Cameron Bonar wins second straight Boney Invitational; $7500 raised for cancer charity

Vancouver – March 28, 2026 – For the second consecutive year, Cameron Bonar of Surrey, British Columbia, won the annual Boney Music Memorial Invitational Competition & Recital held at the Seaforth Armoury.

It was the tenth time the event was held, once again for a packed audience who contributed more than $7,500 to the BC Cancer Foundation in memory of Andrew “Boney” Bonar, the beloved piper who passed away from brain cancer in 2015. During his too-short life, he made a significant mark in piping as a solo and band competitor, composer, teacher, publisher, and for his legendary mischievous quick wit.

Before the prizes were announced, the five contestants played the now-classic jig, “Troy’s Wedding,” by Colin Magee, to honour the memory of another British Columbia great, Jamie Troy, the former pipe-major of the Grade 1 City of Victoria, who died in December 2026.

The event was emceed by BC Pipers’ Association President David Hilder.

1st Cameron Bonar
2nd Alastair Lee, Surrey British Columbia
3rd Craig Sutherland, British Columbia
4th Zephan Knichel, Lynwood, Washington
5th Calum Bevan, Abbotsford, British Columbia

The result is determined by secret adjudicators in the audience. Each piper had to deliver a 20-minute recital of tunes of their choice, with the stipulation:

• At least two tunes by Andrew Bonar, in different idioms
• The ground of a piobaireachd (traditional or contemporary)
• At least two two-part strathspeys
• At least one four-part march (any time signature)
• At least one tune in a compound or irregular time signature (e.g., 9/8, 12/8, 5/4, 7/8)
• At least one tune by the competitor or another Canadian composer
• At least one tune played by the City of Victoria Pipe Band