New role will focus on securing investment and positioning Ontario as a trusted supplier of defence equipment and technology
The Ontario government has appointed Bernard Derible to serve as the province’s first-ever Ontario Military Defence Representative (OMDR). In this role, Mr. Derible will promote Ontario’s defence industry in global markets, attract new defence investment to the province and help Ontario companies take advantage of growing export opportunities. This new position also builds on Ontario’s ongoing advocacy to secure Toronto’s selection as the headquarters of the newly created Defence, Security and Resilience Bank (DSRB) and the 3,500 direct jobs it would bring to Canada if the city is selected.
Bernard Derible is a Canadian Armed Forces veteran who has served as a senior military officer for the United Nations and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. He has significant international volunteer and consulting experience, including leading pandemic and emergency preparedness plans and refugee support initiatives for international organizations and governments in the Middle East and Southeast Asia. Mr. Derible is currently Ontario’s Agent-General in Southeast Asia, located in Bangkok, Thailand, and will serve in dual roles to leverage existing in-market resources.
“With Canada and its allies making investments into the defence sector at a scale that has not been seen since the height of the Cold War, Ontario’s Military Defence Representative will ensure that the province’s economy stands to benefit,” said Vic Fedeli, Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade. “As our government continues to build upon Ontario’s reputation as a trusted and reliable supplier to the world, this new role will ensure our manufacturers and workers are at the heart of these global equipment and technology investments, while expanding their own defence exports to new markets.”
Ontario’s defence sector consists of more than 300 companies that directly employ 13,000 workers across the province. The province is a global leader in combat vehicle manufacturing, command and control systems, and the production of aircraft and aircraft parts. With Canada and its NATO allies committing to invest 5% of GDP annually on defence by 2035, there are generational opportunities for Ontario’s defence manufacturers and workers.
This role will advance defence opportunities in allied markets, while identifying high‑value investments that strengthen Ontario’s security, R&D capacity, domestic production and supply‑chain resilience. The OMDR will connect Ontario companies with new international partners to expand export opportunities, drive economic diversification and attract job-creating investment to Ontario.
While the federal government has yet to announce a decision on its backing for Toronto’s selection for the DSRB, the province and City of Toronto are continuing to prepare the strongest possible bid for consideration by the allied nations that make up the bank’s members. Ontario can deliver the defence manufacturing, advanced technology and skilled workforce, with Toronto’s bid backed by finance, tech, manufacturing, academic and government leaders from across the province.
Quick Facts
- Ontario is Canada’s largest defence and manufacturing hub and is supported by advanced supply chains, an established industrial base, and access to critical minerals essential for defence and aerospace production.
- With over 300 companies generating over $5 billion in annual revenue and directly employing more than 13,000 people, Ontario is a national hub for defence manufacturing and innovation.
- The Ontario government has been a leading advocate for Toronto’s selection as the headquarters of the newly created Defence, Security and Resilience Bank (DSRB), a multilateral institution focused on financing defence, security and resilience projects for NATO members and allied nations.
- Ontario is one of North America’s largest tech hubs, with strengths in cybersecurity, artificial intelligence-enabled systems, space technologies, and aerospace innovation.
- Canada is making a generational pivot toward defence with a commitment to meet NATO’s 5 per cent GDP spending target by 2035, including $150 billion annually in military, industrial, and infrastructure-related investments.
- The position is unpaid and will be fulfilled alongside the existing Agent-General role, delivered within the ministry’s existing budget.
Author: Pete Fisher
Has been a photojournalist for over 30-years and have been honoured to win numerous awards for photography and writing over the years. Best selling author for the book Highway of Heroes - True Patriot Love
