LCol W.J. Ellis, CD

Commanding Officer, 2000-2002

Lieutenant-Colonel Jim Ellis enrolled in the Canadian Armed Forces in 1983 under the Direct Entry Officer Program. He is a graduate of Carleton University in Ottawa where he was awarded an Honours Arts degree in Law in 1983.

Upon graduation Lieutenant-Colonel Ellis was posted to Lord Strathcona's Horse (Royal Canadians) in Calgary where he commanded a Cougar Troop in B Squadron and later served as Transport Officer and Assistant Adjutant.

In 1987, Lieutenant-Colonel Ellis was posted as the Regular Support Staff Officer for The British Columbia Regiment in Vancouver. Between 1988 to 1990 he served on exchange with The 17th/21st Lancers as a Challenger Tank Squadron Second-in-Command and Squadron Commander in Münster, West Germany. On return to Canada he served with Lord Strathcona's Horse (Royal Canadians) as the Operations Officer.

In 1993 Lieutenant-Colonel Ellis was posted to Ottawa for language training and employed as the Armour Crewman Career Manager until his posting back to the Regiment in 1994.  Lieutenant-Colonel Ellis served as a Squadron Commander with the Strathcona Battle Group in Bosnia as part of the United Nations Protection Force. On return from Bosnia he served as Officer

Commanding Headquarters Squadron for the following year.

Following this tour with the Regiment he was posted to the Directorate of Army Doctrine in Kingston. After nine months he returned to the Strathcona’s as the Regimental Second-in-Command and returned to Bosnia with the Strathcona Battle Group when they deployed as part of the Stabilization Force (SFOR) in 1997.

Lieutenant-Colonel Ellis attended the Canadian Forces Command and Staff College in Toronto in 1998. In July 1999, he was posted to National Defence Headquarters in Ottawa where he worked as Director Land Force Readiness 5, Army Collective Training.

Lieutenant-Colonel Ellis is married to Suzanne (née Larouche) of Ottawa. They have three children: Cameron, Jessica, and Meghan.