Category: Band Historical

Sunday, 29 September 2024 was an important and memorable day in the history of the RCMP Pipes, Drums and Dancers of the National Capital Region.

Canadian Police & Peace Officers Memorial

The day started with National Capital Region band members on parade for the annual Canadian Police & Peace Officers Memorial (CPPOM). We were fortunate to be joined by RCMP Pipe Band members from five of the other RCMP Bands. A large group from Montreal’s “C” Division came to Ottawa for the parade. As well, members from Halifax, Moncton, Regina and Edmonton were in town for meetings of the National Executive Committee, so paraded with us.

The Canadian Police & Peace Officers Memorial (CPPOM) is held on Parliament Hill annually to honour Police and Peace officers who have lost their lives on duty during the previous year and to remember those lost in previous years. It is a major event for Pipe Bands and for Police and Peace officers from across the province and further afield, who come to Ottawa to march and to remember. While we honour all officers on the Honour Roll, this year, we especially remembered Cst. Rick O’Brien. This RCMP member was murdered in Coquitlam, B.C. on 22 September 2023. His name will now be added to the Canadian Police and Peace Officers’ Memorial glass tablets, with all other officers killed in the line of duty since confederation. The tablets are located beside the Police Memorial Pavilion behind the center block.

Near the end of the parade, an important event for the Ottawa RCMP band took place. After 22 years as Pipe Major, Graeme Ogilvie formally turned the Pipe Band over to our new Pipe Major, Iain Tait. PM Ogilvie handed over the Commissioner’s Banner and PM Tait then took up position at the head of the band for the march off.

The Reception

After the ceremony on Parliament Hill, band members and special guests gathered in the Rockcliffe General Mess at the Canadian Police College. PM Tait piped in PM Ogilvie with a tune he had recently written for the occasion. The march was appropriately titled “A View to Green Pastures”.

Led by Master of Ceremonies Drum Major Brad Hampson, memories were shared and presentations were made. Former Drum Major Graham Muir, who was instrumental in recruiting Graeme to the Pipe Major’s position, had many interesting stories of their years together. Drum Major Bob Skinner of the Toronto Police Services Pipes and Drums presented a framed tribute, containing a new bagpipe tune dedicated to Graeme. Our Commanding Officer also said a few words thanking Graeme for his service.

Once the presentations were completed, the MC regaled us with “Parting Glass” and we all joined in for “Auld Lang Syne” to close off the formalities.

PM Graeme Ogilvie will still be with the band as a piper and as assistant to PM Iain Tait, keeping the band strong into the future.

The RCMP Pipe Band has new graphics on our regimental drums! The newly emblazoned drums were paraded for the first time at the 2024 Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo, by a composite band drawn from across Canada.

The RCMP was presented with its third Guidon in September 2023. The new Guidon was updated with His Majesty King Charles III Cypher, as well as a new corps operational honour for Afghanistan 2003-14, and the distinctive badge of the Canadian Provost Corps with scroll 1939-1945. The commonwealth tradition is that regimental drums are emblazoned based upon the heraldry displayed on the regimental Guidon (flag) or Colours. Now, the regimental drums of the Force’s eight pipe bands and the recruit band at Depot Division, will also be updated.

Hand painting regimental drums with battle honours is a centuries old tradition from the British Army. Their drums were often used as signaling tools for communication in times of battle, and were closely linked to the regimental flags. The RCMP adopted emblazoning of drums in the late 1950’s. Nowadays, computer-generated decals have replaced the hand painted drums.

These regimental decals were created by Doug Matthews, and were received just before the Tattoo. Our drum corps worked diligently to get them all onto the drums before the first Tattoo event. Since this was the first set to be installed, some creativity was needed to get everything just right. It all worked out well and the drums are beautiful. This video gives a view of the whole set of drums

The honours on the guidon and now the drums, attest to wartime service in conflict zones. For the RCMP, they include:
North West Canada 1885, South Africa 1900-2, France & Flanders 1918, Siberia 1918-19, Second World War 1939-1945, and Afghanistan 2003-14.

As a national police force, the RCMP also has a proud military heritage, following many British Army light cavalry traditions from the early days of the Force in the western prairies from 1873 onward. There they kept the peace while enforcing the law in a very young Canada. They also answered the call in times of conflict to work towards peace alongside Canada’s military, both in Canada and across the world into the 21st century. Further information about the guidon is available at https://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/en/guidon

The newly emblazoned drums were paraded for the first time in Edinburgh at the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo, where they were played by our RCMP drummers in the massed pipes and drums. They lined up alongside the regimental drums belonging to the many British Army regimental bands playing in the Tattoo. The first show with our re-emblazoned drums was on August 2nd, 2024.

These photos show our old regimental drums in the drum altar created for the new Guidon presentation at RCMP Depot Division in Regina in 2023, and the newly updated drums in Edinburgh at the castle.

The 150th Anniversary of the RCMP was expected to be a busy year. We hoped there would be extra events that would highlight this important anniversary. Our hopes were answered big time!

We thought that 2022 had brought the band back to a more normal schedule after the COVID years, but 2023 ended up being well beyond expectations. In fact, 2023 equalled the previous busiest year in the Band’s history (2019), with performances at 41 different events. This compares to 26 events in 2022 and only 11 in 2021. As hoped, much of the activity was related to the celebration of the RCMP’s 150^th Anniversary. The most significant for us was the presentation of the new RCMP Guidon in Regina, Saskatchewan in September, where we participated as part of a composite band with pipers and drummers from across the country.

The major activities of 2023 were a full band/dancer concert at Orleans United Church in the spring, 75^th (+3) anniversary Liberation Ceremonies in the Netherlands (with side trips to Vimy in France and the Menin Gate in Ieper Belgium, and to Germany) for 2 weeks in April/May and to the Basel International Tattoo (Switzerland), the second largest tattoo in the world, in July.

The Band continued its support to the RCMP by parading at many garrison events, including the RCMP Commissioner Change of Command, the O Division Change of Command in Toronto, V Division Change of Command in Iqaluit, and a number of Long Service Medals Ceremonies in Ottawa.

It’s not just full band events that keep us busy. We had band members perform more than 120 solo/duo events through the year.

A sad but important task for the band is leading the troops parading to honour police officers killed on duty. Unfortunately, this happened often in 2023. Our band members joined those from other RCMP and police bands at the services for OPP Cst Pierzchala (Barrie), Surete du Quebec Sgt Brault (Trois Rivieres), RCMP Cst Dhami (Edmonton), OPP Sgt Mueller (Kanata), and RCMP Cst O’Brien (Vancouver). Along with the funerals, we attended the annual Ontario Police memorial in Toronto in April and the National Police Memorial in Ottawa in September.

Long time support also continued to local charity organizations such as the ALS, Cancer Society, Muscular Dystrophy, and the Shriners.

If it sounds to have been a busy year, it was. Band members logged over 20,000 volunteer hours in 2023, a doubling of the volunteer hours over 2022. 

Ahead for 2024

It is anticipated that 2024 could be another very busy year. While a full schedule has yet to be finalized, the Band will support numerous events in the National Capital Region, representing National Headquarters as well as collaborating with our sister RCMP Bands as appropriate. We already have two major events scheduled – the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo in Edinburgh, Scotland (the world’s largest and most famous tattoo), and the Scottish-Irish Festival of Estes Park, Colorado in early September. Watch our social media for more information as it becomes available. We hope to see you at our events.

June 1st, 2023 was a very special occasion for two members of the Ottawa RCMP Pipe Band. Drum Major (acting as a piper) Brad Hampson and Drum Corporal Andy Main answered the call and traveled to Iqaluit, Nunavut to assist with the Change of Command Ceremony for the “V” Division Commanding Officer.

Chief Supt. Amanda Jones, who had been CO since 2019, was officially turning over the Division to Chief Supt. Andrew Blackadar. RCMP Commissioner Mike Duheme was on hand to supervise the turnover.

Drum Cpl. Main and Piper Hampson provided the march past and inspection music on the historic parade, amidst traditional Inuk throat singing, drumming, and dancing. The inclusion of live piping and drumming for the ceremony was a hit for the members in attendance.

The two band members enjoyed the opportunity to visit the area and take some great pictures around the town. This was a first for the Pipe Band and we hope it sets a precedent.

One of the realities of any group is that members eventually turn over and the planning for succession of the leadership is absolutely necessary to ensure the group can carry on into the future. Pipe bands are no exception. Sunday, May 27th, was a significant day in this process for the RCMP Pipe Band. Long-time Pipe Sergeants Gilbert Young and Donald Corbett have accepted new appointments as Pipe Sergeants Emeritus, while Pipe Corporals Jenny Putinski and Iain Tait have stepped up into the Pipe Sergeant roles.

Gilbert and Donald are both founding members of our leadership team and helped form this band into what it is today.

Their journey began in September 2000, when the RCMP Pipe Band of Ottawa became official with the first band event, the Change of Command for Commissioner Zaccardelli. Gilbert Young served as the first Pipe Sergeant at that initial stage under Pipe Major Pat Hayes. Gilbert stepped down in 2002, but rejoined the RCMP band a short time later and has remained with us ever since. During that time, Pipe Sergeant Emeritus Young has done over 350 band events and contributed 6,000 volunteer hours.

Pipe Sergeant Emeritus Donald Corbett was one of the members, along with Gilbert, Graham Muir and then P/M Pat Hayes, who helped established Ottawa’s RCMP Pipe Band. He started as a piper, but stepped into the P/Sgt role when Gilbert left in 2002. He has remained as Pipe Sgt ever since, performing in over 320 band events and contributing over 8,000 volunteer hours during his service in Red Serge.

As a recognition of their incredible contributions to our band we held a small ceremony where they received their appointments as Pipe Sergeants Emeritus. Both will continue to wear their Sgt stripes for as long as they are with us. The good news is that both of these fine gentlemen will remain with the band as pipers.

Gilbert and Donald join two other “Emeritus” appointments with this band. Pipe Major Graeme Ogilvie and Drum Major Graham Muir both received that distinction in 2017 when both stepped into the back rank and allowed others to take their places in front. Graeme did return to the Pipe Major role shortly after, however, and remains as Pipe Major. Graham Muir has continued as an active piper.

Two new Pipe Sergeants were appointed on the same day to help lead the band into the future. Pipe Corporals Jenny Putinski and Iain Tait were both presented their stripes and will step into their new roles immediately. Jenny’s first gig with the band was 11 November 2010 and she brought years of experience with other bands with her. She was promoted to P/Cpl on 12 Apr 2022. Iain first paraded with RCMP on 11 November 2013 and was promoted to P/Cpl on 15 Oct 2019, also bringing a track record of excellence with other bands to us.

We are very pleased to say the future leadership of our band is secure with these two taking on this responsibility.

Thanks to Serge Gouin for the excellent photos of the presentations

In July 2022, nineteen RCMP Pipers and Drummers assembled in Basel, Switzerland for the 2022 Basel Tattoo. Most were Ottawa members, but we were augmented with friends from RCMP Pipe Bands in British Columbia, Saskatchewan and Nova Scotia. The Tattoo had been cancelled for the previous two years, as had most big events due to Covid, so the chance to be there for the 15^th anniversary of the Basel Tattoo was very exciting.

This year, we were the only Canadian band in the Tattoo. Pipe bands joining us on parade were from South Africa (2), Australia (1), Malta (1), the U.K. military (4) and from Switzerland itself (1). Military bands (brass and reed) were from Switzerland, Bulgaria, Norway and the U.K. Adding excitement to the show were the USAF Honor Guard drill team, the Kumudini Homes School Pipe Band from India, the Flings and Things Highland Dancers from Scotland, the Red Hot Chilli Pipers and the Top Secret Drum Corps, the local boys. Not to mention the Cows and singers from Les Armaillis de la Fete de Vignerons.

Band members arrived on 11 July and settled into the hotel. The next morning, we started four days of intensive rehearsals to fine tune the formations and the choreography. The music came together quickly as all of the bands had done their homework and were ready to play. The choreography took a bit longer as there were many adjustments to the plan until the Director was satisfied. Then, it was on to the first of 11 shows on 15 July.

Saturday, 16 July was a very busy day. It featured a 2 km street parade, with the Tattoo acts joined by over 20 guest formations. This was a popular event, with an estimated 100,000 spectators lining the route. There is a great video of the entire parade on YouTube if you’d like to watch. Just search for “2022 Basel Tattoo Parade”, or click here. After the parade, we changed to dress uniforms and presented an afternoon and an evening show, both to a full house of over 8000. I think the spectators were overjoyed to have live events again as the ovations were long and enthusiastic!

The last day of the Tattoo was Saturday, 23 July and a special event took place – Children’s day. Many of the participating acts took place, giving the visiting kids a chance to try out instruments, ask questions and admire the uniforms. The RCMP tent was a popular stop. Five members were on the show floor handing out candies and RCMP and Canada flag pins. They also allowed the kids to try their hand at both snare and tenor drums, under drummer supervision of course. Many kids took the opportunity to get their photos taken holding the Drum Major’s mace and wearing some of the uniform accoutrements. Then, of course, all members were back into full uniform and marching on for the 5:30 and 9:30 PM shows to wrap up the tattoo experience.

Photos from Childrens’ Day

Basel was a very warm place to be in July, with the temperatures in the high 30s, reaching 37 degrees on one day. We were happy the majority of the shows only started at 9 PM when it was a tad cooler. Of course, it was not all hot, sunny days. Thunderstorms moved in Thursday night and pelted the city with monsoon like rain. Fortunately for us, the rain ended before the Massed Pipe Bands marched back on, but the band of the Welsh Guards got a drenching.

Band of the Welsh Guards – they don’t let the rain deter them

I should mention that the Tattoo was very well organized and took good care of the participants. Each band had a liaison officer assigned who made sure our needs were met and that we made it to our commitments on time. They brought in many pallets of water to help keep us well hydrated on those warm days. The food and accommodation was great and the passes for the city transit system were well used. It was nice to feel wanted.

Tattoos are hard work, but there is time for fun and comradeship as well. One of the highlights for many was a float down the Rhine; especially appropriate given the heat. Not everyone tried it, but many wished they had. Recreational trips organized by the Tattoo were popular, with visits to Bern and Lake Neuchatel, a day in the Alps at Stoos and Fronalpstock, a visit to the St Beatus Caves and a chocolate tasting among the offerings. On the 25^th, those of us still in Basel took the opportunity to ride the local tram to the area where France, Germany and Switzerland meet. Not often you get a chance to have breakfast in Switzerland, a beverage in France, lunch in Germany and back to supper in Basel, all in the same day!

The two weeks of the Tattoo commitment signalled a return to a more normal year for the RCMP Pipes and Drums and was an experience we won’t soon forget.

Every year one very special person is identified as the recipient of the Thornton Award, which goes to the band member or dancer who has served as a role model by being the ultimate team player through exceptional commitment, motivation, perseverance, and cooperation. You can read about the award’s beginnings in the 2012 History post here

At the band’s Regimental Dining-In on Saturday night, the award for 2021 was presented to Jenny Putinski. Congratulations, Jenny, from the band management team, and all band members and dancers, on this extremely befitting honour. So very much deserved.The citation for the award follows:

Citation

Jenny Putinski came to the band in 2010, and although she was not sure at first about playing for a non-competitive band, she quickly came to enjoy all the amazing events the band had to offer, including over the next two years, a Dominion Chalmers concert, a trip to Loon Mountain as Duty Band, and the FIMMQ Tattoo in Quebec City.

Already a well-accomplished piper, pipe major, and drummer, and extremely well regarded within the pipe band community of Eastern Ontario, she quickly immersed himself in the band as a committed team player whose presence has had a significant positive impact ever since.  She has participated in more than 150 events in red serge, many of them major occasions such as the presentation to the Princess Royal at the RCMP stables, and as well as domestic trips to Quebec City and Halifax, international trips to the Netherlands, Loon Mountain, Estes Park, Belfast, Edinburgh, and China.

Jenny has also done more than 30 solo events and far more than the 5,000 volunteer hours itself would belie, her commitment to representing the RCMP has been exemplary.  But even more important has been Jenny’s commitment to being the ultimate team player.

Jenny has volunteered as member on the Board of Directors, she has been acting/Pipe Major, and she has been an acting/Pipe Sergeant on many occasions.  She has also voluntarily taken on the role as one of the band’s most influential teachers and mentors, significantly helping the overall quality and presentation of the band.

Jenny’s exceptional commitment, motivation, perseverance and cooperation, serving as a role model to others in the band, makes her this year’s Thornton Award winner.

Considering how limited the “free” time in 2020 was, the band still managed to get in some interesting performances, starting with the production of the video for Governor Bruce’s Ramparts. You can read the full story of that event here. The cover picture for this post is from that recording session, which was actually the last time the band and dancers performed together. Over the summer, small contingents of pipers and drummers gave short shows at a number of Long Term Care homes to raise the spirits of the residents. We also snuck in a show for Canada Day at the Orleans Legion.

Like many organizations in 2020, we ended up resorting to Zoom meetings for practices. We even had our AGM, Regimental Dinner and our Christmas party by Zoom. This kept us in touch and kept our tunes fresh in our minds, ready for when we can finally get back to live shows. We hope 2021 brings normalcy back soon, to permit the band to bring our music to events again.

This issue is the final installment of the RCMP Pipe Band History Series that we have been posting over the course of the year 2020. The series was intended to mark the 20th anniversary of the National Division Pipe Band by reflecting on where we’ve been. What a history! While 2020 has certainly been a quiet year, the band has done an incredible number of memorable events in prior years. The number of trips and tattoos in which band members have participated is extraordinary. Bands or mini-bands have performed in China, Hong Kong, Mexico and the Netherlands as well as London and Edinburgh, Las Vegas and New York. We have been involved with many Military Tattoos and celebrations across Canada from the Maritimes to the Prairies. We hope you have enjoyed reading these stories and maybe will go back and have a look from time to time.

You can access the full story for 2020 here. Enjoy.