We regret to advise of the death of Brigadier-General Christopher Kevin “Chris” Ford, OMM CD (Ret’d), peacefully on 13 September 2023 at home in Casselman ON, after a courageous battle with ALS. Chris Ford served the Canadian Military Engineers for over 50 years.
Chris commenced his Regular Force military career at Royal Roads Military College in 1966 after several years as a cadet and reservist. He graduated from the Royal Military College in Kingston ON in 1970 with a Bachelor of Science (Applied) degree. After completing his Military Engineer Officer training at the Canadian Forces School of Military Engineering in Chilliwack, Lieutenant Ford was posted to the Construction Engineering Section at Canadian Forces Base North Bay ON. Here, he worked both on base and underground in the 22nd NORAD Region complex. In 1973, Chris was posted to 4 Field Engineer Squadron in Lahr, West Germany where he served as Troop Commander, Administration Officer, Operations Officer and Deputy Commanding Officer.
Upon promotion to Major, Chris returned to Canada in 1976 to attend the Canadian Land Forces Command and Staff College in Kingston. This was followed by a posting to Edmonton as the Base Construction Engineering Officer (1977- 1980). He then moved to Ottawa and National Defence Headquarters, where he was with Director General Evaluation Services as technical advisor to an Engineering Evaluation Team. This was to be the first of his numerous postings to NDHQ.
Chris’ next venture was as a Canadian Forces Exchange Student in 1981 at the Defence Services Staff College in Wellington, India. Upon successful completion of this course and his return to Canada in January 1982, he was posted back to National Defence Headquarters for a short tour with the Director General Military Engineering Operations.
Chris assumed command of 1 Combat Engineer Regiment in Chilliwack BC in June 1982. He relinquished command the following year upon his promotion to Lieutenant‑Colonel and became Base Technical Services Officer of Canadian Forces Base Chilliwack.
In June 1986, Chris returned to National Defence Headquarters as the Director of Military Engineering Requirements. In this position, he was also Head of the Canadian Delegation to NATO/CNAD Panel IX ‑ Battlefield Engineering. After this tour, Chris became Coordinator, Chief of Construction and Properties Branch (1990 - 1991).
Chris served next as the Area Engineer at Land Force Central Area Headquarters in Toronto (1991 - 1993), where he was responsible for all military engineering matters for the Army in Ontario. On promotion to Colonel in February 1993, he was on his way overseas, again, when he was appointed Commander Canadian Contingent, and Chief of Operations of the European Community Monitor Mission in Zagreb, Croatia.
Chris returned to Canada in September 1993 to be Director General Infrastructure Management at National Defence Headquarters. In January 1995, he was appointed Project Director for the Infrastructure and Environment Renewal Project that had been created to re-engineer the provision of infrastructure and environment services provision in DND and the CF. He was appointed Director Business Management Team (Infrastructure and Environment) the following year.
In January 1997, Chris was posted overseas to HQ NATO Stabilization Force (SFOR) in Sarajevo, Bosnia as the Deputy Chief Engineer. He was promoted to Brigadier General in June of that year, 1997 and, on his return from Bosniay, he assumed the appointment of Director General Infrastructure at NDHQ. For his last assignment in uniform, Chris served as Director General Personnel Services (1998 - 2000).
After he retired from the Canadian Forces in 2001, Chris started his own company, "Generally Speaking," which provided consulting services in communication and leadership, conflict management, consensus building and collaborative approaches to business and organizational challenges. He graduated from the Queen's University Program for Public Executives and earned a Graduate Certificate in Conflict Resolution from Carleton University.
Chris’s retirement from the Canadian Forces in 2001 was only a short pause in his service to Canada as he became Director of Conflict Resolution for Citizenship and Immigration Canada (2005 - 2006). Here, he established their internal conflict resolution capacity. Chris then returned to the Department of National Defence to be Director General Alternative Dispute Resolution (2006 - 2011). He was also co-chairman of the Federal Informal Conflict Management System network.
Chris was a professional speaker and a leader in Toastmasters International, a worldwide not-for-profit organization specializing in communication and leadership skill development in 116 nations. He was Governor of Toastmasters’ District 61 for over a decade and was an International Director (2000 - 2002) and International President (2007 - 2008). Chris was recognized by Toastmasters and International Dignitaries as one of their Inspirational Leaders in 2021 for his integrity, inspiration, respect, service, and excellence.
Chris was awarded the Order of Military Merit in 1995. In April 2022, Chris was awarded the Canadian Military Engineers Commendation in recognition of over 50 years of service to the Canadian Military Engineers, including service in the Regular Force, as an Honorary Colonel, and for his support of the work of the Military Engineering Institute of Canada and the Canadian Military Engineers Association.
Friends, colleagues and family are invited to gather at the Sacred Space of the Beechwood National Memorial Centre, 280 Beechwood Ave. Ottawa, on Friday, 29 September, after 9:00 a.m. Memorial Service will be held at 10:00 a.m., followed by urn interment at the National Military Cemetery at 11:00 a.m. and reception to follow.
Those wishing to make a donation in Chris' memory might consider the ALS Society of Canada or Diabetes Canada. Online condolences can be sent to Beechwood.
