Pipes and drums highlight Pioneer Days

The Butternut Pioneer Days parade is a summer highlight for the area as the downtown streets are filled with creative and festive floats, high school bands and something really special, THE Pipes & Drums of Thunder Bay. The band will be back for the 66th Annual Pioneer Days Parade on July 28 in downtown Butternut, followed by additional performances at Butternut Area Park.

It’s exciting to watch a 700 year old tradition come to life in a parade. The sounds of several pipers and snare drummers in unison, all marching in kilts that elevates any event to a different level.

“I think it's physical nature, it's hard to ignore; it's an instrument with volume that demands attention,” said Ryan Moore, president of THE Pipes & Drums of Thunder Bay. “Then there is something to the look of it. Coupled with our uniform, there is something that just screams 'history' and people recognize the importance of the instrument and those ties to the past, and the pride builds.”

Established in 1912, THE Pipes & Drums of Thunder Bay is one of the oldest pipe bands within Canada, according to their website. Originally named the Fort William Pipe Band, the name changed in 1970 to mirror the amalgamation of Fort William and Port Arthur into the city of Thunder Bay.

This band must maintain a number of skilled pipers and drummers to be able to schedule local performances for everything from graduations, and folklore festivals to special ceremonies, to the wider area parades and special events all over Northwestern Ontario, the Iron Range of Minnesota and northern Wisconsin to include Minocqua, the Bayfield's Apple Festival and Butternut Pioneer Days.

Recruiting is always a priority, Moore said. It’s important for people to know that pipe bands are diverse with people of all ages and genders. It’s an instrument with European military origins but is now used all over the world in many cultures.

“We are always on the lookout for anyone willing to learn this skill,” Moore said. “We offer free lessons to help build their skill and carry on the tradition of the band for the next 112 years. Our motto is ‘Proud of the Past, Dedicated to the Future.’”

People are naturally curious about the bagpipe as a musical instrument and what it takes to play it, Moore said.

“The first question we tend to get is "how much (air) does it take, you must have great lungs?" he said.

Learning to bagpipe does take real dedication to the instrument, he said. A beginner student typically takes two years before they can fall in sync with other pipers in a parade.

“There's a lot to teach outside of learning to blow and learning the music,” Moore said. “We teach the importance of that uniformity. Our playing has to be together. Our uniforms must be not only looking good, but consistent with each other. We march in unison. This isn't a bunch of people that can play pipes or drums. We are a band.”