Honorary Lieutenant Colonel Brendan Caldwell was born in Toronto. His early connection with The Queen’s Own Rifles of Canada began in the 1980s as a member of the affiliated cadet corps, the 17th Upper Canada College Rifles Cadet Corps and the 1860 Queen’s Own Rifles Cadets. Hon LCol Caldwell earned a Bachelor of Science at the University of Toronto and an M.A. at the University of London, England, following which he joined Canada’s largest securities firm.

In 1995, Hon LCol Caldwell was awarded a Chartered Financial Analyst designation and joined the investment team at Caldwell Securities Ltd., of which he served as President from 2000 to 2009. In 2001, Caldwell Securities Ltd. sponsored the “Canvas of War” exhibit of Canada’s 20th century war art. Originally meant as a retrospective of a time when Canada played a major role in world events, the exhibit became very real to the present generation through the tragedy of 9/11. This exhibit led to work on the Toronto fundraising committee for the new Canadian War Museum in Ottawa. In 2007, Hon LCol Caldwell was named one of Canada’s Top 40 Under 40.

In that same year, a good friend from his early days in the securities industry, LCol John Strathy, whose passing the Regiment mourned earlier this year, recruited him to join the Regimental Trust Fund. In this capacity, he has particularly enjoyed working with Jim Lutz, a U.S. Army Vietnam veteran who was his Cadet Leader Instructor with the 17th UCCR and instilled the ethos of good infantry leadership in his cadets. As part of the Trust and in his new role, Hon LCol Caldwell has focused on the welfare of returning veterans from Afghanistan.

With LCol John Fotheringham, LCol Peter St. Denis and their team, he helped to create the Post-Deployment Support Group which is focused on reconnecting our recent veterans with the Regiment while working on developing employment opportunities for them. Since his appointment became official this past April 26th, Hon LCol Caldwell has served as the Master of Ceremonies for the annual Regimental Band Concert, visited the Regimental memorials in France and Belgium with the Passing the Torch Tour and, with Hon Col Paul Hughes, visited our riflemen involved in the Operation Maple Defender exercise in Wainwright Alberta.

Of the many important aspects of the Passing the Torch Tour, travelling with his father, Mr. Thomas Caldwell, C.M., and receiving his rank insignia from Col Dick Cowling underneath the Menin Gate at Ypres were two highlights