Canadian language experts are calling on Prime Minister Mark Carney to abandon British spelling in official documents and “use” Canadian spelling instead.
Canadian English has been the standard for government communications for decades. But eagle-eyed linguists and editors have spotted British spellings – such as “globalization” and “catalyze” – in Carney government documents, including the budget.
In an open letter, they asked Carney to stick to Canadian English, writing that it was “a matter of our national history, identity and pride.”
They note that Canadian English is unique in that it borrows influences from both the US and UK due to geography and history.
It also includes “Canadianisms” unique to the country's lexicon, such as using the word “toke” to describe a winter cap or “toilet” instead of an American bathroom or British toilet.
The big difference between Canadian and British spelling is the use of the letter “z” instead of the letter “s” in words such as analysis. But Canadian English borrows from British English in other ways, for example by using the word “ou” in color rather than the American word “color”.
However, other British terms are never used, such as “tire” instead of “tire”.
In a Dec. 11 letter shared with BBC News, the linguists wrote that Canadian English is recognized and widely used in Canada, arguing that “if governments start using other spelling systems, it could lead to confusion as to which spelling is Canadian.”
They add that using Canadian English is “the easiest way to take an elbows-up stance,” referencing a hockey term Carney used to describe Canada's defiance in the face of U.S. tariffs and President Donald Trump's 51st state strikes.
The letter was sent by the editors of Canada and signed by four linguistics professors from various Canadian universities, as well as the editor-in-chief of the Canadian Dictionary of the English Language.
The BBC has contacted Carney's office for comment.
One of the signatories, Professor Stefan Dollinger of the University of British Columbia, said he and others take the issue seriously “because language expresses identity.”
“It seems counterproductive that the Prime Minister's Office will now set the clock back half a century or more,” Professor Dollinger told the BBC, noting how Canada's language has evolved from its past as a British colony.
There were at least two notable instances of British English being used in Carney's office, according to Caitlin Littlechild, president of Editors Canada.
The first was the Carney government's budget, released in November. The second is an October press release from the Prime Minister's Office following a working visit to Washington, D.C., where Carney met with Trump.
Ms Littlechild said it was difficult to know whether this was a “misunderstanding” or a “targeted directive”.
J. C. Chambers, a noted Canadian linguist at the University of Toronto and another signatory, noted that Carney spent many years of his adult life in Britain, including seven years as governor of the Bank of England.
“It is clear that while he was there he acquired some grievances,” Professor Chambers said by email, but added: “So far, God bless him, he has not resorted to 'jail' instead of 'jail'.”
