Published November 3, 2022
After more than 12 years of loyal and dedicated service to the Canadian Armed Forces and the Canadian Military Engineers Branch, MCpl Christian Hastings will retire on 18 November 2022. A DwD will be held on 17 November 2022 at 14:30 hours at the Centurion Mess in Meaford. Please send RSVPs, anecdotes, well-wishes, and photographs to WO M.J Boisvert-Boucher at Jerome.Boisvert-Boucher@forces.gc.ca.
Master Corporal Christian John Hastings was born in Scarborough, Ontario, and raised in Aurora, Ontario. He grew up playing hockey in the Greater Toronto Hockey League on various teams. Naturally, he grew up cheering for the Toronto Maple Leafs.
MCpl Hastings joined the Canadian Armed Forces in 2010 as a Combat Engineer. Christian served with 2 Combat Engineer Regiment in Petawawa, Ontario, mostly under 24 Field Squadron as a Light Field Engineer but also as an EOD specialist for two years.
The Russian annexation of Crimea in 2014 prompted the CAF to deploy to Eastern Europe as part of NATO’s response. MCpl Hastings deployed on this operation with the 3rd Royal Canadian Regiment as a light machine gunner in an infantry company. He deployed to Ukraine again in 2017 to work at Ukraine’s Explosive Ordnance Disposal School of Excellence, mentoring Ukrainian EOD teams to be compatible with NATO standards.
After heavy flooding in Ottawa in the spring of 2019, MCpl Hastings deployed with his section to Constance Bay, a badly affected area. His section deployed assault boats to assist local police and fire fighters in conducting wellness checks and evacuations when necessary as well as filling many sand bags.
During his spare time, Christian helped coach the Timbits Hockey Program in Pembroke for kids aged four to six years old. He appreciated the opportunity to coach children and to teach them teamwork through fun and competition.
After ten years with 2 CER, MCpl Hastings was posted to 4 CDTC Meaford in 2021 from where he will retire next month.