Ottawa, Ontario
Mr. Hearfield served with the Royal Canadian Navy in the 1960s and then had a 32 year career in the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, retiring as Staff Sergeant in 1997. He has been a member of the Navy League of Canada for more than 30 years. While living in British Columbia, Mr. Hearfield served as a civilian instructor with the Navy League Corps in New Westminster. Upon his return to Ottawa, he became active on the Board of Directors of the Ottawa Branch serving as Sea Cadet Chairman, Secretary, President, and Past President. He is currently Branch Historian. Mr. Hearfield has an extensive collection of Canadian Naval and RCMP artefacts, which he began collecting more than 50 years ago. He presents his collection at various functions and to different organizations, such as the Naval Officers Association, Department of National Defence, War Museum events, ships' reunions and the Ottawa Women's Royal Canadian Naval Service Association meetings. For the past 13 years, Mr. Hearfield's naval collection has been on display at the annual Veterans' Appreciation Day held at the Billings Bridge Shopping Plaza in Ottawa. In 2005, the Year of The Veteran, the Ottawa WREN Association named Mr. Hearfield an "Honorary WREN."