In a significant development for the Canadian Armed Forces, Carignan, a highly decorated soldier and mother of four, is set to be promoted to the rank of general. She will take over from the retiring General Wayne Eyre as Chief of the Defense Staff in a ceremony on July 18.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau expressed his confidence in Carignan’s capabilities, stating, “I am confident that, as Canada’s new Chief of the Defence Staff, she will help Canada be stronger, more secure, and ready to tackle global security challenges.”
Speaking at a press conference in Montreal, Trudeau emphasized that Carignan assumes leadership at a crucial juncture marked by “complicated geopolitics and increased threats.” The Canadian Armed Forces are also facing internal challenges, particularly a toxic culture highlighted in a 2022 external report as “hostile to women… [and] conducive to more serious incidents of sexual harassment and assault.”
Over the past three years, Carignan has been dedicated to reforming this culture to be more respectful and inclusive, addressing hundreds of sexual misconduct accusations, including those against top military officials. Women currently constitute 16 percent of the Canadian military, according to government data.
Carignan’s roots trace back to Asbestos, Quebec, where she was raised by a policeman and a teacher. She joined the military in 1986, three years before Canada opened combat roles to women. Trained as a combat engineer a role involving bomb disposal and the construction and destruction of battlefield structures she quickly ascended through the ranks, challenging stereotypes about women in combat.
Carignan made history as the first woman to lead a Canadian combat unit, serving in Afghanistan where she narrowly escaped a suicide bomber and an improvised explosive device that damaged a vehicle in her convoy. Her distinguished career also includes service in Bosnia-Herzegovina and Syria, leading NATO’s training mission in Iraq from 2019 to 2020, and commanding the 2nd Canadian Division, the military’s largest regiment with over 10,000 troops.
