​Long live the Kincardine Lighthouse, the Phantom Piper, the Kincardine Scottish!

To the Editor:

Canada Day is coming. Oh Canada – the best country in the world! Oh Kincardine – the best municipality in the world!

The three Great Canadiana Wonders of Kincardine, in my biased opinion and in no particular order, are as follows:
 

• Paul Henderson, the man who scored the greatest goal in hockey history, was born on the ice at Kincardine and came back to his roots in Kincardine for Canada’s Sesquicentennial Celebrations in 2017.
• The Kincardine Scottish Pipe Band and its Saturday night summer parades/concerts. The band (formed in 1908) is the oldest street pipe band with unbroken service probably in Ontario and maybe in Canada; it managed to keep on going through both World Wars and even through the COVID-19 pandemic!
• The Kincardine Lighthouse (right smack in downtown Kincardine) and the Phantom Piper atop it, are right up there (no pun intended) in pure Canadiana.

Only in Kincardine, you say! Yep!

Some day the national press will do a story on one or all of our unique Kincardine Canadiana. Hope I live to see it before I kick the bucket!

You, dear public, are invited to come to the Lighthouse Lawn Ceremony on Canada Day at 2 p.m. where Kincardine mayor Kenneth Craig and I will greet you. You will hear the full story about my old friend, the late Eldon Humphreys, and his vision for “The Kincardine Lighthouse and the Phantom Piper” - how things evolved, some colourful stories about the Phantom Piper and how others during the past 27 years have brought Eldon’s idea to fruition.

There will also be a special presentation of handcrafted keepsakes to four special people who have been involved in the Phantom Piper program. Hope you will come to show your support!

I will have on hand my two flags (Canada and Kincardine) and red horn and lead us all in three loud ‘n proud rounds of “Go, Canada, Go!” and three loud ‘n proud rounds of “Go, Kincardine, Go!” and at the sound of my horn three huge roars of “Charge” from the bottom of your belly (just like at hockey playoff games!).

At the conclusion of our Lighthouse Lawn Ceremony, the mayor will, hopefully, lead us all down to the plaque unveiling on the Huron Terrace bridge abutment that is close to the lighthouse.

Long live the Kincardine Lighthouse, the Phantom Piper, and the Kincardine Scottish Pipe Band!

Slainte Mhath!
My last hurrah!
R. Keith Davidson
Kemble Shore and Kincardine