Reid Maxwell honoured with BC Achievement Award

He could be the greatest single contributor to pipe band drumming in North American history, and now Reid Maxwell will be formally recognized for his contributions to the art on April 24th when he receives a British Columbia Community Achievement Award.

The announcement was made by British Columbia Premier Christy Clark and Keith Mitchell, chair of the British Columbia Achievement Foundation. The award “recognizes and celebrates the spirit, imagination, dedication, and outstanding contributions of British Columbians to their communities.”

Reid Maxwell was cited for his “contributions as a teacher, adjudicator and mentor and for making BC and SFU a centre of excellence in pipe band drumming.”

“I am very humbled and flattered to receive this award,” Maxwell said. “So many people in the piping, drumming and pipe band community volunteer countless hours to teach and promote our music, but are not often publicly recognized. I am honoured that I have been. Teaching and mentoring drumming students is what I love to do, so to be recognized by the province for it is a huge honour.”

Maxwell settled in British Columbia in 1992 and since that time has been Leading-Drummer of the Grade 1 Simon Fraser University Pipe Band, winning six World Pipe Band Championships and four World Pipe Band Drum Corps titles. He also won two World Championships as a member of Dysart & Dundonald, and one with the 78th Fraser Highlanders, including a World Pipe Band Drumming title as leading-drummer. Maxwell has taught scores of drummers along the way, helping to build the BC drumming scene to produce consistently excellent snare drummers.

The award will be presented by Clark at Government House in Victoria, British Columbia’s capital.

Honours are nothing new to members of SFU. In 1999, former SFU Pipe-Major Terry Lee and Pipe-Sergeant Jack Lee were presented with Canadian Governor General Meritorious Service Awards for their contributions to piping and pipe bands, and in 2013 Terry and Jack lee received honourary doctorates from Simon Fraser University.