Brockville Pipes and Drums

Brockville, Ontario

Friday, February 7, 2025

About Us

The Brockville Pipes & Drums was formed in 1931, and is one of the oldest pipe bands in Canada. The first Pipe Major was Tommy Marshall.


Our present members are people, young and old, who volunteer their time and efforts to the band. The Brockville Police Service and the local Royal Canadian Legion Branch #96 sponsor the band. As a result the Band is often part of civic parades and also participates with the veterans in many of their military parades.
 

The band is a parade and concert band, although it has a history of competition as well. The schedule includes approximately thirty events each year. We participate in many community parades, tattoos and highland games, throughout Eastern Ontario and Northern New York.

Excerpts from a newspaper article, February 15, 1957 (Brockville Recorder & Times):

'The first meeting of what turned out to be the Brockville Highland Pipe Band was held August 12, 1931 when a few Pipers from Auld Scotland gathered together with a yearning to again hear the skirl o' the Pipes. Some experienced Pipers and Drummers were available so a Band was formed which carried on until the outbreak of war in 1939. During the years before the war many engagements were filled on both sides of the Border....

'In 1934 uniforms of Royal Stewart Tartan were purchased from R.G. Laurie Co. Ltd., Glasgow, Scotland and drums from Whaley-Royce & Co., Toronto... In 1955 it was decided that new uniforms must be obtained and a start was made on organizing a campaign for funds....

'MacDonell of Glengarry Tartan was adopted as a tribute to the town of Brockville which raised a Company of men for the Stormont, Dundas, and Glengarry Highlanders Regiment and as a tribute to Thomas Marshall who was Pipe-Major of the Stormont, Dundas, and Glengarry Highlanders Pipe Band during World War II.'

The Band still wears Royal Stewart tartan kilts (pleated to the blue stripe) but no longer wears MacDonnell of Glengarry tartan ties.

The Band incorporated in 1994 and the legal name of the band is City of Brockville Pipe Band. The Band is a Canadian Registered Charity and the Registration Number is 890882665RR0001. This means if you make a donation to the Band we can provide you with a donation receipt for income tax purposes.