TEMPORARY OUTLINES
History | Officers and Contacts | Schedule | Interesting Links/References

The Toronto Police Pipe Band was founded in 1912 under Pipe Major Thomas Ross. In his honour the band wears the Ross Tartan.

The TPPB is completely sponsored by the Toronto Police Services.

On July 8, 2002, two years after a website for the Clan Ross Association of Canada was established, their executive approved these webpages to recognize Canadian Pipe Bands wearing the Red Ross Dress Tartan. On September 6, 2003, the CRA-Canada webmaster met Pipe Major Ian MacDonald of the TPPB in Estes Park, Colorado, just before the Longs Peak Scottish Irish Festival parade, and he reported that a website for the TPPB was being created. Therefore, the focus of these pages will be a continuation of a general policy to identify those items of general public interest.

Grade 1 Band:
Pipe Major - James MacHattie
Pipe Sergeant - Sean McKeown
Drum Sergeant - Doug Stronach
(See Website)

Toronto Police Pipe Band
Pipe Major - PC Ian K MacDonald
. Band Contact - PC Ian K MacDonald, Pipe Major of the TPPB (as was his father before him).
Drum Major - Ret. Det. Michael Holland
(See Website)

. Webmaster - Jeremy Haynes

Grade 3 Band: This "Feeder Unit" was dissolved in September, 2002.

Management Team:
Sgt. Bob Skinner
PC Jack Wield

Band Practices
Sunday (12 PM to 4 PM) Toronto Police Association, 180 Yorkland Blvd.
Thursday (7:30 PM) 1050 Weston Road
For further information, visit the TPPB Website established in 2004 & revised March 2005.
click on the Calendar for events and practices.

2005 Events
March 13. . . . . . St. Patrick's Day Parade
April 24. . . . . . Khalsa Day Parade
April 30. . . . . . Toronto Police Services Tattoo & Pageant
May 28-29 . . . . . Alma, Ontario. Alma Highland Games.
June 25 . . . . . . Hamilton, Ontario. Hamilton Highland Games.
July 2. . . . . . . Kincardine, Ontario. Kincardine Highland Games.
July 9. . . . . . . Chatham, Ontario. Chatham Highland Games.
July 30 . . . . . . Maxville, Ontario. Maxville Supreme Highland Games.
August 20 . . . . .Toronto, Ontario. Canadian National Exhibition. Warrior's Day Parade.
November 20 . . . .Toronto, Ontario. Santa Claus Parade.

Observations
Members of the Toronto Police Pipe Band participate in individual and class groups at many Scottish Festivals and Highland Games ... close to home as well as over in Scotland. The band is represented quite consistently at one or more of the Champion Supreme Contests, which are listed by the Pipers' and Pipe Band Society of Ontario. The most recent list of venues includes Fort Erie, Chatham, Maxville, Fergus and Sarnia. Games results, provided by the Pipers' and Pipe Band Society of Ontario, may be obtained by selecting the location at their website.



Until 1994, the band provided background music for the Toronto Mounted Police Unit's "Musical Ride" and performed a synchronized drill at The Royal Agricultural Winter Fair in Toronto. Notably, the band also trooped the victorious Blue Jays baseball team into the Skydome Stadium after their record World Championships in 1992 and 1993; the "threepeater" was thwarted by a baseball strike in 1994.

The band marches in the annual "Warriors' Day Parade" at the Canadian National Exhibition on a Saturday on/after the middle of August. The parade route begins at the Princes' Gates, proceeds down Nunavut Drive, enters the West Annex and marches past the reviewing stands in the Coliseum.

The Toronto Police Pipe Band is traditionally the first marching band in the "Santa Claus Parade", which is held on a Sunday on/after the middle of November. On previous occasions, the parade starts at Christie and Bloor Streets, proceeds to Bloor Street and Queen's Park and follows the east side of Avenue Road to Front and Church Streets.

For more information about the scheduled events, see the page provided by the Clan Ross Association of Canada, Incorporated. The dates of many events and parades are tentative, but every effort will be made to supply up-to-date information when it is available. The "Champion Supreme" venues provide their own websites about competitions.

Music performed by the Toronto Police Pipe Band may be found at the website for Gibson Chanters by scrolling down their list, which includes a sample of the TPPB CD, "On The Beat". Copies of the CD may be obtained from Robinson's Music Store.

Reports from other sources and websites may be read at the Piper and Drummer Magazine. Coverage for the year may be had by clicking on buttons for News, Reviews, Features and Profiles. You may also visit the Archives by selecting that item at the bottom of each page.

In case you need it, here is a fairly complete Dictionary of Terms associated with bagpiping --- together with other general links.

Another excellent reference is Bagpipe Web Directory which is updated regularly by webmaster Bob Dunsire.