When the federal government chooses its words, it isn’t just communicating policy it’s projecting identity. That’s why the recent use of British spelling in official Canadian documents should concern anyone who cares about this country’s linguistic and cultural distinctiveness.
In a pointed letter to Prime Minister Mark Carney, a group of leading linguists and editors has flagged what may seem, at first glance, like a minor issue. Words such as utilisation, globalisation and catalyse unmistakably British spellings have appeared in key federal texts, including the 2025 budget. But language experts argue this is no small slip. It sends the wrong message about who we are and how we present ourselves to the world.
Canadian spelling is not an accident or a halfway compromise. It is a well-established, widely used standard that appears consistently in Canadian books, newspapers, magazines, classrooms, and until recently government publications. From the 1970s through 2025, federal documents largely adhered to Canadian English. Departing from that norm now risks confusion over what “Canadian” spelling even means.
More importantly, spelling is about identity. As the letter’s signatories including renowned linguistics professors and the editor-in-chief of the Canadian English Dictionary point out, Canadian English is a recognized national variety, acknowledged by the Oxford English Dictionary. It reflects our unique history: Loyalist roots after the American Revolutionary War, waves of British and European immigration, proximity to the United States, and deep influences from Indigenous languages and global cultures.
Canadian English stands apart precisely because it does not fully mirror either British or American norms. Sometimes we follow Britain, sometimes North America, and sometimes neither. We write cheque instead of check, but tire instead of tyre. We reject gaol and prefer jail, yet often retain manoeuvre over maneuver. This selective evolution is what makes Canadian English distinctly ours.
If governments begin to mix and match systems arbitrarily or lean toward British spelling by default the result is more than stylistic inconsistency. It undermines a shared linguistic standard and chips away at a subtle but powerful marker of national pride.
At a time when Canadians are increasingly conscious of asserting their place and voice on the global stage, the solution is refreshingly simple. Get Canadian style back on the page. Use Canadian spelling in federal communications, as has been done for decades.
Language may seem small compared to budgets or foreign policy, but it carries history, culture and confidence. In the words of the letter’s authors, continuing to use Canadian English spelling is not just good practice it’s an “elbows up” stance. And sometimes, that’s exactly what’s needed.
