Chief Warrant Officer Justin Thorn, CD joined The Queen’s Own Rifles of Canada on 25 June 1988 at the age of 17.

From 1997-2002 he was employed full-time with the QOR initially as the Unit Recruiter, and finally as the Regimental Quartermaster Sergeant. He has deployed domestically twice: the Ice Storms of January 1998, and during the Toronto snowstorms of January 1999.

He has travelled extensively with the QOR on exchanges and ceremonial duties including to England in 1993, the United States, and France in 1994, 2014, and 2017. He was also a participant in 2005’s formal ceremonies commemorating the 60th Anniversary of the release of Canadian WW2 prisoners in Hong Kong.

CWO Thorn completed the Canadian Basic Parachutist Course in August 1990. He subsequently obtained U.S. and British Parachutist’s wings and also has 48 civilian skydives. He has held numerous positions within The Queen’s Own Rifles of Canada: Section Commander, Platoon 2IC, Company Quartermaster, Company Sergeant Major, Quartermaster Senior Instructor, and as an interim Company Commander and Company 2IC. Additionally, he has taught extensively on numerous recruit, machine gun, driver wheel and leadership courses.

CWO Thorn has been employed as a Police Constable with the Peel Regional Police Service since 2002 and since 2016 has worked in the Training Bureau where he is currently the Lead Firearms Instructor and a Use of Force Instructor.

From 1979 to 2019, he was involved with Scouts Canada; first as a youth member, and then taking on numerous key leadership roles for over 30 years, finishing as the Troop Scouter with the 6th Willowdale Scout Group. For his service in both organizations, CWO Thorn has won numerous awards and commendations including Peel Police’s 2019 Officer of the Year.

In 1995, CWO Thorn graduated from the University of Toronto with an Honours Bachelor of Arts in political science and continues his education through leadership courses both with Peel Police and the Canadian Armed Forces.

When not with his 2 dogs, he also enjoys outdoor activities and camping, international relations and current events, and continually upgrading his new home.