Lieutenant Colonel Chris Boileau, MSM, CD was born and raised in Mississauga, Ontario.

In 2004, he enlisted in the Toronto Scottish Regiment. Over the following two years, he completed a number of courses within his selected infantry trade. Soon after being promoted to Corporal in 2006, he accepted an opportunity to become an Officer Cadet. Following his commissioning and promotion to Lieutenant in 2007, he held several positions as a junior officer within the unit. He served in A Company and the fledgling 75th (Mississauga) Company as both Platoon Commander and Company Second-in-Command, including during collective training events in the United States and the United Kingdom.

In 2015, then Captain Boileau transferred to The Queen’s Own Rifles of Canada. That summer, he successfully graduated from the Canadian Army Advanced Warfare Centre’s Basic Parachutist course. Shortly after that, he became the Officer Commanding Buffs Company and was promoted to Major in the spring of 2016.

That same year, he deployed to Baghdad, Iraq under Operation IMPACT. Employed as the Operations Officer for the nascent Canadian-led Ministerial Liaison Team, he worked within the framework of the international Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve – to defeat the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria. After ten months, he returned home to Canada in 2017. Lieutenant-Colonel Boileau was recognized for his accomplishments and was awarded the United States Meritorious Service Medal, in addition to the Commander Canadian Joint Operations Command Commendation.

For the next several years, he held command and staff positions within the Regiment, including Deputy Commanding Officer, Operations Officer and Officer Commanding 60th Company. He planned and supported unit participation on international exercises in Spain and Poland. He was proud to co-plan the 75th Anniversary trip to commemorate the Normandy landings in World War II and the World War I Memorial to the Fallen at Moss Park Armoury.

He deployed again in 2022 to Warsaw, Poland as part of the resurgent Operation UNIFIER. As the scope of the mission increased, he was promoted in an acting capacity to Lieutenant Colonel and appointed as Task Force Commander for Rotation 14. He commanded soldiers in the United Kingdom, Germany and Poland to facilitate the “train and equip” efforts for the Armed Forces of Ukraine. He returned to Canada in 2023.

Lieutenant Colonel Boileau is a graduate of the Canadian Army Command and Staff College and the Canadian Forces College. He received a Master of Science degree from the University of Portsmouth in 2022.

In his civilian career, Lieutenant-Colonel Boileau is a Staff Sergeant with a Greater Toronto Area police service. Since entering law enforcement in 2008, he has worked in numerous branches and held roles in general patrol, street crime, public order, use of force training and police education.

Lieutenant Colonel Boileau assumed command of The Queen’s Own Rifles from Lieutenant Colonel Scott Moody on 17 September 2023 at a parade held at Casa Loma in Toronto.

In October 2025, Lieutenant Colonel Boileau was presented with the Meritorious Service Medal by the Governor General at the Citadelle in Quebec City.

Meritorious Service Medal Citation:

“While serving as the commander of Joint Task Force – Ukraine from September 2022 to March 2023, Major Boileau demonstrated exceptional leadership and an endless drive for mission success in a dynamic and volatile environment. His efforts directly resulted in the resumption of multiple training activities, leading to significant Canadian support to Ukraine and contributing to enhanced national reputation. The remarkable dedication, perseverance, diplomacy and mission focus demonstrated by Major Boileau brought great credit to the Canadian Armed Forces and Canada.”