About York Regional Police Pipes & Drums
Organization
For over thirty-five years The York Regional Police Pipes & Drums has been parading as a volunteer service organization including both sworn officers, auxiliary officers and civilians. Serving York Regional Police by permission of our Chief of Police, Jim MacSween, our primary mission is to embody and promote the values of York Regional Polic
e: Community, Competence and Teamwork. The Pipes & Drums are currently lead by Pipe Major David C Beecham CD, and managed by our Band Officer, Auxiliary Superintendent Hans Uhr. History
In early 1988, a small group of York Regional Police officers, auxiliary and civilian musicians came together with an idea and a vision. The goal of this group, numbering only five after the first few months of practice, was to establish a traditional ceremonial pipe band to represent York Regional Police. It was hoped that such a band would serve to bring pride not only to the Police Department but the citizens of York Region. In 1989, with the permission of Chief of Police Donald Hillock, and under the leadership of our first Pipe Major Auxiliary Constable Randy Eagan, Lead Drummer Police Constable Rick Tracey along with Drums Major Staff Sergeant Kenneth Patton and James Trenowden, a small band was formed consisting mainly of sworn officers, auxiliary and a few civilian volunteers. After the first year, the leadership of the Pipes & Drums was appointed to Constable Peter Fleming as Pipe Major, one of the original founders of the Pipes & Drums and Staff Sergeant Robert Whitman as Drum Major. Our Tartan
In 2019, York Regional Police felt that a new, dedicated tartan for the Pipes & Drums was needed to reflect our past and continuing history. Chief of Police Eric Jolliffe selected the tartan designed by Sergeant Major James Waugh. The colours of our new Tartan: RED represents Canada, and the flag from the Governor General’s Horse Guards unit; YELLOW represents the maple leaves of the fourteen municipal police services which amalgamated in 1971 to become York Regional Police; BLACK represents the uniforms worn by the support service and the act of remembrance; WHITE represents the purity of the intent to serve and the ‘White Rose of York’ from the 3rd York Militia Regimental colour, a replica of which hangs in the Atrium at York Regional Headquarters; BLUE represents the uniform worn by the frontline uniformed officers and GREEN represents the tunics worn by the 3rd York Militia during the War of 1812, the predecessors of York Regional Police. Mandate
Our band’s motivating force is deeply rooted in volunteering our collective time and skills in service to York Region’s many diverse communities including a long standing presence provincially and nationally , We routinely support many cultural events, parades, fund raisers, and official police functions each year. We were proud to raise $60,000 for the Special Olympics at the 2nd annual York Regional Police Tattoo in 2010, a tradition that was partly established by the band itself. We continue to expand our performance capabilities for both large and intimate crowds, military tattoos and large-production shows both regionally and around the world. Philosophy and Vision
The band balances its community-service focus with our passion for promoting and excelling at Scottish traditional music, song and dance. We pride ourselves in our musicianship and professionalism, and that approach has afforded us the privilege of playing alongside many diverse musical and entertainment acts throughout the world, both military and civilian. Our long standing tradition of incorporating a Highland Dance troupe and other musicians into our performances adds to the versatility our band can offer the public. As ambassadors of policing, our country, and our heritage, we’re constantly looking for opportunities and like-minded individuals to share and promote our particular brand of musical storytelling. Our training philosophy is: To learn, to do our best and to constantly strive improve. When we strike up, we want to inspire others with our sound and music. Our group is a team trying to be the finest it can be and, like any musical act, we rely on all of our members supporting each other to succeed. Our expectations are high when it comes to our volunteers but the thrills of playing good music and keeping our practices enjoyable makes the experience rewarding. Come check us out and see for yourself!
