Canada’s defense minister has announced a review of a 2025 directive that dictates language use in military settings due to recent concerns. In January 2025, the Department of National Defense (DND) and the Canadian Armed Forces revised regulations regarding language usage for internal activities and services within workplaces. Previously, units were categorized as English, French, or both.
According to a DND blog post from late July, organizations and units in unilingual areas faced challenges in meeting language requirements, leading to complaints and frustration. The directive, officially 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.
Under the new rules, only workplaces in designated bilingual regions, such as New Brunswick, the National Capital Region, and parts of northern Ontario, are mandated to communicate solely in English and French. However, these changes do not impact communication with the public or military families.
Despite the adjustments, the military still promotes the use of both official languages to enhance inclusivity and uphold respect for Canada’s linguistic diversity. The move sparked criticism from advocates and opposition parties, who viewed it as a weakening of French language protection within a major federal department.
In response to the feedback, Minister of National Defense David McGuinty stated that he is taking the concerns seriously and has initiated a review of workplace language designations. The review aims to assess the application of language-of-work requirements and determine if the current approach aligns with operational needs while upholding the language rights of the Defense Team.
The timeline for the review was not specified in the announcement. Subsequently, the Conservative Party called for an immediate repeal of the changes, emphasizing the importance of ensuring that French-speaking personnel can continue to work, lead, and progress professionally in predominantly English-speaking regions.