The commander of the Canadian Army (french: commandant de l'Armée canadienne) is the institutional head of the
Canadian Army. This appointment also includes the title Chief of the Army Staff (french: links=no, chef de l'état-major de l'Armée) and is based at
National Defence Headquarters in
Ottawa
Ottawa (, ; Canadian French: ) is the capital city of Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River in the southern portion of the province of Ontario. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the core ...
,
Ontario.
History of the position
Prior to 1904,
militia forces in Canada were commanded by senior
British Army officers appointed as General Officer Commanding the Canadian Militia. British regular forces in the Dominion had
their own commander until the withdrawal of the last British garrison in 1906. From 1903 to 1904, the Canadian Militia embarked on a new period of modernization that included the creation of a new office of Chief of the General Staff. Between 1904 and 1964, eighteen officers held the position of Chief of the General Staff, with the last of these, Lieutenant General
Geoffrey Walsh
Lieutenant-General Geoffrey Walsh, CBE, DSO, CD (19 August 1909 – 3 April 1999) was a Canadian soldier and Chief of the General Staff, the head of the Canadian Army from 1961 – 1964; Walsh was the last officer to hold this appointment as ...
, having officially stood down the appointment on 31 August 1964 following the official integration of the three armed services into a single Canadian Armed Forces.
Following the
unification of Canada's military forces in February 1968, the majority of Canada's land element was assigned to the newly created
Force Mobile Command and the senior Canadian army officer was then known as Commander of Mobile Command from 1965 to 1993. The command was renamed Land Force Command, and its senior officer was known as Chief of the Land Staff from 1993 to 2011. Land Force Command was officially re-designated as the Canadian Army in 2011, at which time the appointment was also renamed Commander of the Canadian Army to reflect this.
Appointees

The following table lists all those who have held the post of Commander of the Canadian Army or its preceding positions. Ranks and honours are as at the completion of their tenure:
, -style="text-align:center;"
!colspan=6, General Officer Commanding the Canadian Militia
, -style="text-align:center;"
!colspan=6, Chief of the General Staff
, -style="text-align:center;"
!colspan=6, Commander of Mobile Command
, -style="text-align:center;"
!colspan=6, Chief of the Land Staff
, -style="text-align:center;"
!colspan=6, Commander of the Canadian Army and Chief of the Army Staff
See also
*
Chief of the Defence Staff, the second most senior member of the
Canadian Armed Forces
}
The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF; french: Forces armées canadiennes, ''FAC'') are the unified military forces of Canada, including sea, land, and air elements referred to as the Royal Canadian Navy, Canadian Army, and Royal Canadian Air Force.
...
after the
Commander-in-Chief
*
Commander of the Royal Canadian Navy, institutional head of the
Royal Canadian Navy
*
Commander of the Royal Canadian Air Force, institutional head of the
Royal Canadian Air Force
References
External links
*
{{Chief of the army by country
Canadian Armed Forces
Military appointments of Canada
Army chiefs of staff
Commanders of the Canadian Army