Deputy Commander (Reserve) CADTC

Brigadier-General J.G.S. Tardif, CD

Brigadier General Stéphane Tardif was born in Montreal in 1970 and grew up in Rivière-du-Loup, Qc. His military career started in 1987 when he enlisted with A Coy of the Fusiliers du St Laurent as a non-commissioned member and he became officer in 1989. He then completed his basic infantry officer training and was promoted to Lieutenant in 1990. During the Oka Crisis in the same year, he led a platoon in charge of the Canadian Mobile Command Headquarters' security in St Hubert. In 1993, he was attached to 1st Battalion, Royal 22e Régiment, with the United Nations Protection Force in Croatia as an infantry platoon commander.

In 1994, he graduated from the Army Command and Staff Course in Kingston. Two years later, he was promoted to Major. In 1998, he joined the Deputy Chief of Defense Staff Group in Ottawa, where he was employed in the Operations and Doctrine branches. In 2000, he graduated from the Joint Reserve Command and Staff Course at the Staff College in Toronto. In September 2001, he took Command of the Regiment Les Fusiliers du St-Laurent and held that position while working as Chief of Staff, Policies and Procedures, for Naval Reserve Headquarters. In May 2004, he attended the National Security Studies Seminar and he completed the National Security Program in June 2017 at the Canadian Forces College in Toronto. During his career, he also completed other senior leadership courses such as the Senior Reserve Officer Course at the US War College in Carlisle, PA and the NATO Policy Senior Officer Course at the NATO School in Oberammergau, Germany.

Back from Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUC) in October 2005, where he was Chief Liaison Officer with the Congolese Army, Brigadier General Tardif assumed responsibilities as J3 Joint Task Force East HQ in Montreal until January 2007. In September 2007, he returned from an operational tour in Afghanistan, where he was employed in the Information Operations branch of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) headquarters. From February 2008 to April 2011, he was the Commanding Officer of the Command Support Capability. He was then promoted to Colonel and commanded 35 Canadian Brigade Group from June 2011 to June 2013. Then he assumed command of the Influence Activities Task Force on June 2013, assuming also the Army G9 responsibilities. He was appointed Chief of Staff Reserve at the Canadian Training & Doctrine Centre (CADTC) in June 2017 and became Acting Deputy Commander Reserve between February and August 2019. Promoted to the rank of Brigadier General in September 2019, he was appointed Deputy Commander, 2 Division Canadian Army until August 2022 when he was posted back to CADTC as Deputy Commander Reserve.

In April 1996, Brigadier General Tardif obtained a bachelor's degree in education at Université de Rimouski. During an international exchange program, he completed an history License from Université de Grenoble in France. Back in Canada, he completed an Administration Certificate and he received a Master's Degree in War Studies from the Royal Military College in Kingston in May 2010.

In his civilian life, Brigadier General Tardif is working as the Senior Director, Safety and Security, at Genesee & Wyoming Canada, a railway company. He is involved with many National railways committees. He is chairman of the Operation LifeSaver’s National Board of Directors and he also sits on the St-John Order (Quebec branch) and his Regimental Association Boards. He has been an honorary aide-de-camp for Quebec's Lieutenant Governor since May 2002.