Canada’s defense minister has announced a review of a directive from 2025 that determines the languages used in military workplaces due to recent concerns. In January 2025, the Department of National Defense (DND) and the Canadian Armed Forces modified regulations regarding language usage for internal activities and services like meetings and documents. Previously, units were classified as English, French, or both.
According to a blog post by the DND in late July, many organizations in unilingual regions struggled to meet language requirements, resulting in complaints and frustration. The directive, referred to as DAOD 5039-2, was implemented in January 2025 to align internal language requirements with the workplace’s language designation under the Official Languages Act, restricting communication to English and French in designated bilingual regions like New Brunswick and the National Capital Region.
Despite these changes, communication with the public and military families remained unaffected. The military continued to promote the use of both official languages to enhance inclusivity and uphold Canada’s linguistic diversity. The blog post sparked criticism from language advocates and opposition parties, who viewed it as a weakening of French language protection within a major federal department.
Minister of National Defense David McGuinty responded to the concerns by ordering a review of the workplace language designations. He emphasized the importance of evaluating how language requirements are enforced and ensuring they align with operational needs while respecting the language rights of the Defense Team. The timeline for the review was not specified.
Following the announcement, the Conservative Party called for an immediate repeal of the changes, arguing that Francophone members should not lose opportunities to work, lead, or progress professionally in French-dominated regions. The party’s critics for Quebec, official languages, and defense jointly issued a statement expressing these concerns.
