Commanding Officer

Lieutenant Commander Christopher Ellis, born in England, spent his schooling years in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island and Edmonton, Alberta before joining the Canadian Forces in 1987 under the Regular Officer Training Plan. He attended Royal Roads Military College and College Militaire de Royale graduating in 1991 with an under graduate degree in Business Administration.

In 1992, after completing his initial MARS training in HMCS MACKENZIE, Lieutenant Commander Ellis volunteered for submarine service.  His submarine training included deployments on HMCS OJIBIWA and HMCS OKANAGAN with his dolphins being awarded in August 1994. Once qualified, he was posted ashore as the Submarine Weapons and Sensor Officer in the First Canadian Submarine Squadron before attending the Destroyer Navigation Officer course in 1995.  On completion of the course he navigated OKANAGAN until 1997. 

In July 1997, Lieutenant Commander Ellis commenced a two year exchange with the Royal Australian Navy (RAN). While ‘down under’ he was employed for a short stint as the Sonar Officer in HMAS ONSLOW, executed the duties as the Manager of Tactical Training at the submarine school and attended the Submarine Warfare Officer course. Upon his return in 1999 he spent a brief period as Officer In Charge of OJIBIWA before his subsequent posting to the United Kingdom to conduct Upholder conversion training as the Combat Officer in HMS URSULA (HMCS CORNER BROOK).

After returning to Canada with CORNER BROOK in 2003, he attended the RAN Submarine Executive Officer course.  He subsequently returned to HMAS RANKIN in 2004 to be employed as a watch leader, participating in various multi-national exercises as the submarine deployed from Australia to Hawaii.

In the summer of 2004, Lieutenant Commander Ellis was appointed the Executive Officer of HMCS VICTORIA.  The submarine conducted its’ first running period on the west coast which included first of class discharge trials. In September 2005, he returned to sail with HMAS RANKIN in preparation for attending a Submarine Command course the following year.

In the summer of 2006, Lieutenant Commander Ellis became the second Canadian to successfully complete the Royal Netherlands Navy Submarine Command course more commonly known as “Perisher”. Immediately after Lieutenant Commander Ellis’ appointment as VICTORIA’s commanding officer in August 2006, he was sent to command HMCS WINDSOR for their last operational cycle prior to the EDWP commencing in January 2007.

In 2007 he attended the USN Submarine Command Course Class 12 in Groton Connecticut prior to his posting as the Submarine Operations Officer in Maritime Group Four Headquarters.  The 2008/09 academic year was spent in Toronto on the Joint Command and Staff Programme where he completed his Professional Masters in Defence Studies.

Lieutenant Commander Ellis is looking forward to the challenges that lie ahead as VICTORIA completes the Extended Docking Work Period and rewarding experience of commanding the first Victoria class submarine to achieve a fully operational status.