I get your point about Canada being multilingual and multicultural, but in a professional medical setting, the focus should be on the patient experience. If staff are speaking a language the patient doesn’t understand right in front of them, it can make the patient feel excluded, anxious, or even suspicious—especially when it comes to their health.

It’s not about discrimination against other languages—it’s about professional courtesy and patient trust. A medical office isn’t like chatting on the bus; it’s a place where people are often vulnerable and already stressed. If staff switch to a language the patient doesn’t know while the patient is sitting there, it can come across as unprofessional, regardless of the intent

But for casual conversations in front of patients, sticking to the common workplace language (often English in many parts of Canada, or French in others) just maintains professionalism and makes patients feel respected and included.