Glengarry Pipe Band Cancels World’s Plans

The Glengarry Pipe Band of Glengarry County in eastern Ontario has cancelled its plans to attend the 2001 World Pipe Band Championships because of concerns about the Foot-and-Mouth disease epidemic currently affecting the United Kingdom.

According to Pipe Major Ross May, “With so many in the band being farmers and their kids, Agriculture Canada would really prefer that we not go. Customs Canada said if we did go, no one would be allowed on any Canadian farm, never mind that it’s their own, for at least a month.”

Based in the Ontario farming community of Glengarry County, the band has a long history of teaching in the area. In the mid-1990s the band rose to the top of Grade 2 under Colin MacLellan’s leadership, and has since fallen back to Grade 3. The band practices in Maxville, Ontario.

There has been widespread speculation in the piping community that Foot-and-Mouth will adversely affect piping and band events in the UK this summer. Glengarry’s decision against attending would appear to be the first of its kind so far.

The Glengarry Pipe Band is instead planning to attend the Pleasanton, California, games in September.

p|d

What do you think? We always want to hear from our readers, so please use our comment system to provide your thoughts!

Do you have news? Be sure to send your information to pipes|drums. We can’t report what we don’t know about! Please remember to support the businesses that advertise and make the not-for-profit p|d possible.