Born in 1919 at Ottawa, Ontario, Ernest Allen Ballantyne attended schools in Toronto, Ontario prior to entering the Royal Military College of Canada in 1937. Graduating in December 1939, he was commissioned as a Lieutenant in the Corps of Royal Canadian Engineers.

On commissioning he was assigned to Number 6 Detachment Royal Canadian Engineers in Halifax and in May 1940 was posted to A5 Canadian Training Center in Petawawa. Here he was employed as a Training Officer and second-in-command of a Field Company. In 1941 he proceeded overseas to 1 Canadian Engineer Holding Unit in the United Kingdom. During the war he served in command and staff appointments in the United Kingdom and North West Europe.

Following cessation of hostilities, he attended Queens University gaining his Bachelor of Science (Civil) degree in 1947. From 1947 to 51 he served in the Directorate of Engineer Development as a Technical Staff Officer and for a year was Acting Director. The period of 1951 to 1954 found him serving as Canadian Army Liaison Officer to the United States Corps of Engineers at Fort Belvoir, Virginia. From 1954 to 1955 he commanded 4 Field Squadron Royal Canadian Engineers in Chilliwack BC and from 1955 to 57 he commanded l Field Squadron Royal Canadian Engineers in Chilliwack and Germany. From 1957 to 59 he commanded 26 Works Company Royal Canadian Engineers and from 1959 to 62 he was Commanding Officer of The Army Survey Establishment. From 1962 until 1968 he served as Deputy Chief Engineer and Acting Chief Erigineer at Army Headquarters, a Canadian Army Liaison Officer in Washington and Regional Engineer in Halifax.

In 1968, Colonel Ballantyne retired from the CF and became the Director of Industry and Development with the Government of the North West Territories. From 1972 until his retirement from the Canadian Government in 1975, he was the Deputy Director of Resource Programmes with the Federal Department of Finance. During the period 1975 to 77 he was with NOVA as Vice President of a subsidiary and later as Executive Vice President of Trans Quebec and Maritimes Pipeline Limited. During the period 1981 to '82 he was President of a company providing consultant services in the field of energy, policy, corporate organization and management and government liaison. His hobbies included boating, photography, gardening and travel, and he was active in the CME 2003 National Organising Committee.

Col Ballantyne passed away in February 2001 leaving his wife Barbara (Stevens) of Toronto, ON and five sons: Michael, Robert, Stephen, John and Alan.