Canada’s Minister of National Defence has announced a review of a directive from 2025 that dictates language usage within military workplaces, citing recent concerns. In January 2025, changes were made by the Department of National Defence (DND) and the Canadian Armed Forces regarding the languages to be used for internal activities and services within the military. Previously, units were categorized as English, French, or both, leading to challenges in meeting language obligations for organizations in unilingual regions, resulting in complaints and frustrations.
The directive, officially known as DAOD 5039-2, implemented in January 2025, aligned internal language requirements with the language designation of the office location under the Official Languages Act. This meant that only workplaces in designated bilingual regions, such as New Brunswick, the National Capital Region, and parts of northern Ontario, were required to use English and French exclusively for communication.
These changes did not impact communication with the public or military families, as the military still promoted the use of both official languages to enhance inclusion and reinforce respect for Canada’s linguistic diversity. A recent blog post addressing these changes drew criticism from advocates and opposition parties, highlighting concerns about the protection of French within a major federal department.
Responding to the feedback, Minister of National Defence David McGuinty stated that he takes the concerns seriously and has initiated a review of workplace language designations. The review aims to assess the application of language requirements and evaluate whether the current approach aligns with operational needs and upholds the language rights of the Defence Team. The timeline for this review was not specified.
Additionally, the Conservative Party called for an immediate repeal of the changes, emphasizing the importance of preserving the ability for Francophone members to work, command, and progress professionally in French, even in predominantly English-speaking regions.
