By Donna McMillan
FROM an early 25-year career in law enforcement to her second calling as a chaplain, Erna Greenfield of Simcoe has dedicated her life to helping others.
Erna became the chaplain for Port Dover’s Royal Canadian Legion Hugh Allan Branch 158 in September. Following the Legion’s guidelines, she is responsible for Remembrance Day, Decoration Day and other services that are part of the Legion’s protocol. She shared she also visits long-standing members of the Legion who are homebound with illness, often with her companion dog Meeshka.
“I’m very proud to be the chaplain of this branch because there are so many hardworking men and women here. They are very community minded. As soon as you walk in the door, they welcome you. It’s a very busy branch,” she said.
Erna said she worked in law enforcement from 1973 to 1998 as a “road hawk” in the London area and Blind River. Always a faithful Christian, she then spent two and a half years training to become a pastor after she left the police force.
She worked as a hospital chaplain in Elliott Lake for a couple of years and then was the chaplain at Cedarwood Village from 2008 to 2012. She also conducts many funeral services or celebrations of life through Jason Smith Funeral Home in Simcoe.
“I do whatever the family wants,” she said. Some like religious ceremonies; others prefer a secular service.
“I make it very personal, and laughter helps with the healing in grief.”
Erna also served as a service officer at the Simcoe Legion and did palliative care at Norfolk General Hospital for many years.
Erna said she took guardianship of Meeshka, a five-year-old Hungarian herding dog, in November when her previous owner, a veteran, passed away. Before that, she owned and worked with a sheltie for 13 years that was trained to deal with PTSD. She said Meeshka was housebound with her previous owner but quickly learned what to do when visiting a Legion member at Norview who is missing having a dog.
Erna says there are a few seniors whom she regularly checks in with to offer words of encouragement and some of her humourous observations. Outside of her role as chaplain, she is a car fanatic and enjoys watching Netflix with her husband.
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Originally published April 9, 2025
