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Former naval officer shares stories during Reach lecture

Gwen Settle speaks at the gallery museum's Living History series on Wednesday, Dec. 4.

Officer WAN02 Gwen Settle will share her remarkable stories of growing up as a young woman abroad serving for the Canadian Navy from 1962 to 1965 at The Reach on Wednesday, Dec. 4 from 1 to 2 p.m.

As a child, Settle heard her father tell the stories of his many adventures as a navy officer, and promised herself she would join the Canadian Navy too.

Little could Settle have known that making such a promise, and following through with it, would end up being best the decision of her life.

This lecture is free to the public and is part of The Reach Gallery Museum Abbotsford’s ongoing Living History series, where people share their stories with the community.

Settle’s talk celebrates what service as a woman in the Navy was like, a topic explored through the visual art currently on display at The Reach until Jan. 5, 2013, The Navy: A Century in Art, a travelling show from the Canadian War Museum.

Settle will share her experiences serving in Key West, Fla. during the Cold War years – a girl, in her own words, “having a great experience, doing what [she] loved.”