Davidson recalls Kincardine featured in "Sketches of Our Town"

This message was originally sent to the members of the Kincardine Scottish Pipe Band but Keith Davidson would like everyone to enjoy a stroll down memory lane when the former Town of Kincardine was featured in “Sketches of Our Town.”

To the Editor:

Thought everyone would enjoy a blast from the past when “Sketches of Our Town” did a piece on the Town of Kincardine in 1993 (?), moderated by Harvey Kirk, former CTV news anchor.

Our old friend Norm Dunsmoor, 55-year member of the Kincardine Scottish and a veteran of the Second World War, is interviewed several times throughout the video - it is so good to hear him talk again. Man, he loved his old hometown - it tugs at your heartstrings to hear him talk about the band and the community.
 
Darryl Burley grew up in the Kincardine Lighthouse. He, too, is interviewed several times and what he talks about is really, really educational. Phantom Pipers will get a kick out of watching Darryl trek all the way up from the bottom of the lighthouse right up to the light. He loved the pipe band and you will get a kick out of what he says about it.
 
June Daniel is interviewed several times about the history of Kincardine. It’s fantastic as she relates stories about the old schooners, freighters and tall ships that used to come into the harbour as the camera zooms out the channel between the docks and then shows all kinds of ships back in the 1850s from the archives.
 
Eldon Humphries broke me up as he talks about the band and shows the carvings he made of several members.
 
Kirk talks about the band all through the video and many pictures are shown of it, including a shot of the biggest Saturday night crowd I have ever seen -  thousands of people following the band - that night it was like a slow moving river of people bursting at its banks. When I first looked at it, I thought it was the 1990 Old Boys/Girls Reunion but it’s not - it poured rain on that night - maybe someone will tell me when it was. 

I got a big kick out of seeing the band practising in the basement of the Kincardine United Church - Paul McLelland, Watson Morris, Norm, Duncan, Brenda Colquhoun, young Tyler Fry, Craig C., Mike S., Dave H., etc. The band was pretty small back in 1993 because the old guard had retired the year before. 

Paul McCLelland was leading the pipers in a chanter practice - you would swear it was John Lennon - Paul had long hair down to his shoulders, facial hair and granny glasses just like the famous Beatle - broke me up. Craig Colquhoun is shown teaching the drummers with their sticks on their pads “walking the dog.”

Many great shots of Brenda (Turland) Colquhoun because she was so photogenic. It was priceless watching/hearing the band back in 1993. It’s so, so good to know that we have kept the band going.  Long live the Kincardine Scottish Pipe Band! And long live Kincardine!
 
Slainte Mhath!
 Keith Davidson



Norm Dunsmoor is interviewed in the Town of Kincardine episode of "Sketches of Our Town"