By Government of Canada,
On December 23, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced the upcoming appointment of Vice-Admiral Art McDonald, currently Commander of the Royal Canadian Navy, as Chief of the Defence Staff. Vice-Admiral McDonald will be promoted to the rank of Admiral and replace the current Chief of the Defence Staff, General Jonathan Vance, who will be retiring from the Canadian Armed Forces.
Vice-Admiral McDonald became Commander of the Royal Canadian Navy in June 2019. Before his appointment, he commanded HMCS Halifax, the Fifth Maritime Operations Group, and Joint Task Force Pacific. Through these and other naval roles, he circumnavigated the globe, led sea-based humanitarian and disaster relief operations, and commanded a multi-national task group in the High Arctic.
In his new role, Vice-Admiral McDonald will oversee the Canadian Armed Forces’ ongoing operations in Canada and around the world, and their contributions to the national response to the COVID-19 pandemic, including support for Canada’s vaccine rollout through Operation VECTOR.
The Prime Minister thanked General Jonathan Vance for his years of distinguished service leading the Canadian Armed Forces. General Vance will continue to serve in his role until the appointment of the new Chief of Defence Staff takes effect at a Change of Command ceremony to be held the week of January 11, 2021.
“At home and abroad, Canadian Armed Forces members have always answered the call of duty, working day in and day out to keep us and our loved ones safe. Vice-Admiral Art McDonald brings decades of experience in a variety of command and staff roles, and I am confident that he will provide dedicated leadership to the Canadian Armed Forces as they continue to respond wherever is needed to protect Canadians and our values,” the Prime Minister said in a press release.
