Commander Todd Bonnar joined the Canadian Forces as a Direct Entry Officer in 1997 after completing three years of service as a full time Reservist.  After completing Maritime Surface Officer classification training in HMCS VANCOUVER in 1998, he was selected to represent Canada in an exchange with the Royal Australian Navy in HMAS HOBART and HMAS ANZAC during which time he participated in the UN Peace Keeping Mission to East Timor.

      He returned to Canada’s West Coast fleet in 2000 and subsequently served as the Above Water Warfare Officer of HMCS ALGONQUIN. During this time he deployed to the Persian Gulf in support of OP APOLLO, Canada’s response to the September 11th attacks earning a Task Force Commander’s commendation for his Intelligence work. Commander Bonnar completed his Operations Room Officer course in 2004, returning to HMCS ALGONQUIN where he served as both the Weapons Officer and Combat Officer. During this tour he also completed his Area Air Warfare Commanders qualification.

      Commander Bonnar’s shore duties saw him briefly at Canadian Forces Fleet School Esquimalt as the Acting Division Commander for Warfare Training Division in 2003 before being posted to Halifax for the Operations Room Officer course. In 2007, he was posted to J3 Operations at Canadian Expeditionary Forces Command in Ottawa where he was integrally involved with full spectrum joint operations in Afghanistan.

He was promoted to the rank of Commander on 6th of June 2010 at Juno Beach on the shores of Normandy, France and assumed the position of Executive Officer, HMCS PROTECTEUR in July 2010.  During his tenure as Executive Officer, he participated in numerous deployments in support to counter narcotics efforts in Central America with Joint Inter-Agency Task Force (South) and earned the Operational Support Medal (Expeditionary).  He assumed his current position as Commanding Officer in January 2012.   

      He holds a Bachelor of Social Sciences Degree from the University of Ottawa and a Masters of Defence Studies with a focus on Chinese Domestic Policy, from the Royal Military College of Canada. He is a graduate of CF Joint Command and Staff Programme 36.

          An avid fan of the Ottawa Senators hockey club, he tries to keep the dream alive and laces up the skates whenever possible. He enjoys the truly outstanding support of his family and credits any success to his wife, Erin and his two beautiful daughters, Kamryn and Lauryn. When not on the ship, he spends the majority of his time with his family at soccer pitches, gymnastics and swimming pools.