Defence Team Official Languages Champion Ms. Isabelle Desmartis, Assistant Deputy Minister (Defence Research and Development Canada) invites you to celebrate Semaine de la Francophonie!

March 15, 2021 -  Defence Stories

Dear Defence Team members,

This week, we celebrate la Semaine de la Francophonie, an opportunity for public service employees and military members to celebrate the richness of Canada’s linguistic duality and its French roots. From the birthplace of the Francophonie in Acadia and Quebec, to the many French-speaking communities from coast to coast to coast, French language and culture have proven to be pillars of Canada’s history and culture.

The French language enriches our Defence Team by connecting us to the communities we serve domestically and internationally. When we are deployed across Canada, it is essential for our operational units to be able to serve the population in the official language of their region and choice. Our ability to effectively communicate in French is an asset during domestic operations such as Operation LENTUS and Operation LASER. These can be high-stress situations in which we need to be able to reassure the public, in both official languages.

Of course, the Francophonie within the Defence Team is also useful in our international operations when operating in French language regions like North Africa, Haiti or with our NATO partners. Our English-speaking allies have been known to specifically request the Canadian military to deploy alongside their own in these regions so they could benefit from our linguistic duality.

Prioritizing use and acquisition of the French language within the Defence team equally empowers our civilian members to better understand and be understood by one another, supporting, for instance, procurement officers, policy advisors, and researchers to enhance their work and exchange ideas with colleagues across Canada. It also serves to make us more agile, by unifying and strengthening the very fabric of our Defence Team, and improving our ability to communicate with international allies and partners across the Francophonie.

Our national identity is deeply rooted in our history, but embodied in our official languages. As your Official Languages Champion, I invite you to reflect on the importance of the French language within our military ranks and civilian workplaces, and to make individual efforts to respect the linguistic rights of all Canadians.

I also encourage you to register for the International Day of La Francophonie virtual activity on 19 March, organized by Canadian Heritage and the Canada School of Public Service.

For more fun virtual activities, visit the Language Portal’s Les Rendez-vous de la Francophonie page, where you will find the Write It Right and Acadian Destinations contests, prepared by the Translation Bureau. Test your knowledge for fun and, of course, promote the contests within your networks!

Thank you to all the Defence Team members who remind us all of just how fortunate we are to have such rich linguistic duality.

 

Isabelle Desmartis

Assistant Deputy Minister (Defence Research and Development Canada)