THE RHLI GETS A NEW COMMANDING OFFICER

The Regiment made a great showing as it wound down into Bayfront Park, with The two Guards,
The RHLI 13th Battalion Ceremonial Guard, and two Cadet Corps, all lead by The RHLI Band.

The Royal Hamilton Light Infantry have a new commanding officer. Lieutenant-Colonel Dan Stepaniuk CD assumed command from Lieutenant-Colonel Sean Mckee CD on May 16th, 2010. The parade – which also marked the public debut of the RHLI 13th Battalion Ceremonial Guard – took place in Hamilton’s Bayfront Park, with the RHLI parading the 1.2 km route from the John Foote, VC, CD Armouries and back.

The parade also saw a very rare event. The reviewing officer, Colonel John Celestino CD, Commander of 31 Canadian Brigade Group presented two commendations on behalf of the Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS). The CDS Commendations were presented to LCol Stepaniuk for his work in Haiti in 2008, and to Corporal Sergio Casole-Gouveia for his conduct in Afghanistan, in 2009 providing emergency medical treatment to wounded colleagues. It is unusual for even one CDS commendation, let alone two presented at the same time.

A full field of guests, including civic and military VIPs as well as members of our soldier’s families,
filled the chairs to observe the parade.

LCol Stepaniuk joined the RHLI in 1986 as a private soldier. Ten years later, after commissioning, he transferred to 3RCR for three years, which included a tour in the former Republic of Yugoslavia. He transferred back to the RHLI in 1999, where he served in most key regimental positions before being appointed DCO as Major in 2007. In 2008, he did a tour in Haiti as operations officer to the Canadian contingent on OP MINUSTAH. In that role, his planning work during the aftermath of four back-to-back hurricanes, and his efforts after a girl’s school collapsed, earned him a CDS Commendation.

In civilian life he is a high school teacher of Latin and Ancient History.

LCol McKee joined the CF in 1988, also as a private soldier. He moves on to 31 CBG to command the Brigade’s Territorial Battalion Group. He is with the Risk Management Division with TD Bank Financial Group in his civilian career.