Windsor Police latest band to nix World’s travel plans

The Windsor Police Pipe Band of Windsor, Ontario, is the latest non-UK Grade 1 band to cancel plans to travel to Scotland to compete at the 2008 World Pipe Band Championships. The band cited financial constraints as the reason.

With a roster that includes many young college-age players, Windsor’s decision was similar to that of the Manawatu Scottish Pipe Band of New Zealand, which also recently decided to pull out of the event.Unlike other police pipe band, Windsor does not actually receive financial support from the police force. The band gains most of its operating revenue by holding police bingo nights over the winter under approval of the police force.

The band says that it is planning a full summer competition schedule in Ontario and the Midwest United States, and will finish its season at the Pleasanton games in California in September. In 2007 Windsor was one of several bands that chose to miss the North American Championships in order to travel to Scotland.Sources with the band said that Windsor’s numbers are healthy with a large drum corps. The pipe section has moved to an all-sheepskin bag and cane reeds setup.