Special Episode

LCol Eleanor Taylor

WO Avril Jno-Baptiste-Jones

Sgt. Leslie Blair

We had the pleasure of hosting a live Virtual Fireside Chat on July 6 with guests from For Her Country Season 1, Lieutenant-Colonel Eleanor Taylor, Warrant Officer Avril Jno-Baptiste-Jones and Sergeant Leslie Blair.

On this special episode, we’ll hear the live recording of the fireside chat, which dives deeper into the themes discussed in the previous episodes: diversity and inclusion, resiliency and leadership.

About Eleanor

Lieutenant-Colonel Eleanor Taylor is a native of Antigonish Nova Scotia. She recently completed a 25-year career as a regular force infantry officer and spent some of her career working with Special Operations Forces Command.

Eleanor has multiple deployments overseas including Kosovo in 1999, Bosnia in 2004, and Kandahar in 2010 where she led operations with soldiers from the Canadian, US and Afghan armies. At that time, Eleanor was the only female to lead a NATO infantry combat sub-unit in Afghanistan. She now serves part time as the Deputy Commander of 36 Canadian Brigade Group Head Quarters in Halifax and runs Eleanor Taylor Consulting.

About Avril

Warrant Officer Avril Jno-Baptiste-Jones was born and raised on the Caribbean island of Dominica and immigrated to Canada at a young age. She joined the Canadian Armed Forces in Winnipeg as a Finance Clerk and recently completed 25 years of Regular Force service.

Avril has risen through the ranks and has held roles with a wide array of teams in communities across the country. Today, she lives in Milton, Ontario and serves as a Reservist, having recently completed a deployment to Kuwait.

About Leslie

Sergeant Leslie Blair is a 13-year veteran in the Royal Canadian Air Force where she serves as an Aviation Systems Technician. Her skills and abilities have resulted in multiple deployments with the Tactical Airlift Unit to Camp Mirage and Afghanistan.

Leslie served with the 424 Squadron Search and Rescue where she participated in multiple domestic exercises. She is currently a member of 423 Maritime Helicopter Squadron and resides in Nova Scotia.