I am a long-time Moose Jaw resident, now an 84-year–old resident of a “retirement home” in Surrey B.C.
I grew up in Moose Jaw until I joined the Canadian Army the day after my 18th birthday.
After years as a soldier, then a student at three universities, a social worker in Swift Current, and High School teacher in Calgary, I returned to spend what I figured was the rest of my life in my beloved Moose Jaw to teach at Peacock and Riverview High Schools.
I also became the Pipe Major of the local Boys Pipe Band for almost three decades, aka The St. Andrew’s Society BPB, then The Optimist BPB, then The White Hackle. I was also one of the two local band-directors who convinced Premier Ross Thatcher (also of Moose Jaw) to start The Saskatchewan Summer School of The Arts which he established in Fort Qu’Appelle.
I have attached a photo of my first public performance as a piper in the St. Andrew’s Society Boys Pipe Band in Moose Jaw, taken in 1951 when Princess Elizabeth was to become our future Queen, during her tour of Canada visited Moose Jaw, known as “The Friendly City”, on a snowy evening.
I was a 13 year-old piper, the youngest of the 18-member junior band. At the moment this photo was taken, we were playing WILL YE NO COME BACK AGAIN, a traditional farewell song of Scotland. I still have my own very personal memory of then Princess Elizabeth flashing her warm and lovely smile at me a few seconds before the photo was taken.
Also shown beside the Princess, is the Mayor of Moose Jaw, “Scoop” Lewry, and beside me, two of our young drummers, Wayne Greentree, and Everett Andrews, later known as the magician, “The Great Andreeni”.
Being a history-nut as well as a piper, I feet it might be interest to you to see this historical moment in Moose Jaw seventy-one years ago.
James L. McWilliams (aka Pipe Major Jim McWilliams)
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the position of this publication.
