Major General
Reginald William Lewis, CD
A native of the U.K., Major-General Lewis’ military interests began when he joined his school’s Army Cadet Corps with was affiliated with the Queen’s Own Royal West Kent Regiment. He later transferred to the Royal Artillery. He joined the Royal Army Ordnance Corps in 1948 and served in Britain, Greece, Turkey, Egypt and Eritrea.
Major-General Lewis came to Canada in 1954 when he joined the Militia. He initially joined 4 Ordnance Battalion, which in 1964 became part of the 2 Toronto Service Battalion. He commanded the Toronto Service Battalion from 1969 to 1972.
Major-General Lewis transferred to Headquarters Toronto Militia District as Principal Staff Officer in March 1972 and assumed command of Toronto Militia District in September of that year. In June, 1974 he became Deputy Commander of Central Militia Area and was appointed Commander and promoted Brigadier-General in August 1975. Central Militia Area is the largest command in the Canadian Reserves. General Lewis relinquished this command September 15, 1978. He was appointed Special Projects Officer of the Chief of Reserves Council on 1 January 1982 and promoted to Major-General and appointed Chief of Reserves on 26 January 1985.
Major-General Lewis is a past president of the Royal Canadian Ordnance Corps Association, past chairman of the Conference of Defence Associations and a past president of the Canadian Forces Logistics Association. He was the Vice President Canada of the Interallied Confederation of Reserve Officers.
He serves as an executive member or a director of a number of services and charitable organizations and clubs, among them the Good Neighbors Corps of Commissionaires, the Empire Club, the Royal Commonwealth Society, the Fort York Branch of the Royal Canadian Legion and is the immediate past President of the Royal Canadian Military Institute. He was appointed by the City Council to be President of the Toronto Sesquicentennial Board and the Chairman of City of Toronto Royal Visit Committee. He is chairman of the board of the Home Care Program for Metropolitan Toronto and in business life he is the President of the Parking Authority of Toronto. He has recently been appointed chairman of the Toronto Economic Development Corporation.
