The history of the Kimberley Pipe
Band began fifty years ago with the arrival of two brothers to a small
mining town in the East Kootenay.
Angus Scott came to Kimberley in
1926 to work for the Consolidated Mining and Smelting Company, now known
as Cominco. In the following year Angus and his brother Hamish, along with
a small group of enthusiastic pipers and drummers, established the
Kimberley Pipe Band.
With Angus Scott as Pipe Major, the
band made its first public appearance in the Kimberley Day parade on July
1, 1927. Marching with the Pipe Major were Dick Burke, Jim Ewin, Hugh
Fraser, Alex Fergus, Gordie Taylor and Hamish Scott.
In the early years, the band
performed mostly in Kimberley and in the Kootenays, but in 1936 they were
to take part in one of the most important events in the history of
sports-conscious Kimberley.
In that year, 1936, the Pipe Band
accompanied the Kimberley Dynamiters to Calgary were the hometown hockey
team won the Western Finals, enroute to the prestigious Allen Cup. It was
the first of many momentous occasions where the talents of the band would
be displayed.
A bus, driven by Walter Millar (who
later started Millar and Brown Freight lines), was used for the band’s
out-oftown trips, and any extra seats were quickly filled with fans eager
to accompany them.
A big lift was given the band in
1937 when mine superintendent, Bill Lindsay, an ardent supporter, offered
his assistance.
Advertisements for pipers were sent
to the coast and prairie papers and soon the band had grown with Alex
Oliphant, Malcolm Morrison, Angus McLellan, Alan Graham, James MacDonald,
Dougie Smith and Archie Tait. The band was further augmented by side
drummer Dave Gold and Bob Davidson. Alex Oliphant assumed the role of Pipe
Major for a short while when he first arrived in Kimberley but
relinquished command to Angus after approximately one year.
Along with the drive for members
there was also fund raising going on and in the spring of 1938 orders were
sent to Lauries of Glasgow for eleven uniforms at the cost of
At war’s end in 1945, the Scott
brothers returned to Kimberley and Angus again became Pipe Major. During
the following year Hamish assumed command from his brother and continued
as Pipe Major until 1968 when poor health forced him to retire as an
active member. One of the highlights of Hamish’s tenure as Pipe Major was
winning a cup for the band at competitions in Nelson in 1954.
The efforts and dedication of the
Scott brothers and other pipe band members were not forgetten. In 1955,
Angus died, a small band in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho chose to honor the
Kimberley band by calling themselves the "Angus Scott Pipe Band." Many of
those Idaho pipers were taught by Kimberley members and it is a tribute
that the "Angus Scott Pipe Band" is still active today.
Young Jim Warriner, later to become
Pipe Major, became a member in 1957 and marched in his first parade in a
Junior Forest Warden shirt and pants. A kilt and full status as a piper
were later bestowed on Jim when the band decided he could keep up to their
marching time.
During the next few years membership
in the Kimberley Pipe Band dropped to three pipers and two drummers. But
the band was soon on the upswing again with the addition of Dave Ekskog,
Bill Walkley, Gordon Mattson, Richard Collett, Gerry Ordway and Don Tait.
Enthusiasm was riding high and
another fund-raising campaign was underway. By this time the cost of new
uniforms had risen to $260 each, but with the help of organizer and
supporter Richard Walkely, the band was re-outfitted in 1967.
The band continued to travel throughout the Kootenays
playing and marching in parades, at Robbie Burns’ celebrations, and
Remembrance Day services under the leadership of Gordon Stewart, who
became Pipe Major in 1968.
An exciting honour came to the pipe
band in 1971 when the Royal Family made a visit to the East Kootenay.
Queen Elizabeth, the Duke of
Edinburgh and Princess Anne made a stop at Fort Steele Historic Park, and
it was there that the 13-member Kimberley Pipe Band, under the capable
direction of Gordon Stewart, performed for royalty.
By the next year, Gordy, after 31
years of enthusiastic membership, decided to step down as Pipe Major and
command was turned over to Jim Warriner.
The next few years were notable for
the auspicious occasions at which the band performed.
In 1974 members played at Expo ‘74,
a world exposition held in Spokane, Washington, and one year later were
playing at another American function. This time it was the dedication of
the Libby Dam in Montana and both U.S. President Gerald Ford and Canadian
Minister of Energy, Mines, and Resources Donald MacDonald, were present.
The band also performed for Prime Minister Pierre Elliot Trudeau, when he
visited the Kootenays.
A 47 year reunion was staged in 1974
as a preview of the 50 year celebration scheduled for 1977.
When 1976 rolled around, the pipe
band started looking toward 1977 and its golden anniversary. A 50th
anniversary committee was struck with Ray McNiven as chairman and plans
were underway for a giant tattoo and ceildh to mark the milestone.
After 49 years of successful and
memorable operation, the band was incorporated and is now a legal entity.
The Kimberley Pipe Band, one of a
handful of pipe bands in the Interior of British Columbia, has provided
pleasure to many members and thousands of people during the 50-year
history.
It is the hope of present band
members that their pipe band will continue to flourish and that support
will be preserved during the next 50 years-and kr long after.
And here are some pictures from the
book...
A letter from Pierre Elliott Trudeau and the badge of
the Kimberley Pipe Band
And finally a couple of pages from the book
I also got the opportunity to take a
few pictures while with Dave and his wife Sharron...
The first hint as you arrive at Dave's house if the
sticker on the back window of his vehicle. And here is a picture of Dave
Ekskog (who is of Swedish descent) with piping pictures on the wall behind
And a very special picture they have on the wall
And you can also see the Highland Dancers
On the 22nd May I got the opportunity to take some
pictures of the current band at Creston where they were marching in the
Blossom Festival...
Here is Dave Eksgog. Pipe Major
