QUESTION PERIOD — National Defence
Bilingualism
June 3, 2026
Senator Moreau, a few weeks ago, we learned that the Royal Military College of Canada in Kingston, which was founded in 1876, had designated English as the sole language of work for its administration.
According to Radio-Canada, an internal directive states that English must now be used for meetings and management, based on federal criteria that have remained unchanged since 2002. This sidelines French in many of this federal institution’s key functions.
What is even more troubling is that, on May 20, the Minister of National Defence acknowledged that this decision made no sense and that he had not been informed of it. How can the government justify an English-only administration at a national Canadian Armed Forces institution?
Thank you for the question, Senator Aucoin. I will be very clear: The right to receive training and personal services in the official language of one’s choice is a fundamental right of every member of the Canadian Armed Forces. The Royal Military College is committed to ensuring that this right is respected.
However, Kingston is located in a region where English is the language of work, while the Royal Military College continues to provide instruction and services to members of the Canadian Armed Forces, naval cadets, and officer cadets in both official languages. This designation does not diminish the importance of bilingualism at the Royal Military College in Kingston. The training is still bilingual, and personal services to students are provided in the official language of the student’s choosing. Members of the public can still interact with the Royal Military College in both official languages. RMC continues to foster a work environment conducive to the use of French and English, as this is a central element of staff development.
Thank you, Senator Moreau. I have plenty of arguments to present. We could discuss this at length, but does the government intend to take action so that students can communicate and meet with the administration in their own language?
Training is usually offered in the students’ language, either in English or in French. Unilingual students, whether anglophone or francophone, have the right to receive services in English or French. We know that promotions within the college are awarded to English- and French-speaking staff on an equitable basis and that only discussions that are administrative in nature are held in English, because Kingston is an English-speaking area.
However, the college’s services are bilingual.
