Deputy Commanding Officer
Captain Danielle Hargreaves, CD
Captain Danielle Hargreaves was the first female and first Mi’kmaq Commanding Officer of 117 Preston/Westphal (2015-2019). She holds a Master of Arts in History from Brock University (2013) and a Bachelor of Arts with Honors in History from Mount Saint Vincent University (2012). Her honors thesis, “Moving Mountains: The No. 2 Construction Battalion and African Canadian Experience During the First World War” traced the wartime experience of Canada’s Black Battalion from the formation of the battalion through to their overseas service and post-war disbandment. Her Masters research examined the Great War’s impact on Black Canadian employment. Capt Hargreaves speaks annually at symposiums and academic conferences across Canada on topics of identity, segregation, racism, and human rights.
Captain Hargreaves was an Army Cadet until she joined the Cadet Instructors Cadre in 2008. As a cadet, Captain Hargreaves was actively involved biathlon, marksmanship, and orienteering as a competitor, having participated at the Zone and Provincial levels in marksmanship, biathlon, and orientarring on multiple occasions. She has continued to work with the biathlon and marksmanship program as both a coach and an official. Captain Hargreaves has also had the opportunity to work as an expedition team leader on many gold and silver star expedition weekends. She has filled a number of different positions including Platoon Commander for the General Training and Basic Cadet Leadership courses, as well as Course Director for the Basic Marksman and the Fitness and Sports Instructor courses at Argonaut CTC.
Captain Hargreaves has served with three cadet units during her CIC career: 2741 Eastern Shore RCACC as an instructor, marksmanship coach, Supply Officer, and
Training Officer; 68 Lincoln and Welland Regiment RCACC where she instructed and was recognized for rescuing a cadet in anaphylactic shock; and 117 Preston/Westphal RCACC as Training Officer, marksmanship coach, Administration Officer, Technical Services Officer, and Commanding Officer.
For her significant contributions to the CAF and her exceptional service as CO of 117 RCACC, Captain Hargreaves received the Commander National Cadet and Junior Canadian Rangers Support Group Commendation in 2019. In 2022 she was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal for her community service, human rights advocacy work, and her dedication to the preservation of the history and legacy of the No. 2 Construction Battalion.
In 2022, Captain Hargreaves left her career with the Victorian Order of Nurses to pursue a Juris Doctor degree from Dalhousie University's Schulich School of Law. Throughout her time at Schulich, Danielle pursued both the Aboriginal and Indigenous Law Specialization and the Criminal Justice Specialization; consistently focusing her research and advocacy on issues of systemic injustice. Her papers have tackled everything from prosecutorial failures affecting African Nova Scotians, to gendered violence and the “drunkenness defence,” to access to justice for self-represented Indigenous accused persons. In 3L, she further demonstrated her advocacy skills through the Kawaskimhon Moot, where she represented a Native Women’s Organization in a complex negotiation addressing the intersection of water insecurity, resource extraction, and its disproportionate impact on Indigenous women, girls, two-spirit, and gender-diverse individuals. The goal of the moot problem was to develop a coordination agreement addressing the governance of waterways across Turtle Island which embraced Indigenous Legal Orders. In 2023, Danielle also collaborated with Professor Archie Kaiser to help update course materials for the Mental Disability and the Law course and identify resources for his Global Corruption course.
Danielle’s impact extends far beyond Schulich’s halls. She has served as Chair of the CBA-NS Law Student Section, Co-President of SOCO, and Co-President of the Dalhousie Mature Law Students’ Association, which she helped bring back to life after nearly a decade of inactivity. Under her leadership, the group gained a ratified constitution and hosted a series of well-attended networking and social events, fostering a much-needed space for connection, visibility, and support among non-traditional students. Danielle has also acted as a key fundraiser for Orientation and student events throughout her law school career, securing over $60,000 in sponsorships. In her final semester at Schulich School of Law, Danielle completed a placement at the Dalhousie Legal Aid Service. She will begin her Articles in June, 2025 at Burchell Wickwire Bryson, in Downtown Halifax.