National Defence

The committee was studying the situation of francophone and Indigenous members of the Canadian Armed Forces. Appearing were Stéphanie Chouinard, an associate professor at the Royal Military College of Canada; Hélène Le Scelleur, a retired captain; Lieutenant-General Michel Maisonneuve, retired; and Eric Sauvé, a former officer.

Professor Chouinard said that bilingualism in the forces is largely carried by francophones, with only 9% of anglophones bilingual and many francophones experiencing subtractive bilingualism in English-dominated environments. She argued that language training focuses on test-taking rather than career-long use, and that a cultural shift is needed so all members embrace linguistic duality as a matter of leadership and respect. She recommended monitoring implementation of the new ministerial directive on official languages and providing earlier, more practical language training.

Retired Captain Le Scelleur described systemic barriers she faced as a francophone and First Nations member, including career training delivered only in English, lack of timely mental health services in French, and inequitable application of language requirements for promotions. She recommended that all career training be mandatory in both official languages, that immediate access to health services in the language of choice be guaranteed, and that promotions be conditioned on equitable language requirements with annual comparative data published.

Lieutenant-General Maisonneuve argued that bilingualism is an essential part of military leadership and an operational advantage, and that the requirement for functional bilingualism before promotion is a matter of meritocracy. He stressed that anglophones defending French have a greater impact than francophones doing so, and criticized senior leaders who fail to learn French as a failure of ethics and leadership. He recommended making bilingualism an integral part of leadership throughout a career.

Eric Sauvé said the forces have a double standard where francophones are expected to manage in English while anglophones are not similarly expected to learn French, and that culture change must be driven by orders from the top, backed by adequate training resources. He argued that language training should begin early in a career and be ongoing, with real opportunities to use the language, and that imposing quotas and requirements will work if training is provided. He recommended imposing regulations and quotas while providing training starting as early as possible for leaders.

The committee also heard exchanges on the impact of the army's restructuring into three divisions, the availability of mental health services, the role of the ombudsman, and the importance of supporting military families. On Bill C-11, Le Scelleur stressed the importance of choice between military and civilian justice systems, particularly for accessing services in one's first language. No procedural debate, motions, or votes occurred during this meeting.