Harv was born and raised at Sibbald, AB, 100 miles north of Medicine Hat, on a (mostly) grain farm. There were always half a dozen or so cows wandering around, too, but a roundup was never required because they could all fit in the front yard.
Harv fell in love with poetry after hearing a traveling entertainer recite several of Robert W. Service’s magnificent works. When the renowned cowboy poet Baxter Black came to Medicine Hat, circa 1990, on a UFA-sponsored tour, he decided to give it a try himself. He’s been composing, even as he himself decomposes, ever since.
Harv’s first job in showbiz was in 1969 at CKKR in Rosetown, SK, where he wrote copy, went on air, produced commercials and helped with janitorial duties, all for the princely sum of $225 a month. He met his wife-to-be Penny there, and a couple of years after marriage, the move was made to Medicine Hat for a position with CHAT Radio and TV. Over the years Harv covered agriculture, produced rodeo shows for radio stations in Saskatchewan, Alberta and B.C., and became a record-setting TV weatherman. Most folks agree that getting the forecast wrong for 186 consecutive days isn’t a record that’s likely to be broken anytime soon, and that the weather seems to have improved since Harv moved on to a stint in City politics and CJCY radio.
The Speers herd, which started with two sons and a daughter, has gotten larger since retirement in 2014, and now measures five grandchildren -two in Vancouver and three in Medicine Hat