Canada’s Minister of National Defence has announced a review of a directive from 2025 that determines the languages used in military workplaces due to recent concerns. The Department of National Defence (DND) and the Canadian Armed Forces made changes to language rules for workplace activities and services in January 2025. Previously, units were categorized as English, French, or both.
According to a DND blog post in July, many organizations and units in unilingual regions faced challenges in meeting language obligations, leading to complaints and frustration. The directive, officially known as DAOD 5039-2, aligned internal language requirements with the language designation of the office location under the Official Languages Act, effective January 2025.
The new rules specified that only workplaces in designated bilingual regions, such as New Brunswick, the National Capital Region, and parts of northern Ontario, must use English and French exclusively for communication. However, these changes did not impact interactions with the public or military families.
Despite the directive, the military continued to promote the use of both official languages to enhance inclusivity and uphold Canada’s linguistic diversity. The blog post generated criticism from advocates and opposition parties, highlighting concerns about the protection of French within a major federal department.
Minister of National Defence David McGuinty responded to the feedback by initiating a review of workplace language designations to assess their alignment with operational requirements and respect for language rights within the Defence Team. The review process does not have a specified timeline.
Following this development, the Conservative Party demanded an immediate repeal of the changes, emphasizing the importance of allowing Francophone members to work, lead, and progress in French, even in predominantly English-speaking regions.