John Cairns to step down as Peel Police pipe-major

After 16 years in the role, Grade 2 Peel Regional Police Pipe Band Pipe-Major John Cairns will retire after the 2025 competition season, handing the reins to Pipe-Sergeant Mike Allegretti as the organization again implements its carefully planned leadership succession plan designed to bring continuity to the multi-band organization.

“As is inevitable in life, we all get older, and over the last few years, a new goal has been at the forefront of my focus—implementing a succession plan to ensure that the leader of every section would be able to take the band forward for many years to come,” Cairns said. “Now it’s time for the final step of the succession plan and my turn to step aside to let the Mike Allegretti take over.”

A Professional grade solo piper, Allegretti is a 16-year member of the Peel Regional Police and has served with Cairns as pipe-sergeant for the last five. He’s been a pupil of Cairns for more than 25 years and joined Peel Police with Cairns after years with the Grade 1 78th Fraser Highlanders.

In 2023, Cam Mckail became the band’s lead-drummer, as planned when Harvey Dawson stepped down. Colin Mckail became leader of the band’s mid-section, succeeding Reagan Jones.

Rather than wallow in despair when his band was relegated to Grade 2 in 2017 by the Royal Scottish Pipe Band Association, Cairns commenced a tenacious teaching program. Seven years later, the Peel organization now boasts four competing bands: Grade 2, Grade 3, Grade 4 and Grade 5, comprising more than 125 pipers and drummers, 97% of whom are local.

Allegretti and the McKails took over Peel’s teaching program in 2024, further safeguarding the organization’s future.

“If we have done this correctly, in September of 2025 when I step aside, the band will not lose a step and will continue to be able to move forward from strength to strength.” – John Cairns

“Mike has not only been one of the most dedicated members of the band but an extremely loyal friend and supporter of mine over the last 25 years,” Cairns added. “He’s a terrific player and teacher with outstanding leadership skills and has the respect and full support of the band members. I am a firm believer in consistency, and with Mike at the helm, I know that the band will have just that.”

Cairns made a point of acknowledging and thanking several people who he said have played integral roles in building the Peel Police organization over his 16 years: “Bill Baines, John Elliot, Jake Watson, Graham Brown, Graham Kirkwood, Harvey Dawson, and Reagan Jones, to name a few.”

Although they will miss the first two events of the Ontario outdoor season, the Grade 2 band plans to compete throughout the rest of the year, culminating with the 2025 World Championships in Glasgow in August.

The eleventh piper in history to win both Highland Society of London Gold Medals in the same year (1999), Cairns said he intends to continue to be deeply involved in piping, teaching privately and in workshops and summer schools, increasing adjudicating, and supporting the Pipers & Pipe Band Society of Ontario as a member of its Music Committee “or in whatever capacity I can be useful.”

“If we have done this correctly, in September of 2025 when I step aside, the band will not lose a step and will continue to be able to move forward from strength to strength,” he concluded. “I want to thank all of the members in the band for their support over the last 16 years and am counting on them giving their full support to the leadership—so the band can stay strong and moving forward in a positive direction after I am gone.”

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