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CALGARY INTERNATIONAL AIRPORTPIPE BAND |
Band HistoryIn 1997, as part of an initiative to get closely involved in the airport community, Airport Police Constables Lynn Ost (a piper) and Mike Bertin (a drummer) organized a small Remembrance Day ceremony at the airport. Passengers and staff at the airport would now be able to take in their own ceremony. The Remembrance Day ceremony became an annual affair with more and more people from the airport community requesting participation.
Finally the idea was floated to create a pipe and drum band from the people in the airport community. Surveys of the airport community showed a great deal of interest… In 1999, the Calgary International Airport Pipe Band was born. Fifteen people from the airport community learned to play bagpipes and drums together as a group. The initial plan was for the band to perform publicly for Canada Day 2001, but the band progressed so rapidly that the inaugural performance was on Remembrance Day 1999.
Since that initial performance, the band has grown in size and expertise. It performs annually for Remembrance Day and Canada Day at the Calgary International Airport terminal building, also performing for several charity events, parades and other private functions throughout the year. In July of 2006, . The torch of leadership of the band was passed on to Band Director and Drum Major Mike Bertin along with Co-Pipe Majors Marjorie Zander and Dave Kirk. In May 2012, after a nine year run with the band, Dave has followed his dream to retire to Nova Scotia, turning over the duties of Pipe Major to Marjorie. And so the journey continues...
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Band Purpose and GoalsThe Calgary International Airport Pipe Band provides an opportunity for people from the Calgary International Airport community to play the bagpipes and drums in a fun group setting, for the love of the music. We also act as ambassadors of goodwill for the Calgary International Airport. Our goals are to perform publicly ten to fifteen times a year, including band concerts performed at the Calgary International Airport. We constantly strive to increase our skills and quality of playing while accommodating new learners. The TartanThe band wears the Canadian Maple Leaf tartan appearing here in the background. The red, yellow and brown represent the fall colors of the maple leaf. The tartan is a generic tartan that anyone can wear without clan affiliation. It is a symbol of all things Canadian and was a perfect choice for a pipe band that represents a Canadian international airport community. Band Theme TunesPipe Major and Band Director Lynn Ost composed several tunes for the band during his tenure from 1999 to 2006. The band theme tune "Flying" captures the spirit of the airport community. The hornpipe "Thomas J. Walsh" was composed for the 75th birthday of the Chairman of the Board of the Calgary Airport Authority, Thomas J. Walsh. On his retirement from the band, Lynn composed a jig called "Seven Good Years" to commemorate his wonderful memories as part of this fine pipe band. On Dave Kirk's retirement as Pipe Major in May 2012, Marjorie Zander and Mike Bertin penned a tune entitled 'Farewell to Dave and Kim' in honor of both members' service and dedication to the band. The Band LogoThe CIAPB Logo was the brain-child of band member Chris Low. It features a bagpipe and crossed drum sticks super-imposed on a set of pilot’s wings and maple leaf that represent the Canadian aviation community. The shield symbolizes the involvement of the uniformed airport personnel (police, security, customs). The red, blue and teal colors represent the various local airlines (Air Canada, WestJet, Canadian) in existence at the time the logo was created. The logo is proudly worn as shoulder crests on the band uniforms of the members, all part of the Calgary International Airport community.
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