CWO Heath will be retiring from the CF on 3 Aug 2013 with 36 years and 8 months of loyal and dedicated service to Canada, the Canadian Forces and the Canadian Military Engineers. CWO Heath was born in Marville, France and grew up in Melfort, SK and Victoria, BC where he graduated from Oak Bay High School in 1976. CWO Heath joined the CF as a Stationary Engineer in Nov 1976, completing his Basic Training at CFRS Cornwallis, NS and his QL3 training in Chilliwack, BC.
CWO Heath was employed in Central Heating Plants from 1977 to 1984 at CFB Ottawa (Uplands), CFB Toronto and CFB Comox. During those postings he was attach-posted to CFS Alert (1978), CFS Beaverlodge (1979), attended his QL5 course (1979), QL6A course (1982) and successfully wrote his exams for civilian certification as a Second Class Power Engineer.
In 1984, CWO Heath took the year-long French course in Comox and St Jean, QC. In 1985 he was posted back to CFB Comox as the Maintenance Supervisor and Chief Operating Engineer of the Central Heating Plant.
In 1987, CWO Heath was posted to CFB Goose Bay, where he was promoted to Sgt in 1988 and employed as the Heating Superintendent, supervising a team of Steamfitters, Burner Mechanics, military Stationary Engineers, and others, responsible for all building heating systems and the associated distribution system from the Central Heat and Power Plant.
In 1990, he was posted to CFB Lahr, Germany, where he was promoted to WO in 1992 and worked as the Heating Superintendent, responsible for 43 German civilian workers, 3 major heating plants and all heating systems at CFB Lahr and CFE HQ.
In 1994, CWO Heath was posted to the Canadian Forces School of Military Engineering (CFSME) at CFB Chilliwack, where he served as the Stationary Engineer Chief Instructor.
In 1997, after the disbanding of the Stationary Engineer trade, CWO Heath became a Construction Engineering Superintendent and moved with CFSME to CFB Gagetown, first as the Construction Engineering Training Squadron Advance Party Commander, responsible for the Squadron’s move to Gagetown from Chilliwack, and then as Instructor for Construction Engineering officer training and common engineering training for all Construction Engineering trades.
In 2000, CWO Heath was posted to the Construction Engineering (CE) section at CFB Winnipeg where he was promoted to MWO in 2003. During his posting in Winnipeg he served as Planning Officer, Contracts Officer, and Operations Director and was OPI for two Air National Guard construction project deployments to Winnipeg.
Upon completion of a six-month tour at CFS Alert as the Station Warrant Officer in Aug 2004, CWO Heath was posted to CFB Esquimalt, where he assumed the duties of the Pacific Naval Construction Troop Commander and Urban Search & Rescue Team Commander for one year, followed by 2 years as the CE Mechanical Business Manager, where he was responsible for a staff of 60 civilian and military personnel and the operation, maintenance and repair of all mechanical infrastructure at CFB Esquimalt.
In 2007, CWO Heath was promoted to his current rank and was posted to 1 Canadian Air Division (later 2 Cdn Air Div) as the Construction Engineer Qualification Manager for all CE NCM occupations. In 2009, CWO Heath got his wish and was posted back to CFB Esquimalt as the CE Branch CWO.
CWO Heath married his beautiful and tolerant wife Sandra in Sep 1981 and has a very artistic daughter, Cara who attends Camosun College in Victoria.
CWO Heath enjoys life in Victoria, which fits in well with his love of travel, exploring parks, camping, movies and sleeping in. He is currently completing a course in Entrepreneurial Skills and may start a business sometime during his retirement.
A “Depart with Dignity” ceremony will be held in his honour on 12 June 2013 at 1130 hours at the CFB Esquimalt Chief’s and Petty Officer’s Mess (Rainbow Room). All are welcome. Congratulatory messages, anecdotes and stories may be sent to MWO Bernie MacInnis, Acting CE Branch CWO, CFB Esquimalt BERNARD.MACINNIS@forces.gc.ca.