In the Royal Canadian Navy

Royal Canadian Navy

The history of the Royal Canadian Navy goes back to 1910, when the naval force was created as the Naval Service of Canada and renamed a year later by King George V. The Royal Canadian Navy is one of the three environmental commands of the Canadian Forces...

, the rank of Commander is a Naval

Canadian Forces Maritime Command

The Royal Canadian Navy , is the naval force of Canada. The RCN is one of three environmental commands within the unified Canadian Forces. Operating 33 warships and several auxiliary vessels, the Royal Canadian Navy consists of 8,500 Regular Force and 5,100 Primary Reserve sailors, supported by...

 rank equal to a Lieutenant-Colonel

Lieutenant-Colonel (Canada)

In the Canadian Forces, the rank of lieutenant-colonel is an Army or Air Force rank equal to a commander of the Navy. A lieutenant-colonel is the second-highest rank of senior officer...

 of the Army

Canadian Forces Land Force Command

The Canadian Army , previously called Land Force Command, is responsible for army operations within the Canadian Forces. The current size of the Army is 19,500 regular soldiers and 16,000 reserve soldiers, for a total of around 35,500 soldiers...

 or Air Force

Canadian Forces Air Command

The Royal Canadian Air Force , formerly Canadian Forces Air Command, is one of three environmental commands of the Canadian Forces...

. A Commander is senior to a
Lieutenant
Commander

Lieutenant-Commander (Canada)

In the Royal Canadian Navy, the rank of lieutenant-commander is the naval rank equal to major in the army or air force and is the first rank of senior officer...

 or an Army or Air Force Major

Major

Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...

, and junior to a Captain(N)

Captain (naval)

Captain is the name most often given in English-speaking navies to the rank corresponding to command of the largest ships. The NATO rank code is OF-5, equivalent to an army full colonel....

 or Colonel

Colonel (Canada)

In the Canadian Forces, the rank of colonel is an Army or Air Force rank equal to a captain of the Navy. A colonel is the highest rank of senior officer...

.

Typical appointments for a Commander include:

• Commanding officer
  Commanding officer
  The commanding officer is the officer in command of a military unit. Typically, the commanding officer has ultimate authority over the unit, and is usually given wide latitude to run the unit as he sees fit, within the bounds of military law...
  
   of a school or training establishment, such as the Canadian Forces Fleet School;
• Commanding officer
  Commanding officer
  The commanding officer is the officer in command of a military unit. Typically, the commanding officer has ultimate authority over the unit, and is usually given wide latitude to run the unit as he sees fit, within the bounds of military law...
  
   of a frigate
  Halifax class frigate
  The Halifax-class frigate is a class of multi-role patrol frigates that have served the Royal Canadian Navy since 1992...
  
  , destroyer
  Iroquois class destroyer
  Iroquois-class destroyers, also known as Tribal class, are a class of four helicopter-carrying, guided missile destroyers of the Canadian Forces. Launched in the 1970s, they were originally fitted out for anti-submarine warfare, but a major upgrade programme in the 1990s overhauled them for...
  
  , Naval Reserve Division or a Sea Cadet Summer Training Centre;
• Executive Officer
  Executive officer
  An executive officer is generally a person responsible for running an organization, although the exact nature of the role varies depending on the organization.-Administrative law:...
  
   of a replenishment vessel
  Protecteur class auxiliary vessel
  Protecteur-class auxiliary oiler replenishment ships are used by the Royal Canadian Navy to resupply ships at sea with food, munitions, fuel and spare parts. They have more sophisticated medical and dental facilities than smaller vessels...
  
  ;
• Deputy Commander
  Deputy Commander
  Deputy commander was a rank in the London Metropolitan Police which existed between 1946 and 1968.In 1946, the rank of chief constable, which was between superintendent and deputy assistant commissioner, was renamed deputy commander. At the same time, the rank of deputy assistant commissioner was...
  
   of a Canadian Forces Base
  Canadian Forces base
  A Canadian Forces Base or CFB is a military installation of the Canadian Forces. For a facility to qualify as a Canadian Forces Base, it must station one or more major units .Minor installations are named Canadian Forces Station or CFS A Canadian Forces Base or CFB (French Base des forces...
  
  ;
• Senior staff officer or Chief of Staff
  Chief of Staff
  The title, chief of staff, identifies the leader of a complex organization, institution, or body of persons and it also may identify a Principal Staff Officer , who is the coordinator of the supporting staff or a primary aide to an important individual, such as a president.In general, a chief of...
  
   on a formation staff, or a Director-level position on an administrative staff.

The rank insignia for a Commander is three ½" stripes, worn on the cuffs of the Service Dress jacket, and on slip-on

Slip-on

A shoulder mark, also called a shoulder board, shoulder loop, shoulder slide, rank slide, slip on, epaulette sleeve, or an epaulette, is a flat cloth sleeve worn on the shoulder strap of a uniform. It may bear rank or other insignia...

s on other uniforms. On the visor of the service cap is one row of gold oak leaves along the edge. Commanders in the Naval Operations Branch wear the officers' pattern cap badge for that branch, which is an anchor on a black oval, surrounded by a wreath of maple leaves. Specialist officers in such branches as logistics, medical, etc. wear their respective branch cap badges.

A Commander is addressed initially by rank and surname, thereafter by superiors and peers as "Commander" and by subordinates as "Sir" or "Ma'am".