Portugal Cove – St. Philip’s NL

Major Michael Pretty was born April 1st 1963. His father Arthur Pretty, from Chapel Arm, was a 5th generation Military serviceman, who was serving with the Black Watch Regiment when he met Michael’s mother, Doris, a German national. Michael spent his early childhood growing up around Nfld living in Chapel Arm, Gallants, and Stephenville. He also spent most of his middle childhood years with his father at numerous military stations, including two tours in Germany and Oromocto New Brunswick. They finally moved back to Nfld in 1971 to the Bay of Islands Area. Upon graduation from Regina High School in Corner Brook NL in 1980 he joined the Military in the Regular Officer Training Plan and received The Queen’s Commission on Aug 3rd 1983 as an Infantry Officer.

Major Pretty has served in numerous positions in Canada and overseas. He has several United Nations tours, In Cyprus, the Former Republic of Yugoslavia, the Ukraine and several other smaller missions. He received a Regimental Commendation (Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry, PPCLI) for his work as a Forward Air Controller in Bosnia especially the Sarajevo and Srebrenica areas in 1994 and was decorated by the US Army for his work in the Ukraine in 2003. He has also served in Germany, as part of NATO, and has deployed all over North America on various training exercises and courses.

He finished his career as the Provincial Liaison Officer to the Government of NL and Officer Commanding B Company 2nd battalion The Royal newfoundland Regiment and retired in 2013 after 33 years of service.

In addition to his military duties he started an outdoor instructional company which specialized in high quality SCUBA training, Wilderness & Remote First Aid and Wilderness Survival Instruction and a First Aid equipment company, Northern First Aid Ltd. Michael became involved in SCUBA Diving in 1988 while serving in Cyprus. He became an Instructor in 1996 and achieved the Instructor Trainer Evaluator rating in 2003. He has taught over 1100 people to SCUBA dive and has certified over 27000 people in First Aid . Michael Pretty has been an Expedition Leader of several Marine Archeology excursions to the West Coast of Canada and in an internationally certified underwater marine archeologist and a member of the Newfoundland Shipwreck Preservation Society.

Pretty SAFE Enterprises is also the Canadian Red Cross Instructor Development Center for NL. Michael and his team have trained hundreds of instructors in NL.

Michael Pretty is an avid historian and has a passion for NL history. He has started a charity called The Trail of the Caribou Research Group, whose mission is to remember what Newfoundlanders accomplished in Foreign Wars. Starting with WWI they are recording the people who fought as part of the Newfoundland Regiment, and those Newfounlanders and Labradorians who fought in 5 other country’s militaries. His team has discovered not only did some 6400 serve with The Royal Newfoundland Regiment, plus hundreds more in the Newfoundland Naval Reserve and Merchant Marine BUT another 5500+ in the Canadian and UK Army, Air Force and Naval Services, as well as the US and Australian Army.

He has lead 2 Pilgrimages to Gallipoli and several more to France and Flanders, and is an active Tour Guide. The Trail Group has just had their first documentary From Newfoundland to Gallipoli and Home Again: The Story of the Seventh Caribou air on NTV. The Trail Group also conducts dozens of school and community visits each year and engages our youth in education of what the people of this province have accomplished while in service.

He is a member of several Historical groups in NL, England and Belgium. Michael is currently the Chair of the Portugal Cove – St Philip’s Heritage Committee, Arts Wellness and Heritage Group and the Gallipoli Association Representative to NL. He also sits on the Board for the Killick Coast Chamber of Commerce.

Michael currently lives in Portugal Cove near St John’s Newfoundland with his wife Heather, and two daughters, Helen 17 and Josephine 15. His eldest Daughter Katherine, 37, lives in British Columbia.

Contact Michael