services like meetings and documents. Previously, units were categorized as English, French, or both.
According to a DND blog post in late July, many organizations and units in unilingual areas faced challenges meeting language obligations, leading to complaints and frustration. The directive, known as DAOD 5039-2, became effective in January 2025, aligning internal language mandates with the language designation of the office location under the Official Languages Act. Consequently, only workplaces in officially bilingual regions, such as New Brunswick, the National Capital Region, and parts of northern Ontario, were mandated to use English and French exclusively.
These modifications did not impact communication with the public or military families. The military continues to promote the use of both official languages to enhance inclusivity and uphold Canada’s linguistic diversity.
The blog post triggered media scrutiny and criticism from advocates and critics of official languages in opposition parties, who viewed it as a setback for French language protection within a major federal department. Responding to the concerns, Minister of National Defense David McGuinty stated on Thursday that he acknowledges the issues raised and has initiated a review of workplace language designations.
McGuinty emphasized that the review will evaluate the application of language requirements and assess if the current approach aligns with operational needs while upholding the language rights of the Defense Team. However, no specific timeline for the review was provided. Subsequently, the Conservative Party urged McGuinty to revoke the changes promptly, asserting that Francophone members should not lose their ability to work, lead, or progress professionally in French merely because they are stationed in predominantly English-speaking regions.
