Biography
Raised in Little Judique, Cape Breton, Colonel Chris Cotton has served in the Canadian Armed Forces since 1995. He was commissioned as a Military Engineer Officer in 1999 and has subsequently lived in 6 provinces, worked in all 10 and, most importantly, has provided domestic emergency response support to hurricanes, floods and winter storms. Through his career, he has also visited over 40 countries most notably Jamaica, Bosnia, Afghanistan (twice) and Belgium.
Though he has never been a member of the Army Reserves, one of his many postings was as a Reserve Support Officer in 45 Field Engineer Squadron in Sydney, Nova Scotia, a time and unit that continues to be near and dear to his heart.
He holds a Bachelor’s of Chemical Engineering and Master’s in Defence Studies both from the Royal Military College. He was promoted into his present rank in 2020 and is presently the Chief of Staff of the 5th Canadian Division, headquartered in Halifax.
He is married to a fellow Cape Bretoner, Candra. They have twin daughters, Kate and Elizabeth, and are thus intimately involved in hockey, soccer, gymnastics and dance. They – along with their grandparents – were overjoyed to have returned to the Maritimes last summer.