Canada’s Minister of Defence has announced plans to review a directive from 2025 that dictates the languages used in military workplaces, citing recent concerns. The Department of National Defence (DND) and the Canadian Armed Forces modified regulations in January 2025 regarding the languages utilized for internal activities and services within military settings.
Previously, units were categorized as English, French, or bilingual. Following the implementation of the directive, known as DAOD 5039-2, in January 2025, the language requirements within military workplaces were aligned with the region’s language designation under the Official Languages Act. This meant that only workplaces in officially bilingual regions, like New Brunswick and the National Capital Region, were mandated to use English and French exclusively for communication.
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.
After facing criticism and media scrutiny, Minister of National Defence David McGuinty acknowledged the concerns and announced a review of the workplace language designations. The review aims to assess the application of language requirements and ensure they align with operational needs while respecting the language rights of the Defence Team.
The timeline for the review was not specified in the announcement. In response, the Conservative Party urged McGuinty to repeal the changes immediately, emphasizing the importance of preserving the ability for Francophone members to work and advance professionally in French, regardless of their posting location in predominantly English-speaking regions.
