219 New Glasgow Royal Canadian Army Cadet Corps Pipes and Drums, of New Glasgow. The 219 RCACC was first formed in 1914 under the leadership of Mr. H.C. Clark. In the early years, Colonel, and later Senator Thomas Cantley supplied the Corps with glengarries while the Militia Department supplied it with .22 Ross rifles. At the first review, there were fifty-four cadets on parade.

The pipe band was formed in 1935 under the sponsorship of the New Glasgow School Board. Its first piping instructor was Jim Rumley of Little Harbour, near Melmerby Beach, who was taught by Fraser Holmes. Pipe Major Rumley later moved to the Dartmouth area. The first student pipe major of the band was Tom Cantley, who later lost an arm while serving in Italy with the Royal Canadian Regiment. The pipe sergeant was Roy MacKenzie. Other pipers were Norman Sinclair, George MacDougall, Alex Allan, Jaris Fraser, Jack Ross and John W. MacLoed. The drummers in the band at that time were Alan Gray, Vernon Eastwood, Douglas Eastwood, Don MacNeil and James Roper. Allison Lochart may also have been a member. Another piper mentioned as being a member of the band about that time was Thornton Mosher. Frank Cameron (Cam) Garrett was a drummer with the band in the 30s. John W. MacLeod took lessons from William “Tug” Wilson, beginning in 1935, and joined the band as a piper in 1937 at the age of twelve years. In 1941, John W. MacLeod was the band’s pipe major.

In 1948, the band was under the leadership of drumming instructor Vernon Eastwood and piping instructor Gerald Fraser. In the fall, the drums were repaired and the instructors even donated money to help the band purchase needed supplies. There was concern that boys were entering the band in Grade 11 and remaining with it for only two years. It was hoped that younger boys could be encouraged to start piping and drumming in the lower grades so that the calibre of the band would improve. The members for 1948-49 were Pipe Major John Cameron, who much later became the Moderator of the Presbyterian Church of Canada, Pipe Sergeant Allison Sproull, pipers Jack Tupper, Don Irving, Richard Bennet, Danny Stewart and David Bransfield. The drum sergeant was Bob Cavanaugh. The other drummers were John Moore, Danny MacDonald and Bob Clark.

In 1949-50, Pipe Major John Cameron reported that the band was the largest it had ever been, with eighteen members. Due to the lack of instruments and uniforms, the entire band could not appear together at public events and parades. They were practicing on Wednesday afternoons at that time, and were able to participate in a number of events, such as the Scottish Gathering at Green Hill, and the I.O.D.E. Garden Party as well as several football games and some hockey games. They also performed on CJFX Radio in Antigonish. Gerald Fraser and Vernon Eastwood were the piping and drumming instructors. The pipe major was John Cameron, the pipe sergeant was Danny Stewart, other pipers were David Bransfield, Richard Bennett, Don Irving, Alex Cunningham, Gerald Brennan and Alan Fraser, the drum sergeant was Danny MacDonald, and the other drummers were Bob Clark, Bob MacKnight, John Moore, James Grant, Lloyd Adamson, Clyde Weldon, Charlie Stevens and Douglas Lawrence.

In 1950-51, the band was busy rehearsing under the leadership of instructors Gerald Fraser, piping, and Vernon Eastwood, drumming. A lot of the boys were new to the band. The sixteen members were: Pipe Major Gerald Brennan, pipers Don Irving, Allan Fraser, Owen Smith, Bill Sutherland, John Moore, David Latimer, Don MacLeod, and Billy Chambers, drum sergeant Danny MacDonald, and drummers Gerald McRae, Bob Clark, Bob Knight, Lloyd Adamson, and James Grant. Students with a special love for the band penned the following tribute which appeared in the school’s 1950-51 yearbook:

Ye Olde Highland Pipe Band

Over on MacLean Street,
Every Wednesday afternoon,
The High School music makers
Try to learn another tune.

Our tune is known to everyone,
By it, our band is reckoned.
It’s the only tune our pipers know;
It’s called the 42nd.

With their bony knees and crooked legs,
And swinging kilts and sporrans,
They practice for Inspection Day,
When they still will play like morons.

There’s Major Gerald Brennan,
And our Sergeant Daniel, also,
And our quaint Bass Drummer, Jerry,
Whose drum swings to and fro.

There are also many others
Who play in the High School band;
To us, our music makers
Are the finest in the land.

               Danny MacDonald
               Joan McRae
               Marion MacPhee


In 1952-53, the band’s pipe major was Bill Sutherland. Other pipers were Alan Fraser, Barry Fraser, Own Smith, Eddy Fraser, George Fraser, and Alan H. Fraser. The drum sergeant was Jim Grant (later BGen J.J. Grant), and the other drummers were Frank Cullen, Don Ross, Norman MacLeod, Pete MacLellan and Don MacMillan. In 1953, this band played at Lismore on July 1st.

In 1953-54, Pipe Major Barrie Fraser reported that the band had accepted outside playing engagements. The played at Camp Boscoe, Lismore, and at the Orangeman’s Picnic in Thorburn. During the summer months, the band had played in a series of concerts at the Alma Lodge Cabins, on the Truro road. The last of these was a two-hour performance staged in conjunction with the Dunvegan Girls Pipe Band from Westville, and drew an audience estimated at more than three thousand. The greatest achievement of the summer, however, was a trip to the Gaelic Mod in August where the band won the Intermediate Senior Pipe Band Championship of Eastern Canada. Later, they performed at the Pictou Exhibition. The full band roster included the following: Pipe Major Barrie Fraser, Pipe Sergeant Eddie Fraser, Carl Lindblad, Teddy Donelan, Don Swallow, Ronnie Stewart, Theodore Margeson, Peep Malde, Vernon Pushie and Angus MacLean. The drum sergeant was Norman MacLeod. Other drummers were Frank Cullen, Don MacMillan, Pete MacLellan, Bruce Wynn, Bob Smith, and Barrie Walsh.

The band took part in the official opening of the Canso Causeway on August 13, 1955. In 1955-56, the band reported that it had graduated a number of very good players, including Pipe Major Karl Lindblad, piper Norman Calder, drummers Donald MacMillan and Norman MacLeod. Stewart Kennedy became the pipe major and Ted Donelan became the pipe sergeant. Other pipers were Fred Cunningham, Vernon Pushing, Ross MacLean, John Fraser and Ronnie Stewart. The drum sergeant was Jim Manos, with Patrick Donelan acting as drum corporal. The other drummers were Charles Fisher, Sandy Hoyt and Bill Kearns. James Rumley and Vernon Eastwood were the piping and drumming instructors.

During the 1956-57 school term, few members were lost from the previous year and with new recruits their number remained pretty well the same. New uniforms and equipment were purchased and it was said that this year’s band was the best dressed in many years. The members were: Pipe Major Stewart Kennedy, Pipe Sergeant Fred Cunningham, pipers Vernon Pushie, David Smith, John Fraser, and Kenny MacKenzie, and drummers James Manos, Pat Donelan, Charles Fisher, Bill Kearns, Jim MacDonald and James Crowdis. Practices were held every Saturday evening with instructors James Rumley, piping, and Vernon Eastwood, drumming.

In the summer of 1957, the 219 New Glasgow RCACC Pipe Band chosen to represent the Eastern Command at the National Cadet Camp at Banff, Alberta. Pipe Major Pushie submitted the story for publication in the school’s yearbook. On July 3rd, they travelled to Camp Aldershot for two weeks of drill training. On July 15th, they travelled to Montreal via Digby and Saint John, NB. After a bit of sightseeing, they travelled on by train. Whenever they had fairly lengthy stops, the band put on short concerts at the various stations and drew a lot of applause from the other passengers and locals that gathered to hear them play. On July 20th, they arrived in Banff and taken by bus to their camp at the foot of the Cascade Mountain. Within an hour and a half, the band was parading in their full regalia up the front street of Banff, and then on to the Banff Springs Hotel. The band played daily at the hotel, at Château Lake Louise, at the Banff School of Fine Arts, and in an evening retreat. They also played for a visiting clan chief. Though the bus returned to the camp each evening at ten thirty, it was fairly common practice for the band members to miss it and stay on in the town, sneaking back into the camp in the wee hours of the morning. Movies and bingo rounded out the regular evening’s entertainment.

In 1957-58, was resplendent in new uniforms, made by the band members themselves and by the students in the Home Economics class. Vernon Pushie was pipe major, backed up by Pipe Sergeant Dave Smith. The other pipers were Earl Bain, Kenny MacKenzie, Reg Smith, Lloyd Tatrie, Blake MacGibbon and Allan Dunlop. The drummers were Pat Donelon, Jim Manos, Charlie Fisher, Jim MacDonald, Ross MacDonald, Jim Crowdis, Gary Tonks, Art Skidmore, and Donald MacKay. James Rumley was the piping instructor and Vernon Eastwood taught the drummers.

In 1958-59, the band suffered heavy losses as a number of the senior members graduated. The band now consisted of the following members: Pipe Major Vernon Pushie, Pipe Sergeant David Smith, pipers Earle Bain, Kenny MacKenzie and Sandy MacLean, drum sergeant Pat Donelan, drummers Jim MacDonald, Art Skidmore, Terry Fraser, Allan Gunn, Terry Steele and Gary Tonks. Beverly Cameron, who was a former member of the Ceilidh Girls’ Pipe Band, assisted the pipers.

Earle Bain was named pipe major, Kenny MacKenzie became pipe sergeant, and Jim MacDonald took over as drum sergeant for the 1960-61 season. One new piper was Tom Kehoe. That fall, the band took part in the ceremonies to celebrate New Glasgow’s 150th Anniversary, entertained the crowds waiting to see Queen Elizabeth II, the Pictou County Braemar, a Mason’s Parade in Mulgrave, and the Remembrance Day Parade in Trenton.

Jack MacIsaac, of New Victoria, Cape Breton, who had moved to Stellarton in 1960, took over as instructor to the pipers in the Cadet Corps from 1961-64. The band started the decade with the following members: Pipe Major Ken MacKenzie, Pipe Sergeant Sandy MacLean, pipers Jim Graham, Tom Kehoe, Gary Baudoux, Fraser Chisholm and Victor Fraser, drum sergeant Gerry Fraser, drummers John Paris, George Vacheresse, Rod MacKay, Sandy MacDonald, Terry Steele, Kirk Sutherland, Richard Cameron, Richard MacMillan, and Cliff Reddick.

In 1968-71, Kim Garrett, son of Cam Garrett, was a piper with the band. The others in the band in 1970 included pipers B. Swan, K. Long, J. Moore, J. Langille, and T. Carpenter, and drummers K. Johnson, V. Fraser, B. MacDonald, P. MacDonnell, and D. Trotter. At that time, the piping instructor was Harold MacDonnell. John Langille, later a pipe major with the military, and in 1999 the pipe major at RMC in Kingston, Ontario, was a piper with this band in the early 1970s. According to Duff MacDonald, who was associated with the Cadet Corps for many years, John was the best piper ever to come through the band. Mike Steele was a drummer in the band about the same time. Another member of the Cadet Corps who went on to greater things was Ian Fraser, later a colonel in the Canadian Armed Forces and the director of the Nova Scotia International Tattoos from 1979 to the present.

The band roster for 1971 included the following: Pipe Major J. Langille, Pipe Sergeant K. Garrett, Pipe Corporal R. Long, pipers R. Swan, J. Moore and T. Carpenter, Drum Sergeant M. Steele, Drum Corporals K. Johnson and D. Trotter, and drummers B. Campbell, K. Grist and S. Kellock.

About 1990, the band moved its practices to the New Glasgow Legion. In 1996, the pipe major was Matt Weir. The band was small, and relatively inactive at that point, but by 1998, it had gained momentum. The band appeared on the competition circuit in 1999 where it attended the Pictou County Indoor Meet held in Stellarton in April. The band placed second out of three Grade 5 bands. In May, the band performed at the annual review. The program lists the pipe major as being Sgt. H.J. Cameron, who was also awarded the Hanks Fuels Trophy for Top Band Cadet. The Captain Don Carrigan Trophy for Best 1st Year Band Cadet went to M/Cpl. M.L. Halliday. Also in May, the band competed at the Antigonish Indoor Meet held at St. Andrews, placing fourth.

In 2000, the band’s membership list included the following: Pipe Instructor Rob MacInnis, Pipe Major Trevor Kellock, Pipe Sergeant John Chace, Lt Guy Melanson, MCpl Amy Bland, and Civilian Instructor Suzie Cameron, Drum Sergeant Dave Dunsiger, and Warrant Officer Trevor, and drummers Sgt Sandy Linthorne, Sgt Michelle Haliday, and Cpl Lisa Irving.