Peel Regional Police Pipe Band

The Peel Regional Police Pipe Band is a Canadian pipe band organization based in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada.[1][2]

Peel Regional Police Pipe Band
LocationMississauga, Ontario, Canada
Grade2, 4, 5
Pipe majorJohn Cairns
Drum sergeantHarvey Dawson
TartanRed MacPherson (Modern)
Notable honoursNorth American Champions:
Grade 1: 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013
Grade 2: 2019, 2022, 2023

Grade 5: 2022

PPBSO Champions Supreme:
Grade 1: 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013
Grade 2: 2018, 2019, 2022, 2023

History

The band was formed in 1976.

The band's Pipe Major is John Cairns; the lead drummer is Harvey Dawson.; and the mid-section leader is Reagan Jones

In 2002, the band accompanied Paul McCartney during his song "Mull of Kintyre" at a concert at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto.[3][4]

From 2010 to 2014, Peel dominated the grade 1 field, finishing as North American Champions and PPBSO Champion Supreme in each of those years. However, as a result of police restructuring in the fall of 2014, the band was no longer able to utilize highly qualified long-distance players.  This severely impacted the band’s performance standard and relegated the band to, or near, the bottom of grade 1 standings in Ontario, as well as at the World Pipe Band Championships.

As a result, in the fall of 2017, the band was downgraded to grade 2 by the RSPBA. The band leadership immediately embraced this decision and saw it as an opportunity to restructure the organization, to develop new local players, and to establish a multi-level teaching program. 

In 2018, in order to develop prospective players, a new Developmental Program was added to the organization.

Since then, the grade 2 band has finished as North American Champions and PPBSO Champion Supreme winners in 3 of the 4 years that competitions were held (due to COVID).

The band has close to 100 members in multiple levels within the organization

  • The senior level (the grade 2 band) has more than 40 members, with over 90% of the members now being local
  • There are also 3 training levels within the band’s developmental program (very much like a farm-team in a sports organization) that train prospective players:
    • a teaching program for new players
    • a grade 5 competitive band
    • a grade 4 competitive band


The majority of members are volunteers, who travel to practice every week from all over Ontario - with the average band member driving 90 minutes each way just to get to practice.

The band continues to exist thanks to the ongoing support of the Peel Regional Police and Chief Nishan Duraiappah.


Each year the band participates in a number of events on behalf of the Peel Regional Police which include:

  • Ontario Police Memorial at Queens Park and the National Peace Officer’s Memorial on Parliament Hill in Ottawa.
  • Recruit graduation ceremonies
  • Awards and promotion ceremonies
  • Community events

Pipe Majors
  • Michael Grey (1995-1999)[5]
  • John Elliott (1993-1994, 2000-2006)[6][7]
  • Glenn Brown (2007-2008)
  • John Cairns (2009–present)[8]

Lead Drummers
  • Drew Duthart (2000)[9]
  • Doug Stronach (2001-2003)[7]
  • Craig Stewart (2004-2007)
  • Graham Brown (2008-2012)
  • Graham Kirkwood (2013-2016)
  • Harvey Dawson (2016–present)[10]

Discography
  • Waulking the Beat (1997)[11]
  • Fever (2011)

References
  1. "78th Frasers take both days at Alma". Pipes and Drums, May 30, 2016
  2. "Peel Police Continue Winning Trend At Chatham". Pipes and Drums, July 31, 2003
  3. Tony Barrow; Robin Bextor (2004). Paul McCartney: Now and Then. Hal Leonard Corporation. pp. 136–. ISBN 978-0-634-06919-2.
  4. "Air Canada Centre, Toronto - Apr 13, 2002: McCartney's getting better all the time". By JANE STEVENSON -- Toronto Sun, via Canoe. April 14, 2002
  5. "Michael Grey". Dunaber Music. Retrieved 2020-08-15.
  6. "About John Elliott | Sound Supreme". www.soundsupreme.ca. Retrieved 2020-09-22.
  7. "Elliott leaves Peel Police; Watson joins". Retrieved 2020-08-15.
  8. "Cairns leaves 78th Frasers for Peel P-M post". Retrieved 2020-08-16.
  9. "Drew Duthart New Lead Drummer for Peel Police". Retrieved 2020-08-17.
  10. "Kirkwood resigns as Peel Police L-D". Retrieved 2020-08-15.
  11. "Peel Regional Police Pipe Band - Waulking The Beat". Discogs. Retrieved 2020-08-18.
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