John de Chastelain

John de Chastelain, retired Canadian soldier and diplomat, has twice been appointed Chief of Defence Staff and has served as Canada’s Ambassador to the United States.

Born in Romania in 1937 and educated in England and Scotland, de Chastelain immigrated to Canada in 1954. Rising to the top ranks of the Canadian army, de Chastelain held numerous high-level positions, including Commander of CFB Montreal, Deputy Chief of Staff of UN Forces in Cyprus and Commander of the Canadian Land Force. He was promoted to the rank of general in 1989. De Chastelain is the recipient of numerous military awards and honourary degress, and has received the Vimy Award, which recognizes a Canadian who has made an outstanding contribution to the defence of the nation and the preservation of democratic values.

Beginning in 1995, de Chastelain became heavily involved in the Northern Ireland peace process. As Chairman of the Independent International Commission on Decommissioning, he oversaw the dismantling of the arsenals of Northern Ireland’s paramilitary groups.