Canada’s Minister of Defence has announced a review of a directive from 2025 that dictates the languages permitted in military workplaces, following recent concerns. The Department of National Defence (DND) and the Canadian Armed Forces modified language rules in January 2025 for internal activities and services like meetings and documentation.
Previously, units were categorized as English, French, or both, which led to challenges for organizations in unilingual regions, resulting in complaints and frustration. The directive, known as DAOD 5039-2, aligned language requirements with the designated language of the office location under the Official Languages Act.
Under the new rules, only workplaces in bilingual regions like New Brunswick, the National Capital Region, and parts of northern Ontario are required to use English and French exclusively. However, these changes do not impact communication with the public or military families.
Despite the changes, the military still promotes the use of both official languages to enhance inclusivity and uphold Canada’s linguistic diversity. The review of workplace language designations aims to assess how language requirements have been implemented and ensure they meet operational needs while respecting the language rights of the Defence Team.
Minister of National Defence David McGuinty acknowledged the concerns raised about the directive and emphasized the importance of the review. The timeline for the review was not specified in the announcement. In response, the Conservative Party has called for an immediate repeal of the changes, arguing that French-speaking personnel should not be disadvantaged in predominantly English-speaking regions.