Canada’s Minister of National Defence has announced a review of a 2025 directive that dictates 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 regarding language use for internal activities and services, such as meetings and documents. Previously, units were categorized as English, French, or bilingual.
A blog post by the DND in July highlighted challenges faced by organizations in unilingual regions in meeting language requirements, leading to complaints and frustrations. The directive, known as DAOD 5039-2, implemented in January 2025, aligned internal language requirements with the language designation of the office location under the Official Languages Act. This change mandated that only workplaces in designated bilingual regions like New Brunswick, the National Capital Region, and parts of northern Ontario must use English and French exclusively for communication.
Notably, the revised directive did not impact communication with the public or military families. However, it emphasized the importance of using both official languages to promote inclusivity and respect for Canada’s linguistic diversity.
Following criticisms from advocates and opposition parties, Minister of National Defence David McGuinty acknowledged concerns regarding the directive and announced 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 Defence Team.
No specific timeline was provided for the review process. Responding to the situation, the Conservative Party urged McGuinty to immediately reverse the changes, emphasizing the importance of ensuring that Francophone members can work, lead, and progress professionally in French, even in predominantly English-speaking regions.
