In 1989, the Hôpital Général de Hawkesbury & District General Hospital officially received its designation under the French Language Services Act.

This designation is the legal recognition by the Government of Ontario of an agency's ability to provide French language services. It also means that the agency is committed to providing its services in French on an on-going basis.

According to the Office of Francophone Affairs, an agency must meet the following criteria before it can be considered for designation : permanency and quality of services; adequacy of access to services; effective representation of French-speaking members on the agency's board of directors and committees; effective representation of French-speaking people at management levels within the agency; accountability of the board of directors and senior management for providing French language services. An agency undertakes the designation process voluntarily.

In 1995, our services underwent an evaluation by the ministerial team, in which they received the highest rating.