Canada’s Minister of Defence has announced a review of a directive from 2025 that regulates the languages used in military workplaces due to 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 documents. Previously, units were categorized as English, French, or both.
According to a DND blog post in late July, several organizations and units in unilingual regions faced challenges meeting language requirements, leading to complaints and frustration. The directive, DAOD 5039-2, implemented in January 2025, aligned internal language requirements with the language designation of the office location under the Official Languages Act.
As a result, only workplaces in designated bilingual regions, such as New Brunswick, the National Capital Region, and parts of northern Ontario, are mandated to use English and French exclusively. 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 recent blog post attracted criticism from advocates and opposition parties concerned about the perceived weakening of French language protection within a major government department.
In response to the feedback, Defence Minister David McGuinty announced a review of workplace language designations to ensure they align with operational requirements and respect the language rights of the Defence Team. The review timeline was not specified in the announcement.
Subsequently, the Conservative Party called for an immediate repeal of the changes, emphasizing that Francophone members should not lose their ability to work, lead, or progress professionally in French, even in predominantly English-speaking regions.