Major-General Fortin is the new commander of the 1st Canadian Division Headquarters

CFB Kingston
Major-General Dany Fortin incoming commander of the 1st Canadian Division Headquarters, Lieutenant-General Stephen Bowes, commander of the Canadian Joint Operations Command (CJOC) and Major-General Omer Lavoie outgoing commander of the 1st Canadian Division Headquarters during the change of command ceremony held at CFB Kingston on 20 April 2018. On the second row, Chief-Warrant-Officers Steve Merry and Denis Gaudreault, respectively sergeant-majors for the 1st Division and CJOC. Credit: Adam Dargavel, Kingston Base Imagery Services. / Major-général Dany Fortin, nouveau commandant du quartier-général de la 1re Division du Canada, lieutenant-général Stephen Bowes, commandant du Commandement des opérations interarmées du Canada (COIC) et major-général Omer Lavoie, commandant sortant du quartier-général de la 1re Division du Canada lors de la cérémonie de changement de commandement qui s’est déroulé à Kingston, le 20 avril 2018. Prenant place à la seconde rangée, les adjudants-chefs Steve Merry et Denis Gaudreault, respectivement sergent-majors de la 1re Division et du COIC. Photo : Adam Dargavel, Services d’imagerie de la base de Kingston

On 20 April 2018, Major-General Dany Fortin officially assumed command of the 1st Canadian Division Headquarters from Major-General Omer Lavoie at a change of command ceremony held at CFB Kingston, Ontario.  The change of command was conducted in the presence of Lieutenant-General Stephen Bowes, commander of the Canadian Joint Operations Command.   

MGen Fortin becomes Commander of 1st Canadian Division HQ after serving at the Privy Council Office as Director of Operations of the Foreign and Defence Policy Secretariat. He holds a science degree from Royal Military College of Canada Saint-Jean, and a Master’s degree in military arts and science from the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. His military career includes a number of deployments, namely to Bosnia and Afghanistan. Key staff appointments include Deputy Commanding General for Operations of U.S. Army’s First Corps at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington from 2015 to 2017 where he participated in a number of operational level exercises and contingencies across the Asia-Pacific. 

Located at CFB Kingston, the 1st Canadian Division HQ is responsible for the deployment of the Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART), coordinating the evacuation of Canadian civilians abroad, and providing a National Command Element in the event of a major conflict.