Notable Alumni of Royal Military College of Canada [Sorted List]

1. Edmund Boyd Osler

1919-1987 (aged 68)

insurance executive writer politician

Edmund Boyd Osler was a Canadian politician and Liberal Member of Parliament (MP) who represented the riding of Winnipeg South Centre in the House of Commons of Canada.

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2. James White

1962-. (aged 64)

theologian

James White was a Canadian geographer. White studied geology at the Royal Military College of Canada in Kingston, Ontario. In 1883, he became the Geographer and Chief Draftsman for the Geological Survey of Canada. White and a team of 20 cartographers produced the first edition of the Atlas of Canada in 1906.

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3. William Bethune Lindsay

1880-1933 (aged 53)

military officer

Major General William Bethune Lindsay CB CMG DSO was a Canadian military officer during World War I.

4. Victor Williams

1970-. (aged 56)

actor dub actor television actor

Major-General Victor Arthur Seymour Williams CMG was a Canadian general in the First World War and later the Commissioner of the Ontario Provincial Police. In June 1916 he was seriously wounded and captured by the Germans. He was one of the highest ranked Canadians ever made a prisoner of war.

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5. Wilfrid Heighington

1897-1945 (aged 48)

poet writer politician

Wilfrid Laurier Heighington, KC was a Canadian soldier, writer, lawyer and politician.

6. George Napier Johnston

1867-1947 (aged 80)

military personnel

Major-General George Napier Johnston, CB, CMG, DSO was a senior officer of the British Army who served with the New Zealand Military Forces during the First World War.

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7. William Henry Pferinger Elkins

1883-1964 (aged 81)

military personnel

Major General William Henry Pferinger Elkins, CB, CBE, DSO was a Canadian soldier. He was a commandant of the RMC.

8. Douglas Gordon Cunningham

1908-1992 (aged 84)

Brigadier General Douglas Gordon Cunningham, CBE, DSO, ED, CD, QC was a Canadian lawyer and soldier.

9. Desmond Smith

1911-1991 (aged 80)

military personnel

Major-General James Desmond Blaise "Des" Smith, CBE, DSO, KStJ, CD was a senior Canadian Army officer active in World War II, fighting in the Italian Campaign and Northwest Europe.

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10. Kate Armstrong

1962-. (aged 64)

military officer

Kate Armstrong is a Canadian author. She won the Ontario Historical Society Alison Prentice Award for her debut memoir, The Stone Frigate: The Royal Military College's First Female Cadet Speaks Out (Dundurn Press 2019) and was a finalist for the 2020 Kobo Emerging Writer Nonfiction Prize.

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11. Aylesworth Bowen Perry

1860-1956 (aged 96)

Aylesworth Bowen Perry, CMG served as the sixth Commissioner of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, from August 1, 1900, to March 31, 1923.

12. Andrew Godefroy

1972-. (aged 54)

historian author soldier

Andrew Barrett Godefroy CD is a Canadian strategic analyst and science and technology historian.

13. Dwight Ross

1907-1981 (aged 74)

military personnel

Air Commodore Arthur Dwight Ross GC, CBE, CD was a Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) Base Commander of No. 62 Base, No. 6 Group RCAF in Yorkshire, England during the Second World War. Ross received the George Cross for his actions on the night of 27/28 June 1944 at RAF Tholthorpe.

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14. Charles Francis Constantine

1883-1953 (aged 70)

major general rugby union player association football player

Major-General Charles Francis Constantine CB DSO ADC was a Canadian General and commandant of the Royal Military College of Canada from 1925 to 1930.

15. Thomas Vien

1881-1972 (aged 91)

lawyer politician

Thomas Vien, PC QC was a Canadian politician.

16. Coningsby Dawson

1883-1959 (aged 76)

writer novelist

Coningsby Dawson was an Anglo-American novelist and soldier of the Canadian Field Artillery, born at High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, England.

17. William Harbison

1921-2018 (aged 97)

fighter pilot

Air Vice Marshal William "Paddy" Harbison, CB, CBE, AFC, FBIM, was a British Royal Air Force (RAF) fighter pilot who served during the Second World War and the Korean War. He held senior command roles in the RAF and was the author of a noted technical report that evaluated the performance and tactics of jet combat during the Korean War.

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18. Henry Edward Burstall

1870-1945 (aged 75)

military personnel

Lieutenant General Sir Henry Edward Burstall, KCB, KCMG was a Canadian general.

19. Philip Primrose

1864-1937 (aged 73)

politician

Philip Carteret Hill Primrose was a Canadian police officer and the fifth Lieutenant Governor of Alberta.

20. Brett Cairns

1955-. (aged 71)

military officer

Brett Cairns is a retired Canadian Air Force general who served Canada with distinction from 1973 to 2008. He also served with United States Armed Forces for 10 years of that 35-year period.

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21. John Keiller MacKay

1888-1970 (aged 82)

lawyer judge

Lieutenant-Colonel John Keiller MacKay OC DSO VD KC was a Canadian soldier, lawyer and jurist. MacKay served as the 19th lieutenant governor of Ontario from 1957 to 1963.

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22. Charles Carroll Wood

1876-1899 (aged 23)

military officer

Lieutenant Charles Carroll Wood was the first Canadian Officer to die in the Second Boer War. As a member of a family that had distinguished itself in America, his great grandfather being Zachary Taylor, 12th President of the United States, he was buried with full military honours.

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23. Desmond Piers

1913-2005 (aged 92)

military personnel

Rear Admiral Desmond William Piers, CM DSC CD was a rear-admiral in the Royal Canadian Navy. Born in Halifax and long-time resident of Chester, Nova Scotia, Piers served in the RCN from 1932 to 1967. In 1930, he was the first graduate of the Royal Military College of Canada (student # 2184) to join the RCN. He became agent general...

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24. Reuben Wells Leonard

1860-1930 (aged 70)

military officer

Lieutenant-Colonel Reuben Wells Leonard was a Canadian soldier, civil engineer, railroad and mining executive, and philanthropist.

25. David T. Johnson

David Timothy Johnson is a member of the International Narcotics Control Board and retired United States diplomat and the former Assistant Secretary of State for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs.

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26. Paul David Manson

1934-2023 (aged 89)

fighter pilot

General Paul David Manson OC CMM CD was a Canadian Forces officer, fighter pilot and businessman.

27. Zachary Taylor Wood

1860-1915 (aged 55)

Zachary Taylor Wood CMG was Assistant Commissioner with the North-West Mounted Police (NWMP) and the commissioner of Yukon.

28. Archibald Cameron Macdonell

1864-1941 (aged 77)

military personnel

Sir Archibald Cameron Macdonell, KCB CMG DSO was a Canadian police officer and soldier.

29. Percy Girouard

1867-1932 (aged 65)

governor

Sir Édouard Percy Cranwill Girouard, KCMG, DSO was an Empire enthusiast, a Canadian railway builder, High Commissioner of Northern Nigeria and the East Africa Protectorate and British industrialist.

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30. William Landymore

1916-2008 (aged 92)

naval officer

Rear-Admiral William Moss Landymore, OBE, CD was a Canadian naval officer. Born in Brantford, Ontario, Landymore joined the Royal Canadian Navy in 1936, but spent much of early career training with the Royal Navy. During World War II, Landymore returned to the Royal Canadian Navy and served aboard destroyers in the Battle of the Atlantic, surviving two sinkings. By the...

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31. Simon Mailloux

1983-. (aged 43)

military officer

Lieutenant Colonel Simon Mailloux, MSM, CD is a serving officer in the Canadian Forces. He was severely injured on 16 November 2007 in an IED incident in Afghanistan. As a result, his left leg was amputated.

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32. Arthur Edward Grasett

1888-1971 (aged 83)

military personnel engineer

Lieutenant-General Sir Arthur Edward Grasett, KBE, CB, DSO, MC was a British-Canadian soldier who served with the British Army in Canada, the United Kingdom, British India and China.

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33. Brian Barder

1934-2017 (aged 83)

diplomat activist blogger

Sir Brian Leon Barder KCMG was a British diplomat, author, blogger and civil liberties advocate.

34. Herbert Cyril Thacker

1870-1953 (aged 83)

military personnel

Major General Herbert Cyril Thacker CB, CMG, DSO was a Canadian soldier and Chief of the General Staff, the head of the Canadian Militia (later the Canadian Army) from 1927 until 1929.

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35. Dollard Ménard

1913-1997 (aged 84)

soldier

Brigadier Dollard Ménard DSO, GOQ, CD was a senior officer in the Canadian Army. As a lieutenant colonel, he was wounded five times during the Dieppe Raid in 1942 while leading Les Fusiliers Mont-Royal. His story inspired a famous Canadian World War II poster Ce qu’il faut pour vaincre (What it takes to win). He was later made a Companion...

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36. Walter L. Gordon

1906-1987 (aged 81)

chartered accountant lawyer politician

Walter Lockhart Gordon PC CC CBE was a Canadian accountant, businessman, politician, and writer.

37. Brian Macdonald

politician

Brian Thomas Macdonald is a Canadian politician, who was elected to the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick in the 2010 provincial election. He represented the electoral district of Fredericton West-Hanwell until 2018 as a member of the Progressive Conservatives.

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38. Wallace Lloyd Algie

1891-1918 (aged 27)

military personnel

Lieutenant Wallace Lloyd Algie, VC was a Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF) officer and a recipient of the Victoria Cross (VC), the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. A soldier with the CEF during the First World War, he was posthumously awarded the VC for his actions on...

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39. Garnet Hughes

1880-1937 (aged 57)

military personnel

Major General Garnet Burk Hughes CB, CMG, DSO was a Canadian military officer during the First World War. Although he had shown promise as a cadet officer and was politically well-connected, he was judged not to be an able combat officer and, in the latter half of the war, was shunted away from the front lines to administrative roles.

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40. Earle Morris

1945-. (aged 81)

curler

Earle H. C. Morris is a Canadian curler from Ottawa, Ontario. He is the first curler to have played for three different provinces at the Brier (since then, the feat has been duplicated by Ryan Fry and Morris' son John). He is the inventor of the "Stabilizer" curling delivery aid. He was named to the Canadian Curling Hall of Fame...

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41. Kasturi Lal Chopra

1933-2021 (aged 88)

physicist

Kasturi Lal Chopra was an Indian materials physicist and a director of the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur. He was the founder of the Thin Film Laboratory at Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi and the Microscience Laboratory at IIT, Kharagpur and held several US and Indian patents for his research findings. Author of a number of books on thin film...

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42. Charles Macpherson Dobell

1869-1954 (aged 85)

military personnel

Lieutenant-General Sir Charles Macpherson Dobell, KCB, CMG, DSO was a Canadian soldier who served with the Royal Welch Fusiliers of the British Army.

43. George Hees

1910-1996 (aged 86)

manufacturer businessperson gridiron football player military personnel politician

George Harris Hees PC OC was a Canadian politician and businessman.

44. Ronald R. Van Stockum

1916-2022 (aged 106)

military personnel writer

Ronald Reginald Van Stockum was a decorated officer of the United States Marine Corps with the rank of brigadier general. A veteran of Bougainville, Guam and Iwo Jima campaigns, Van Stockum was most noted for his service as director of the Marine Corps Reserve and later as commanding general of the Fleet Marine Force, Pacific (Forward) on Okinawa during the...

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45. Kenneth Stuart

1891-1945 (aged 54)

military personnel

Lieutenant-General Kenneth Stuart CB DSO MC was a senior Canadian Army officer who saw active service during both the First World War and, later, the Second World War. During the latter conflict, he served as Chief of the General Staff (CGS), the head of the Canadian Army, from December 1941 until December 1943, but he is perhaps most remembered today...

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46. Charles Merritt

1908-2000 (aged 92)

lawyer military officer soldier politician

Charles Cecil Ingersoll Merritt VC, ED was a Canadian recipient of the Victoria Cross for his actions during the Dieppe Raid in 1942. Later he served as Member of Parliament.

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47. Jacques Duchesneau

1949-. (aged 77)

politician

Jacques Duchesneau, CM COM CQ MSM CD is a Canadian politician, civil servant, former chief of police, and former president and chief executive officer of the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority. Duchesneau was a member of the Quebec National Assembly for the riding of Saint-Jérôme from 2012 to 2014, elected under the Coalition Avenir Québec banner.

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48. Bert Hoffmeister

1907-1999 (aged 92)

businessperson military personnel

Major General Bertram Meryl Hoffmeister, OC, CB, CBE, DSO & Two Bars, ED was a Canadian Army officer, businessman, and conservationist. He served with distinction during the last two years of the Second World War, becoming, in Jack Granatstein's words, "the best Canadian fighting general of the war", rising from captain and a company commander in 1939 to major general...

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49. Lawrence Lambe

1863-1919 (aged 56)

paleontologist geologist

Lawrence Morris Lambe was a Canadian geologist, palaeontologist, and ecologist from the Geological Survey of Canada (GSC). His published work, describing the diverse and plentiful dinosaur discoveries from the fossil beds in Alberta, did much to bring dinosaurs into the public eye and helped usher in the Golden Age of Dinosaurs in the province. During this period, between the 1880s...

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50. E. L. M. Burns

1897-1985 (aged 88)

diplomat military personnel

Lieutenant General Eedson Louis Millard "Tommy" Burns, CC, DSO, OBE, MC, CD was a senior officer of the Canadian Army and a diplomat. He saw active service in both World War I and World War II. His World War II command during the Italian campaign, although successful, sparked a sharp divide in military academic circles post-war. In the early 1950s,...

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51. John Hamilton Roberts

1895-1962 (aged 67)

military personnel

Major General John Hamilton "Ham" Roberts CB DSO MC was a Canadian Army officer who served in both of the world wars.

52. Pierre Lemieux

1963-. (aged 63)

business executive mechanical engineer consultant politician

Pierre Lemieux is a politician in Ontario, Canada. He served as the Member of Parliament for the riding of Glengarry-Prescott-Russell from 2006 to 2015, first elected in Canada's 39th general election and defeated in the 42nd. He represented the Conservative Party of Canada. While in office he served as deputy government whip as well as parliamentary secretary to the Ministers...

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53. William Grant Stairs

1863-1892 (aged 29)

mountaineer explorer engineer diarist

William Grant Stairs was a Canadian-British explorer, soldier, and adventurer who had a leading role in two expeditions during the Scramble for Africa.

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54. Harry Wickwire Foster

1902-1964 (aged 62)

military officer

Major General Harry Wickwire Foster, CBE, DSO was a senior Canadian Army officer who commanded two Canadian divisions during World War II. He served in both the Pacific and European theatres.

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55. Leonard Birchall

1915-2004 (aged 89)

aircraft pilot

Air Commodore Leonard Joseph Birchall, CM, OBE, DFC, OOnt, CD, "The Saviour of Ceylon", was a Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) officer who warned of a Japanese attack on the island of Ceylon during the Second World War.

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56. Hartland Molson

1907-2002 (aged 95)

chartered accountant politician

Hartland de Montarville Molson, OC, OBE, OQ was an Anglo-Quebecer statesman, Canadian senator, military aviator, and a member of the Molson family of brewers.

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57. Bob McLeod

1938-2019 (aged 81)

American football player

Robert R. McLeod is a former Canadian politician. He was a member of the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories from 2007 to 2019, and served as the 12th premier of the Northwest Territories, from October 26, 2011 to October 24, 2019.

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58. Art McDonald

1967-. (aged 59)

military officer

Admiral Arthur Gerard McDonald is a Royal Canadian Navy admiral who served as Chief of the Defence Staff of the Canadian Armed Forces from January 14, 2021, until February 24, 2021, when he voluntarily stepped aside due to an investigation by the Canadian Forces National Investigation Service. On November 25, 2021, McDonald was formally relieved of his command and replaced...

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59. William Bridges

1861-1915 (aged 54)

military personnel

Major General Sir William Throsby Bridges, KCB, CMG was a senior Australian Army officer who was instrumental in establishing the Royal Military College, Duntroon and who served as the first Australian Chief of the General Staff. During the First World War he commanded the 1st Australian Division at Gallipoli, where he died of wounds on 18 May 1915, becoming the...

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60. Leona Alleslev

1968-. (aged 58)

military personnel businessperson management consultant politician

Leona Alleslev-Krofchak is a Canadian politician and former military officer who served as the member of Parliament (MP) for Aurora—Oak Ridges—Richmond Hill. She was elected as a Liberal in the 2015 federal election, and crossed the floor to join the Conservative Party in 2018, citing disagreements with the Liberal government over their handling of economic and foreign affairs. On October...

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61. Paul Wynnyk

1964-. (aged 62)

military engineer military officer

Lieutenant General Paul Francis Wynnyk, CMM, MSM, CD is a former Canadian Army officer who served from 2016 to 2018 as Commander of the Canadian Army. On July 16, 2018, he was named Vice Chief of the Defence Staff, until his resignation and retirement in July 2019.

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62. Joshua Kutryk

1982-. (aged 44)

test pilot engineer astronaut airman

Joshua Kutryk CD is a Canadian astronaut, test pilot, fighter pilot and engineer. He was selected by the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) as one of the two members of the 2017 CSA Group alongside Jenni Sidey.

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63. Rod Keller

1900-1954 (aged 54)

military personnel

Major General Rodney Frederick Leopold Keller CBE was a Canadian Army officer who rose to divisional-level command in the Second World War. He commanded the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division which was assigned to take Juno Beach during the D-Day invasion.

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64. Dany Fortin

military personnel

Dany Fortin CMM MSC CD is a retired Canadian Armed Forces officer who held the rank of major general in the Canadian Army. He has served in commanding roles in the War in Afghanistan and the ISIL insurgency in Iraq, and commanded the 1st Canadian Division Headquarters. He served as the Public Health Agency of Canada's vice president of logistics...

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65. Harry Crerar

1888-1965 (aged 77)

diplomat military personnel

Henry Duncan Graham Crerar, PC, CH, CB, DSO, CD was a senior officer of the Canadian Army who became the country's senior field commander in the Second World War as commander of the First Canadian Army in the campaign in North West Europe in 1944–1945, having rapidly risen in rank from brigadier in 1939 to full general in 1944.

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66. Jonathan Vance

1964-. (aged 62)

skydiver military officer

General Jonathan Holbert Vance is a retired Canadian Forces officer who served as a general in the Canadian Army. Vance was the Chief of the Defence Staff from 2015 to 2021.

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67. Guy Simonds

1903-1974 (aged 71)

military officer

Lieutenant-General Guy Granville Simonds, CC, CB, CBE, DSO, CD was a senior Canadian Army officer who served with distinction during World War II. Acknowledged by many military historians and senior commanders, among them Sir Max Hastings and Field Marshal Sir Bernard Montgomery, as one of the best Canadian generals of the war, Simonds, after serving the first few years of...

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68. Sam Steele

1849-1919 (aged 70)

military personnel

Major-general Sir Samuel Benfield Steele KCMG CB MVO was a Canadian soldier and policeman. He was an officer of the North-West Mounted Police, head of the Yukon detachment during the Klondike Gold Rush, and commanding officer of Strathcona's Horse during the Boer War.

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69. Wayne Eyre

military officer

General Wayne Donald Eyre is a retired Canadian Forces officer who served as the chief of the Defence Staff (CDS) from 2021 to 2024. Eyre was named acting CDS on February 24, 2021, and appointed to the full position on November 25, 2021. He was also the commander of the Canadian Army and chief of the Army Staff.

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70. Roméo Dallaire

1946-. (aged 80)

autobiographer human rights defender writer major general military personnel

Roméo Antonius Dallaire is a retired Canadian politician and military officer who was a senator from Quebec from 2005 to 2014, and a lieutenant-general in the Canadian Armed Forces. He notably was the force commander of UNAMIR, the United Nations peacekeeping mission in Rwanda between 1993 and 1994, during the Rwandan genocide. Dallaire was a Senior Fellow at the Montreal...

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71. Billy Bishop

1894-1956 (aged 62)

aircraft pilot military personnel

Air Marshal William Avery Bishop, VC, CB, DSO & Bar, MC, DFC, ED was a Canadian flying ace of the First World War. He was officially credited with 72 victories, making him the top Canadian and British Empire ace of the war, and also received a Victoria Cross. During the Second World War, Bishop was instrumental in setting up and...

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72. Jeremy Hansen

1976-. (aged 50)

air force officer astronaut physicist fighter pilot

Jeremy Roger Hansen CD FRCGS is a Canadian astronaut, fighter pilot, physicist and former aquanaut. He was selected to join the Canadian Space Agency in the 2009 CSA selection along with David Saint-Jacques. Prior to his selection as one of Canada's astronauts, Hansen was a Royal Canadian Air Force captain, piloting the CF-18 fighter jet at CFB Cold Lake, Alberta....

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73. Dai Vernon

1894-1992 (aged 98)

silhouette artist magician

David Frederick Wingfield Verner, better known by his stage names Dai Vernon (pronounced alternatively as "DIE" or as "DAY" as in David) or The Professor, was a Canadian magician.

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74. Alex Trebek

1940-2020 (aged 80)

television presenter sports commentator journalist game show host actor

George Alexander Trebek was a Canadian and American game show host and television personality. Regarded as a pop culture icon, he was best known for hosting the syndicated quiz show Jeopardy! for 37 seasons from its revival in 1984 until his death in 2020. Trebek also hosted a number of other game shows, including The Wizard of Odds, Double Dare,...

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75. Chris Hadfield

1959-. (aged 67)

guitarist executive producer camera operator songwriter singer

Chris Austin Hadfield is a Canadian retired astronaut, engineer, fighter pilot, musician, and writer. As the first Canadian to perform extravehicular activity in outer space, he has flown two Space Shuttle missions and also served as commander of the International Space Station (ISS). Prior to his career as an astronaut, he served in the Canadian Armed Forces for 25 years...

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76. Erin O'Toole

1973-. (aged 53)

military officer lawyer politician

Erin Michael O'Toole PC CD is a Canadian lawyer, former military officer and politician who was the leader of the Conservative Party of Canada and the leader of the Official Opposition from 2020 to 2022. O'Toole was elected as a member of Parliament (MP) in 2012, representing Durham until 2023. O'Toole served in the Canadian Armed Forces for 12 years,...

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77. Sylvain Charlebois

1970-. (aged 56)

researcher economist writer

Sylvain Charlebois is a Canadian professor and researcher of food distribution and policy at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia. He is a former dean of the university's Faculty of Management. Charlebois, who goes by the moniker "The Food Professor," is the director of the Agri-food Analytics Lab at Dalhousie. Since December 2010, he has been the lead author of...

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78. William Heneker

1867-1939 (aged 72)

military personnel

General Sir William Charles Giffard Heneker, KCB, KCMG, DSO was a Canadian soldier who served with the British Army in West Africa, India, and then later on the Western Front during the First World War. A notable military strategist and tactician, he became one of the most experienced and highly decorated Canadians in the British Empire, and one of only...

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79. Marc Garneau

1949-2025 (aged 76)

engineer astronaut politician

Joseph Jean-Pierre Marc Garneau was a Canadian Armed Forces officer, astronaut and politician. Garneau served as a naval officer before being selected as an astronaut as part of the 1983 NRC Group. He became the first Canadian in space on October 5, 1984, and flew on three Space Shuttle missions. From 2001 to 2005, Garneau was president of the Canadian...

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80. Tim Cook

1960-. (aged 66)

chief executive officer businessperson presenter engineer manager

Timothy Raleigh Brown Cook CM FRSC was a Canadian military historian and author. Cook was a historian at the Canadian War Museum and the author of thirteen books about the military history of Canada. Having written extensively about World War I, Cook's focus shifted to Canada's involvement in World War II with the 2014 publication of the first volume in...

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