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Title: Interview of James W. Troy, 1; 2
Description: March 23 2005 James Wallace Troy (b. 1942 in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan) is the eldest of three children (one younger brother, Gordon (d. 1961 in a motor accident), and one adopted sister (still living in Victoria)). His father, John (“Jawn”) Thomas Troy (b. 1900 in New Brunswick), was the second youngest of four boys. As a railroad dispatcher in
Show moreMarch 23 2005 James Wallace Troy (b. 1942 in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan) is the eldest of three children (one younger brother, Gordon (d. 1961 in a motor accident), and one adopted sister (still living in Victoria)). His father, John (“Jawn”) Thomas Troy (b. 1900 in New Brunswick), was the second youngest of four boys. As a railroad dispatcher in Duncan, John commuted daily from Victoria (where they moved to when James was a few years old). During the Second World War he served as a sergeant major translating Japanese signals. James’ mother, Frieda Watson Troy (née Henderson; b. in Ottawa) was of Scottish ancestry. Throughout her life, she bred and showed miniature breed dogs. Never a serious student, James spent the majority of his school-age years on musical pursuits. Piping replaced Highland dancing at age seven (he had begun dancing as a form of rehabilitation for his foot), and during high school he played the clarinet. James’ first piping instructor was Ian Duncan, followed by Archie Macendewar who taught James piobaireachd. At eighteen/nineteen, James joined the Royal Canadian Air Force where he was able to continue with piping. He was stationed in Clinton, Ontario for ten months before getting a regular job with the 4-14 Squadron in North Bay, Ontario. Shortly thereafter, James wrote a letter to Lillian Grant that got him transferred to headquarters in Ottawa. There, he played with JT Mackenzie, John Kerr, and Sandy Keith. From Ottawa, the band toured Calgary and Edmonton, eventually performing at the 1962 World’s Fair in Seattle, Washington. Shortly thereafter (after his brother’s accident), James left the air force and returned to Victoria where he got a job as an electrician’s helper at the dockyard. In 1997, after retiring from the phone company BC Tel at which he worked for thirty years, James bought the McAllister pipe reed maker business, relocating it from Shotts, Scotland to Victoria, British Columbia. James and his son continue to run the business, shipping reeds worldwide. James met his future wife, Louise (née Watling), while performing at the original Woodwards complex with the now defunct City of Victoria Pipe Band. They married soon afterwards and together had two children, James Patrick (b.1978 in Victoria) and Jacqueline Louis (b.1980 in Victoria). Louise’s sister’s husband, Colin Magee, taught the two Troy children drumming; both James P. and Jacquie now play with the 78th Fraser Highlanders Pipe Band. After a two-week “summer camp” in Cœur d’Alene, Idaho, James W. Troy and a number of his fellow pipers and drummers founded the City of Victoria Pipe Band. As the band’s original pipe major, James led the band during its expansion. They competed in a number of world pipe band championships as well as performing at the Canadian National Exhibition in Toronto. The band took on the Duthart style as its drumming standard. Musical selection was a collaborative effort, with many contributions by Colin Magee. Despite the good rapport in the City of Victoria, the band eventually parted ways due to commuting difficulties/logistic issues. In 2000, James was recruited to lead the [now] non-competitive Greater Victoria Police Pipe Band. When asked about the influential pipers in his life, James lists Donald MacLeod, Bob Hardie, and Archie Kerr. As a judge, James is aware of the balance between technicality and musicality (which he discusses in the interview). When asked about his feelings of “Scottishness,” James attributes them to not only his piping and Highland dancing upbringing, but also to his parents’ musicality and his mother’s Scottish heritage (west coast of Scotland). There are no known Gaelic speakers in his family nor living Scottish relatives. As for politics and religion, neither were important factors in his upbringing (James was brought up nominally Catholic, but “changed his mind about things” at age thirteen). James has visited Scotland a number of times; on his first trip in the early seventies, there was a feeling of familiarity, but not necessarily one of belonging. If James were to relive his life, he would change a couple of things – namely having a better set of lungs (vs. being asthmatic and having smoked) and medals during his piping career. While his biggest disappointments have been the negative outcomes of various piping competitions (especially the 1979 World’s), his biggest satisfaction in life is his family.
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Date: 2005-03-23

Title: Interview of Graham Davidson, 1; 2
Description: Graham Davidson August 7, 2012; August 15, 2012. Born: Graham Stewart Davidson, June 1st 1957, in Stobhill Hospital, Glasgow, Scotland. 1 older sister named Sandra, who lives on Vancouver Island. Father: Alexander Blair Davidson, born 1919 in Bishopbriggs. Youngest of 3 (two older sisters, Margaret & Betty). Alex’s father (Graham’s grandfather)
Show moreGraham Davidson August 7, 2012; August 15, 2012. Born: Graham Stewart Davidson, June 1st 1957, in Stobhill Hospital, Glasgow, Scotland. 1 older sister named Sandra, who lives on Vancouver Island. Father: Alexander Blair Davidson, born 1919 in Bishopbriggs. Youngest of 3 (two older sisters, Margaret & Betty). Alex’s father (Graham’s grandfather) passed when he was 14. Mother: Kathleen Graham Stewart, born in 1923 in Bishopbriggs. Eldest of 2 daughters (younger sister Mirian, drowned at age 10). Maternal Grandfather: Samuel Graham Stewart, one of 8 brothers. A woodworker by trade; built a lot of the homes in Bishopbriggs, which still stand today. He owned a shop on Crowhill Rd, which Bob Hardy (famous bagpipe maker) took over upon his retirement in 1964. Samuel was the one who trained Bob in woodworking. Bob went to school with Kathleen and played at her wedding to Graham’s father. Nobody in his family spoke Gaelic. He has a few cousins in Scotland from his father’s side who he keeps in contact with. The family immigrated to Canada when he was 2 years old. His father came 6 months ahead of them, in 1959, and landed in Montreal. He took the train out to Vancouver, and was looking for 4 months. He had almost given up and was packing to leave when he got a call for a job at MacMillan-Bloedel. He worked as a draftsman, and later moved to H.A. Simons (pulp & paper mills), working as an estimator. He purchased a house in Lynn Valley, and the family followed him out to Canada, travelling by ship and rail. His parents owned a cabin up by Sechelt. Graham attended school in North Vancouver. The family moved and he attended Windsor School, where he graduated from High School. Graham first heard bagpipes in the Pacific National Exhibition parade in Vancouver – the pipe bands were the only part he watched as a child. This inspired him to pick up piping, and his first teacher was a man named Richard Drybrooke. Dave Russell, a drummer from the Seaforth Highlanders, started the White Hackle Pipe Band and in North Vancouver. Bruce Topp was another instructor to Graham, who introduced him to the BC Piper’s Association & Seaforth Highlanders Cadets. In the Cadets, he met a man named Ed Esson, who was his instructor for a long time. You had to be 11 to be a cadet, and Graham was only 9, but Ed insisted he be allowed in. Ed was the King’s Piper for a time; he was “a real Highland gentleman”, and Pipe Major of the Seaforth Highlanders for years. Nigel Alakija was another instructor of his, originally from Inverness. They encouraged his parents to take him to Highland Games around the west coast, and he would attend the Nelson School of Piping. Donald MacLeod was a regular at these games. Bill Sutherland, a war buddy of Donald and “Big Angus”, started the school in Nelson. Bob Hardy provided Graham’s first set of bagpipes to him with no invoice, but his father insisted on paying the full price. Without a doubt, Ed Esson was Graham’s largest influence. He was like a grandfather figure, and a really nice man. Graham was a small boy and Ed always looked out for him, helping him with technique. Graham played one year in the City of Port Moody Pipe Band, until he called Pipe Major Hal Senyk and asked to join the Triumph Street Pipe Band. They went to the World Championships in 1976; they had no money, so the team had mixed kilts, but matching shirts and vests. All the other teams were in full dress uniforms. They ended up 23rd out of 24th at the worlds, but then 2 weeks later, they finished 4th . The band returned to the Worlds in 1979 in Nottingham, and played very well. They placed 5th, and were Best Overseas Band; also received the Red Sash for Best Drum Corps. Willie McErlean was the Lead Tip at the time, and it was the first time a band outside Scotland had won a major prize. Graham was with the Triumph Street Band from 1975-1995. The band had undergone a lot of changes in the years prior. At that point he took over as Pipe Major for the Maple Ridge Pipe Band (Grade 3; later moved up to Grade 2). He chose to leave his position and shortly after, he played with City of Abbotsford Pipe Band for 1 year; Stuart MacNeil was the Pipe Major at that time. At this time in his life, Graham and his wife had one son, and were expecting twins. He left the Abbotsford Pipe Band to spend more time at home. At the same time, he had been teaching for the White Spot Pipe Band, and was approached to take over leadership, which he agreed to. With the White Spot Organization, Graham was responsible for advising parents, finding instructors, and designing the musical program. He is still with the band at the time of interview, and has seen upwards of 1000 kids go through in his time there. The White Spot Organization has piping, drumming, and Highland dancing programs for children. Graham’s experiences with Ed Esson as an instructor influences his standard for instructors today. They have been the BCPA Champions for 8 out of the 10 years prior to the time of interview. He decided to form a band called the Greighlan Crossing Pipe Band, the bulk membership of which are players who have graduated out of White Spot. The Greighlan Crossing logo is a double-headed dragon; because of this, they were invited to perform in Beijing, China in 2010, at the 12th Beijing International Cultural Tourism Festival. An organizer of the festival had stumbled across the Greighlan Crossing website, and fell in love with the band and its logo, as the dragon represents good luck in China. They did a 2 minute performance which was judged. The Band (and administrative staff) on this 10 day trip ranged from ages 14 – 62. The festival was all about bringing the world to China, in Graham’s impression. There was a wide variety of acts. The Band was able to go sight-seeing in their time there and were treated very well. They were voted the best act of the day. They also did a 5-6 block parade while in Beijing, on a road similar to Granville Street in Vancouver. The crowd went “absolutely nuts” for the Band. The Band also performed at a shopping mall and at the Bird’s Nest (Beijing National Stadium). A “bucket list” item of Grahams’ was to play bagpipes on the Great Wall of China, and the Band all did the same. Someone called the Military Police on them; their interpreter/guide explained their side of things, and the Police eventually left, saying “Don’t waste our time again!” to the caller. The Band has been requested to play the festival again in September 2012. Graham another solo piper who he is close with, Andy Wright. He says he has encountered a majority of wonderful, kind people in the bagpiping community, and he is sure if he turned up to a bagpiper’s house, he would have a place to stay. Graham’s first Annual Gathering of the BC Piper’s Association was held at the Vancouver Recreational Centre in Longsdale, around age 10 or 11. He marvels at how much the gathering has evolved. He didn’t win very often in his early years, but he continued to play due to his love of it. Ed Esson and Hal Senyk led his playing to “take off”; Ed was very technical and emphasized fingering, while Hal was a “sound guy”, focusing on the sound from tuning the pipes. Graham won the first professional competition he ever played, on the insistence of Hal. He even played Hal’s pipes, and Hal was a “bit perturbed”, as he’d “never heard them sound so good”. Most of the judges at the BCPA gatherings were from Scotland. This exposed him to phenomenal players of the day. The President of the BCPA in the 1980’s was Donald MacMillan, who suggested to bring out 2 piping judges from Scotland. Graham has been President from 2008-2012, as well as Chair for the Annual Gathering. Vancouver is a “hot spot” in North America for piping, and players are often eager to come out. The Annual Gathering lasts two days, and includes pro drumming events, a recital, solos, and a pipe band contest. One of Graham’s best years at the Annual Gathering was when Rob Matheson & Jim Kilpatrick were brought out after the release of their 2nd album, Ebb Tide. Nearly 500 people came out to see them play. Graham has noticed an expansion in the areas where people travel from to enter the competition. Graham doesn’t have any favourites to include in medleys, as you always have to keep it changing. He feels medleys have progressed from the 1970s; new tunes from new composers, involving syncopation and other inventive styles which are enjoyable to play. In years leading up to these interviews, the popularity of pipe bands, Celtic musicians and Highland dancing has seen an increase; Graham expects this trend to continue, as bands continue to add new instruments all the time, increasing their diversity and entertainment value. Graham has 3 children: One of his twin sons, Trevor, is a bagpiper; he wanted to play his father’s pipes from age 2 on. His favourite tune to play as a boy was “Scotland The Brave”; he played in Graham at the Couer d’Alene at the age of 3. He had to play with his hands reversed because he was so small. He moved very quickly through the ranks of the White Spot Pipe Band, and is now a Grade 1 competitor. Also Pipe Major of the Greighlan Crossing Pipe Band. Maclain is a drummer. He took up drumming as a boy and was happy to be included with his father and brother. He was the Grand Aggregate Winner for Grade 3 Drumming in 2012, and will be promoted to Grade 2. He also went through the White Spot Pipe Band, and is in the Drum Corps of Greighlan Crossing. Graham’s oldest son Chris was not interested in taking up Scottish music. He played guitar for a time. Working with children in his bagpiping career has been very satisfying for Graham. He discusses the recent winners of the World Championships. He has done extensive work with the BC Piper’s Association. He took on the task of organizing the newsletter for a time, in order to communicate with the membership. Since 1992, Graham has worked for the District of North Vancouver, managing supplies. The majority of the municipalities are part of a co-op which allows them to purchase supplies at a group rate. There are about 40 commodities which all municipalities use; Graham is responsible for the supply of one commodity – garbage bags – for all districts in the co-op. He approximates the co-op currently [in 2012] spends about one million dollars on this commodity. His employer and staff understand his involvement in bagpiping and respect that he needs time off to travel. Upon travelling to Scotland, Graham feels a sense of connection to his birthplace, although he considers Vancouver home. He finds Canadians are well received in Scotland, although people don’t understand how large the country is compared to the U.K. – he has the common experience of being asked if he knows someone from Toronto. He didn’t consider his “Scottishness”, until he became more involved in Burns Suppers in his mid-30’s, and began studying more Scottish history. He doesn’t think his sons have this connection to their heritage yet, but are more exposed to it than he was at their age. Graham hadn’t even tried haggis until age 25. His maternal grandfather was always blasting Scottish music on his record player, and read Robbie Burns poems, but these hobbies didn’t carry onto his parents. They wanted to try Scottish Country Dancing, but were unable to arrange it. Politics were not major issues in his family; he attended church as a child, but gradually stopped as he became older. They often had family gatherings with his cousins in North Vancouver growing up. He now sees his sister when he attends the Comox Highland Games on the Island. His favourite relative was his Uncle Jim (his mother’s cousin). He plays at about 4 or 5 Burns Dinners per year. He eats haggis at the dinners, and makes his dad’s shortbread recipe at home. He first tried a dram of scotch at 16. Wife: Sandra; met at a bar in Surrey named Champagne’s. That weekend, the Triumph Street Band was having a “Tacky Tourist Party”, which he invited her to. It turned out her best friend worked with Graham, and she encouraged Sandra to go to the party. She knew that being involved with bands was important to Graham, and he spent a lot of time practicing. When their twins decided to get involved, life became “simpler”, as he was able to take them along. They are coming up on 26 years of marriage in 2012. Growing up in the 1950’s, Graham was influenced by the Beatles, but is a lover of all music, especially soft jazz. He has travelled to Scotland several times in the past 10 years. Looking back on his life, he would change injuring his hand if he could. He worked at a sugar refinery in 1978, and injured his hand on an industrial oven fan. He had an accident 6 months prior to that where his hand was caught in wheels – his doctor told him he wouldn’t be able to pipe again after his work accident. It took him about 6 months to heal and become mobile again. He cannot play a “bubbly B”, but this is his only restriction in piping. He taught the Vancouver Ladies Pipe Band for 4-5 years prior to going to the Maple Ridge Pipe Band. His son Trevor has encouraged him to return to professional competitions, but he is not interested. Graham doesn’t have an opinion on the 2012 politics/referendum in Scotland, and has had a few minor conversations on it. He only wishes the people get what they want. Graham discusses the formation of Greighlan Crossing Pipe Band with Len Moreau, for players who graduated out of White Spot and didn’t move on to Grade 1 Bands. A group of Rotary Clubs called District 50/50 provided them with the funds to start up, along with minor fundraisers organized by Len & Graeme. The group wore mixed kilts – family tartans – and wore white shirts and black ties. The name of the band came from a combination of Graeme & Len’s name with a more Gaelic/Celtic spelling (originally Gralen). A parent of a band member developed the logo – two dragon heads in a Celtic knot. They developed a “legend” behind the name & logo.
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Date: 2012-08-07, 2012-08-15

Title: Interview of Hugh McLennan
Description: May 25 2004 Hugh McLennan Audio is distorted by background noise and difficult to hear/inaudible at times. Born: Montreal, Quebec, Oct 22nd 1927. Eldest of two children. Younger sister Elizabeth passed away several years prior to the interview. She had 3 children. Father: William Durie McLennan, born in Montreal on Nov 24th, 1889. Youngest of 3 (2
Show moreMay 25 2004 Hugh McLennan Audio is distorted by background noise and difficult to hear/inaudible at times. Born: Montreal, Quebec, Oct 22nd 1927. Eldest of two children. Younger sister Elizabeth passed away several years prior to the interview. She had 3 children. Father: William Durie McLennan, born in Montreal on Nov 24th, 1889. Youngest of 3 (2 older sisters). Worked as an architect. Also worked with the Canadian Field Artillery. Paternal Grandfather: Also William. From a large family. Married June 7th 1883, passed away in Florence, Italy. He had two brothers who were involved in military work. William was a notary in Montreal. He also wrote novels and music. Great-Grandfather: Hugh, born 1825. Lived in Glengarry Country (what is now Eastern Ontario). Was in the fur business and did quite well for himself in Montreal. Great-great Grandfather: John, born in Glen Shiel, Scotland in 1780. He came to Canada with his father, Murdoch, in 1802. Landed in Quebec after a 4 month voyage with 1000 people on an old warship called the Neptune. They moved to an area which is now Lake St. Francis. Murdoch died very soon after arrival, but John continued to live out his in Quebec. Back in Scotland, Murdoch was a farmer. John followed in these footsteps in Canada, and also fought in the war of 1812. He was also part of a militia during the uprisings in 1837-38. He was called “Squire John”, and was known as a local mediator. He had a fairly large family. Mother: Born Gyneth Maud Wanklyn, in Montreal. 3 siblings (2 older brothers, 1 younger brother). Both older brothers were in the military; one was killed in action in World War I. Maternal Grandfather: Frederick Wanklyn. Hugh feels it is unlikely his great-grandfather spoke Gaelic. His feelings of “Scottishness” come from his own interest. He heard of a “gathering of the clan” McLennan from a friend which took place in Scotland in the 1970’s. He took the trip to Inverness and had a splendid weekend getting in touch with his roots. He has been involved with other McLennan clan events in years past, but it has “fallen by the wayside” as there are fewer in the area. He keeps in touch with some members in Scotland. Politics and religion were not large parts of his family gatherings growing up. He attended Selwyn School, a small, boys only school in Montreal. He worked summers as a lumberjack in Quebec. He attended university at McGill, and got his degree in Chemistry. He was interested in doing postgraduate work, but there were not very many opportunities in Chemistry at the time. He ultimately received his Ph.D. in Biochemistry from McGill. He did postdoctorate work at a local university college, as well as the Montreal Aerological Institute. He was particularly interested in the physiology and chemical process of the brain (neuropharmacology), and it continued to be his interest for the rest of his professional life. He taught on the subject, which led him to work as a professor in the Department of Physiology at UBC in 1957. Hugh met his wife in 1944 on a blind date in Montreal. Married in 1949; they were still married to the time of the interview. Wife: Hilda Connell. Father was an immigrant to Canada. She also attended McGill and received her Bachelor’s degree. They had two children. His daughter lives in Prince George and his son lives in Tsawwassen at the time of the interview. His biggest lesson from his time in Scotland was that “Canada wouldn’t be Canada without Scotland – particularly Montreal”. He discusses the history of Scots coming to Canada, and the affinity between the two countries. He eats haggis from the local butcher frequently. He’s a fan of the bagpipes. He has done a lot of personal research on his heritage. He invested in the Arran Distillery in Scotland, which has done quite well. He has a love of reading and taught himself to read Welsh. He learned of a historical connection between Welsh and Scottish culture. Hugh was a long-time member of the Canadian Physiological Society, which inspired his research on the first physician in Canada. Looking back on his life, he doesn’t have any regrets – perhaps he should have started golfing sooner. He feels well respected by his colleagues and loved ones, and aside from his scientific accomplishments, his greatest satisfaction in life was having research students in his lab, and seeing them go on to do well. Hugh passed away seven months after recording this interview (Dec 24, 2004).
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Date: 2004-05-25

Title: Interview of Therese McErlean
Description: April 25 2012 Therese McErlean Born: Therese MacInness, June 11th, 1949 in Vancouver. Five siblings (2 brothers & 2 sisters), Therese was the fourth. Father: Micheal MacInness. Born in Eriskay, Scotland in 1904. He was a master mariner, and when he came to Vancouver, he ran an icebreaker in the north, and was a longshoreman in the offseason. He was
Show moreApril 25 2012 Therese McErlean Born: Therese MacInness, June 11th, 1949 in Vancouver. Five siblings (2 brothers & 2 sisters), Therese was the fourth. Father: Micheal MacInness. Born in Eriskay, Scotland in 1904. He was a master mariner, and when he came to Vancouver, he ran an icebreaker in the north, and was a longshoreman in the offseason. He was a quiet man, and Therese regrets that she didn’t get to know more about him or his family. He spoke Gaelic, but didn’t read or write it. He didn’t talk much, but she knew he was proud of her piping accomplishments. In Eriskay, he was a fisher and always on the water. Travelled the world as a sailor. He “jumped ship” in Vancouver around 1926-28. Therese’s paternal grandparents passed when she was born, but she was later told by family members in Scotland that her grandmother was “away with the faeries” – a term for being in an asylum. She remembers the funny stories told about when the ship Politician ran aground. Mother: Born in 1908 just outside of Glasgow. Came to Canada for a better life with her parents when she was 18. Second oldest of her siblings, 6 brothers and 2 sisters. Came to St. Brides (outside of Edmonton), in what was an Irish settlement. The family farmed. She worked in house service in Edmonton, which was her profession from age 14 on in Scotland. She was always trying to get her family to come to Edmonton from St. Brides, because their life there was “dismal”. “They were poor in Scotland, but they weren’t that poor”. The plot of land was almost “unworkable”. Her mother was a Highland dancer for years. She told many stories from her career of housekeeping. She retired once she was married. She did not speak Gaelic. Therese’s parents met in Vancouver. When she was born, they were living at 13th & Commercial. They moved to Burnaby when she was 6. They played $13 000 for the house around 1956. She attended Edmonds School from grade 1-10. It was a nice school & area, which has become impoverished in recent years. She later attended Burnaby Central. Her mom always told her she would be a teacher, and she attended SFU for general arts. She began University in 1967, when protests and riots were happening at campuses like Berkeley. SFU had a lesser version of this, with sit-ins and such. She was less interested in these politics, and lost a few friends because of it. “Every prof was a radical”. The school didn’t have a great reputation at the time, and she had many friends at UBC. She met her husband Willie when she was 21. Her father’s first ship was called the “Great Bear”, which took people on northern fishing excursions. He struggled with depression and would spend some time off work or in clinics. They always lived well despite the fact that there was no disability payments for him. He lied on his birth certificate, so he worked until he was 69. Therese’s siblings, Duncan, Donald & Rae-Marie were all enrolled in bagpiping by her mother. Donald was also in Highland dancing. By the time Therese was born, it was expected she would take up piping. She started around age 6 or 7. She has the trophy from her first novice competition, at age 9. It was at the annual gathering at the Seaforth Armouries. She remembers being amazed by the Powell River Pipe Band. Her first teacher was Malcolm Nicholson. Her sister, Rae-Marie, was a great player, and began training with Jimmy MacMillan. Therese was 15 at the time, and went along with her sister. She remembers training with Jack and Terry Lee at times. She stopped competing around age 20. In those days, in order to play in the Ladies’ Pipe Band, you had to memorize around 100 tunes – particularly to play the Burns Dinner. In 1964, Therese had to get her “badge” and memorize these tunes within a month or two. She played with Norma Nicholson, Marie McDonald and her sister Rae-Marie. They played several times in Scotland, staying in Edinburgh. The band recorded a record together. Therese played solo & in bands. She did many quartet performances around B.C., which are less common today. She is still friends with many members of the band. She was asked one time to dance in a Tattoo. She rarely played the pipes for dancers. Therese talks about playing pipes with her husband Willie on drums, who plays so fast she feels “like Ben Hur holding the horses back”. Many of her parents’ friends in Vancouver were Scottish, and spoke Gaelic. Her feelings of “Scottishness” comes from her parents. Her father didn’t have many habits and spent his days working. Her family was very Catholic and church was a large part of their lives. Politics weren’t often discussed. Therese was close with her Aunt Rae. The family’s holidays revolved around the Highland Games. Her mother was a great cook, but her father preferred plain food, like boiled cod. Therese always identified more as Scottish than Canadian and loved her trips to Scotland. Therese met her husband Willie at the Santa Rosa Highland Games. They have 3 children: Calum, Rachel & Shannon, and 4 grandchildren. Her son learned piping, but didn’t follow up as much. The girls were in Highland dance and had a lot of fun. Therese discusses the Scottish Nationalist Party, in the news at the time of the interview. She hears about the politics in Scotland through friends who visit. She says the competitive world of piping and dancing can be hard on those who expect to win all the time. Her inspiration was always to find the best piper, and try to beat them. She took some lessons from Ian MacLeod while in Scotland. Her favourite thing to do is to watch the SFU Pipe Band tune up. Willie & Therese recommend Reid Maxwell for interview.
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Date: 2012-04-25

Title: Interview of Donald Sinclair
Description: August 24 2004 Donald Sinclair – Tape 1, Side B; Tape 2, Side A; other recordings missing. Recording starts abruptly, in the middle of a sentence. Mother’s siblings: Peggy (married Tim MacLean), Marjorie (married Ronald Laing) came to Vancouver, Canada with her husband. Allister, settled in Winnipeg. Ronald – was a police officer in Glasgow, was
Show moreAugust 24 2004 Donald Sinclair – Tape 1, Side B; Tape 2, Side A; other recordings missing. Recording starts abruptly, in the middle of a sentence. Mother’s siblings: Peggy (married Tim MacLean), Marjorie (married Ronald Laing) came to Vancouver, Canada with her husband. Allister, settled in Winnipeg. Ronald – was a police officer in Glasgow, was pipe major of the Glasgow Police Pipe Band. Badly wounded in WWI. He was quite short and called “wee Ronald”. Donald Ewan - Superintendent of largest insane asylum in Scotland, also wounded in WWI. John – served in WWII, became sergeant major. Had to leave the army to take care of the family farm after his father fell ill. He later became an Inverness City Counsellor. Youngest sister Marg (married a Morrison). Several first cousins in Ontario, Manitoba and B.C. Mother: Maiden name MacDonald – passed and buried in Vancouver. Went out to service in Glasgow after she left school (around age 13 or 14). There were 10 girls in her class at school with the name MacDonald. The teacher couldn’t speak any Gaelic and they couldn’t speak any English. The teacher named them “Doll 1, Doll 2, etc.” nicknames which stuck – Donald remembers meeting “Doll 10”. They tried to “put down” the Gaelic in school, encouraging students to read & write in English. His mother couldn’t write any Gaelic but spoke it fluently. She was a great baker, taught by her sister Marjorie. Grandmother: Mary Cameron. His grandmother spoke virtually no English and had never gone to school. Her brother came a Minister of Divinity in Edinburgh. She was “a tough little cookie”. Uncle Allister immigrated to Canada in 1912. Donald went to look him up while in Winnipeg at one point, calling the local police for help (a common practice in that time). They told him to call “The Voice of the Red River Valley”, CKNY, the local radio station to put out an ad. He went down to the station and they put a call out on the air. A woman phoned in, who turned out to be his cousin (Allister’s daughter). She picked him up from the station and took him to his uncle’s house. Donald remembers she said, “Dad, one of your relatives from Scotland is here to visit”, and he immediately reverted to Gaelic, asking, “Who’s that?” Donald replied (in Gaelic), “Donald Head Dottie Moore” (his name, his mother’s name, his grandfather & great-grandfather’s nicknames). To which Uncle Allister said, “Mo ghradh, mo ghradh” (my dear, my dear) and pulled out a bottle of whiskey. His wife had a thick accent. Wife: Iris. Children: Two daughters; one who lives in England, and another who lives in B.C. Siblings: Ian, Lexie, twin brother Stuart. Donald’s mother hosted boarders for the Glasgow Police Pipe Band. His grandfather’s house in Scotland was called “the doctor’s house”. It’s located on a hamlet called Kyle’s Peible - “a beautiful machair (low-lying, grassy plane)”. He recalls a time when his mom asked if he would like a wee drop of “Polly” – whiskey from ship the SS Politician, which had famously run aground in Eriskay. His mother was a tall, good-looking, gentle woman. His parents never “strapped” or struck him or his siblings as discipline. Both parents spoke Gaelic, but couldn’t write it, and had thick Hebridian accents. The Depression was a tough time on the family, and there were times growing up when his father was out of work, but he never went on the “parish” (welfare). Donald was manager of a life insurance company for a time. He lived in Edmonton. When living in Toronto he was President of the Toronto Scottish Rugby Football Club. His first job was for a florist/fruit-seller in the Glasgow Foot Market, preparing orders and managing inventory. He would take the streetcar up Argyle St. He worked for a few years before moving onto construction and labour jobs. He worked for a rubber company which supplied motor parts to the Army. His twin brother had been drafted in the Army, and he was anxious to do the same, but learned his boss had declared him as a “reserve occupation”. He wrote to the War Office in Edinburgh and ultimately joined the Seaforth Highlanders, serving in WWII. Both he and his twin were short-sighted in one eye, which gave him the classification of “A4”. He was sent from training to York, then transferred to Nottingham. He applied to be commissioned as an officer like his older & twin brother had. When the Atom Bomb was dropped, they were shipped to Singapore, where Donald met his wife Iris at “Lord Louie’s Headquarters”. They were both shipped back to the U.K. after the War. He came to Toronto, Canada in spring 1947; his wife followed in spring 1948. Although they considered South Africa, the immigration officer in Glasgow told him, “You have to go to Canada – Canada is more Scottish than Scotland”. They initially planned to stay for a few years. He travelled by airplane, and Iris came by ship. Donald spent his first 3 days in a hostel on Jervis St. in Toronto, where lists of lodgers were provided. He lodged with Jesse & Tommy Reid. Canada had a great reputation in Scotland and everyone had a relative who lived there. He remembers feeling excited to see the bears and trees. Iris was still with the Army and was stationed in Chelsea when he came over. His first job in Canada was washing cars for several days. He then got a job with a manufacturing company making golf clubs, tennis rackets and golf balls. Donald applied to Sunlife Insurance, and was a salesman for several years before moving to Standard Life Insurance Company. It was this job which transferred him between Edmonton, Toronto, and eventually Vancouver. He worked for them until his retirement, after which he took a brokerage contract. Donald and Iris married before he came to Canada, in 1947, at St. Columbus Gaelic Church in Glasgow. He recalls people “presenting” in Gaelic at church. He remembers when he first arrived in 1947, Canada was entering an economic recession of sorts, and people worried of another Depression. One particular individual told him, “Jobs are for Canadians”. There was also a girl he met who felt jobs were being taken by Canadians. He found less and less of this sentiment as time went on. Donald’s feelings of “Scottishness” increased in Canada. He got involved in the Robbie Burns Club in Edmonton, which he hadn’t known much about in the old country, aside from visiting the Burns cottage one time. He remembers the dinner hosted Tommy Douglas at one time. He spent 10 years in Toronto, 10 years in Edmonton, before moving back to Toronto. He wrote the Burns Club in Edmonton for assistance to put on a Burns Supper in Toronto with his Scottish Rugby Football Club, which the Mayor attended. He recalls the story from this night. It’s since become a major event. He still feels a sense of belonging when visiting Scotland. Donald recalls the “crofting” life in the Hebrides, and the strictness of the Presbyterian faith in the area. Sunday was the Sabbath and he wasn’t allowed to play music. Looking back on his life, Donald may have gotten more education; both he and his mother were proud of the fact that despite this, he and his brothers finished as Captains in the Army. His biggest satisfaction is still being with his wife, as well as being involved in Rugby, as he had never had the chance while growing up in the tenements in Scotland. He learned to play while in India during his time in the Army.
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Date: 2004-08-24

Title: Interview of Jimmy McMillan, 1; 2
Description: March 16 2004; April 21 2004 Jimmy McMillan Born: James “Jimmy” Graham McMillan, Sept. 27, 1911 in Argyleshire. Oldest of 4 children (two sisters and a brother). Father: Born in Argyleshire in 1888. One of 13 boys and 2 girls, all the men in the family were blacksmith. He was the 4th born and was a twin; they both served in the military, and his
Show moreMarch 16 2004; April 21 2004 Jimmy McMillan Born: James “Jimmy” Graham McMillan, Sept. 27, 1911 in Argyleshire. Oldest of 4 children (two sisters and a brother). Father: Born in Argyleshire in 1888. One of 13 boys and 2 girls, all the men in the family were blacksmith. He was the 4th born and was a twin; they both served in the military, and his twin brother was killed in the War. He continued to work as a Blacksmith in Victoria. Paternal Grandfather: Killed in a boiler explosion around age 48. Mother: Maiden name Margaret Graham. Born in Campbeltown, Aug. 25, 1890. Maternal Grandfather: Archibald Graham. Passed at a very young age (Nov.4, 1906). Also from Campbeltown, worked at the distillery. James’ father would sing some Gaelic songs, but neither of his parents spoke Gaelic. James doesn’t have any family left in Scotland to keep in touch with. He remembers going to school in Scotland, but can’t remember the trip to Canada (he was around 7). His sister was born in Victoria. This was near the end of the First World War, in 1918. When his father came home from the War, Jimmy recognized him getting off the ship right away, before his Nana McMillan did. His family likely moved for an improvement in life. If you didn’t work at one of the 7 distilleries in Campbeltown, you were likely unemployed. He had 2 uncles who had left Campbeltown and moved to Victoria for work before his father followed suit. Many more of the siblings ended up moving to Victoria. His first memories in Canada were going to school. James worked for Macmillan-Bloedel for the majority of his life in Victoria, before moving to Burnaby and retiring. His Nana lived on Holly St. in Victoria, and the family home was back-to-back with her. He remembers his mother picking turnips with horse & cart in Scotland. He can recall his father coming home smelling of soot from his job as a blacksmith with the City of Victoria. The City had dozens of Clydesdale horses, used for hauling carts in road & building construction. His mother went back to visit Scotland twice, which would have been pricey in those days. His father was the disciplinarian in the home. His mother would “give him hell” if he lost a piping competition. She had been active in the Knights & Dames of the Thistle. His dad would often play quoits (a version of horseshoes) in an empty lot. In later years, his parents were into carpet bowling. Even during the War in Scotland, he wasn’t allowed to play the pipes on Sunday, as it was Sabbath – religion played a big role. Jimmy started taking bagpiping lessons around age 9. Alec Wallace, a former stonemason, was his first teacher. He was a Pipe Major. Jim was the only one in his family to pick up the pipes or chanter. He had to get a job to help out his family, and so he left high school. He worked as a grocery and paper delivery worker. He started in the Victoria Boy’s Pipe Band around age 10 or 12. He won his first medal in 1926 in Vancouver. A band was formed in 1936 to perform at Vimy Ridge for the dedication of a monument, of which Jimmy was a member. They requested individual pipers from across Canada to perform, and Jimmy went on behalf of B.C. (sponsored by the Canadian government). He was the best piper in B.C. at the time – “Lucky, I passed that on to Jack Lee”, he says. He went from the Boy’s Band into the Canadian Scottish Regiment. He played at the opening of the Golden Gate Bridge, when WWII was declared, and he was shipped out as part of the Canadian Scottish Regiment. James was married Oct. 18, 1935 Wife: Angelina Piccoli. She worked as a babysitter on the street he lived on, and they met through a neighbour. Before the War, Jimmy worked at Sydney Roofing in Victoria, and his job was held for him afterwards. The company became part of MacMillan-Bloedel. He was a shift boss and ran a crew, making pulp products. He then accepted a job as a daytime shipper in the MacMillan-Bloedel paper mill in Burnaby, in 1958. Jimmy taught piping while in Victoria; some students included Jimmy Couts, Theresa MacGuinness, etc. In WWII, he was stationed in England, and went over to Germany on D-Day. He travelled to Scotland to study while on leave from his Regiment in the War. The greatest thing to happen to him while in Scotland was meeting and learning from “the Blind Piper” Archibald MacNeill. James went to visit Archie before he passed away, and was surprised he still recognized his voice. Jim remembers learning 11 songs in 11 days at one point. Jimmy's great love was piobaireachd (genre). The first one he learned was “Mary MacLeod”. Since the War, he has only been back to Scotland once (1962). His feelings of “Scottishness” come from bagpiping his entire life. Alec & Seamus MacNeill (son & nephew of the blind piper) had some success. Jimmy remembers hearing John Burgess play as a young boy. Donald Cameron was his first teacher in piobaireachd. He was Pipe Major of the Second Battalion in the Canadian Scottish Regiment. Jimmy won his first competition in the genre at age 16. A Doctor named Mr. French bought 6 bagpipes, which essentially started the Victoria Boy’s Pipe Band. Jimmy has won the Cairn for piobaireachd more than once. He knew many of the big names in piping at the time. Alex Johnson taught piobaireachd in Vancouver. In his opinion, the War was good for piping, as they were training and playing all day. The Seaforth Highlanders Pipe Band and Vancouver Police Pipe Band were great quality. Jimmy still recalls spending time with the Blind Piper Archie MacNeill. He lost his sight as a young boy. He would keep 10 chanters in a drawer and could tell the difference by ear. Archie composed a tune for him called “James McMillan”. Jimmy learned a lot from him and they had a great friendship. Sammy Scott was the one who introduced the two. Willie Ross was his instructor in the Army School of Piping at Edinburgh Castle. Jimmy met John Wilson from Campbeltown in B.C. at one point. Jimmy still plays the practice chanter at times. Notable students of his include Darlene Milloy, Hazel Ramsey, Sharon MacKinnon, and Terry and Jack Lee. Jimmy was taught there should be “more phrases than bars” in composing a piobaireachd. He found it surprising that some pipers were also heavy smokers. Jimmy feels Simon Fraser is the only quality pipe band around nowadays. The drummers are more heavily featured than in the past. He played with Donald MacLeod when he came to town. Jim has composed several songs himself. He plays the most famous tune he has composed, “The Flying Scotsman”, on the practice chanter for the recording. He composed this song during his time travelling by train between Glasgow & Edinburgh, while being trained by Willie Ross. He also composed many waltzes. Jimmy feels he played his best during his time in the War. There was an 8 hour group march in which he had to play every tune he knew. He played the pipes while sitting on the hood of the lead Jeep when the Battalion convoy crossed the Rhine into Germany. He attended the Nine Schools with John McLellan. “Don MacLean’s Farewell to Oban”, a tune composed by Archie MacNeill, is played on the practice chanter for the recording. Jimmy found it interesting that Tommy Pearson and Seamus MacNeill played such different styles. Archie was very outspoken, even on members of his own family. He had been hit by a car and injured his arm during the time Jimmy knew him, and was unable to play after that. Jimmy passed away the year after recording of these interviews, in 2005.
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Date: 2004-03-16, 2004-04-21

Title: Interview of Cilla Bachop
Description: February 27 2005 Lucilla Bachop (b. October 22, 1946; Edinburgh) was adopted into a family of nine children. As the youngest, she had four older sisters and four older brothers. Her adopted father, James (b. 1891, Glasgow), had a shoe-making/repair shop on the High Street that his father had started. He was the second eldest in his family. Cilla
Show moreFebruary 27 2005 Lucilla Bachop (b. October 22, 1946; Edinburgh) was adopted into a family of nine children. As the youngest, she had four older sisters and four older brothers. Her adopted father, James (b. 1891, Glasgow), had a shoe-making/repair shop on the High Street that his father had started. He was the second eldest in his family. Cilla vividly remembers her father’s fabulous vocabulary and his love for football and cigarettes. Cilla’s paternal adopted grandfather, James (b. Glasgow), a very prosperous man, lived near the School for the Deaf in Edinburgh. Cilla’s birth mother, Barbara Smart-Ferguson (b. Wemmys, Fife), the second of six children to James and Agnes, was a very warm, giving, and loved person. She was a maid in Cilla’s adopted father’s house, where they met and later eloped when Barbara was sixteen. Before working in the Bachop household, Barbara was a maid at the North British (now “Balmoral”) Hotel, where she met Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Cilla’s birth father, Alex Keith (b. 1898, Aberdeen), was tall (5’11”), gregarious, selfish, and ambitious. He was a man of many talents who: wrote for the Aberdeen Crescent, wrote histories of Aberdeen and did broadcasts during the War for BBC, was an avid gardener, and was the secretary for the Aberdeen Angus Society. Cilla’s paternal birth grandfather, Albert Keith, was a chemist in Aberdeen (he had a shop in Kintore). He died in his late thirties of tuberculosis. Cilla’s paternal birth great-grandfather, Alexander Keith, was a veterinarian in Keith, just outside of Aberdeen. He was one of three children; his brother, Alfred, was chemist in Kirkcaldy. Alex fought in WWI; this traumatized him and he suffered from the after-effects of gassing, dying in his late fifties of throat cancer. Cilla’s birth mother, Louella, was tall (5’8”), dark-haired, slender, fashionable, political conservative, and relatively distant. Cilla is her only child and was given up for adoption due to being born out of wedlock; at first she was only a foster child at the Bachops’, but was formally adopted at age six (it was a very hard decision for Cilla to make when she was asked, “Who do you want to live with?”). Cilla’s childhood was spent in a big house on Abercorn Terrace, in Joppa (Edinburgh). From age five to twelve, she attended Towerbanks School in Joppa, where she had an excellent history teacher who made the class reenact battles; this sparked Cilla’s interest in history. Her family was close-knit, but there are no Gaelic speakers in her immediate family. The whole household avidly read; many also played the piano and there were often “gatherings around it.” The family regularly ran a B&B during the Glasgow Fair in August (during which many Glaswegians would leave town); this led to many adventures, including “very interesting visitors” (i.e. a pimp) and a group of drunken visitors who capsized a boat (six people drowned). Cilla’s adopted mother was a devout spiritualist, which resulted in a lot of “church hopping.” She also had a “second sight,” there were many séances at their house (including one at Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s old apartment!). Out of all of her siblings, Cilla was closest to her brother, Jim. A “wonderful man,” he worked at Cadbury’s in Edinburgh before managing the tartan box factory in Galashiels. Cilla stayed in contact with him after she moved to Canada, visiting him in the early seventies. The family moved to Canada in 1958/9 (Cilla was 12) after many of the Bachop children had independently moved there in years prior (however, one son and two daughters stayed in Scotland). Cilla didn’t feel very good about leaving, but knew it was “forever.” She didn’t know much about Canada, thought “Saskatchewan” was the best word (after arriving, she was overwhelmed by the country’s physical beauty). After selling the house, they flew from Manchester to Vancouver, where they first lived at 11th and Granville. Cilla didn’t like Canada at first; in her first class (an elementary school at 14th and Oak) she was teased because of her accent (She was one of ten “foreigners” in a class of forty). However, she did well in school and, overall, loved it. She and her mother received Canadian citizenship together; the ceremony took place in the Old Courthouse (now the Art Gallery). They were the first of their family to receive citizenship; Cilla was hugely proud of Canada, but felt a very strong affinity to Scotland. After graduating from elementary school, Cilla attended King Edward High and Eric Hamber (gr. 10-12) before beginning her postsecondary studies. At SFU she studied Political Science (at the time, the aftermath of Vietnam, the Kennedy assassination, and the environment were issues of concern for her) and English; she loved her time at university: “It was a wild time, a radical campus, great fun.” She was one of the founding members of “The Tartan” (now “The Peak”), which is how she met her future husband, Stuart Clugston. Cilla married Stuart after her second year of university (Cilla returned later to finish her degree); they were married for fifteen years (prior to separation) and had two children – John Breandain (Brandon) Stuart-Cluxton and Caitlin (sp?) Jane Cluxton (they are six years apart). Breandain is now the editor of the Richmon Review and Caitlin sings (classical music, show tunes etc.) (Cilla used to sing too). During their marriage, Cilla ran the data processing department at Stirling Newspapers before working for the Richmond Review newspaper for five years (Stuart also worked there). After separating, Cilla moved to Macdonald Printing (now Blanchette Press), which was a “very different” job, but paid better. She still works there (18yrs total thus far); she is now the plant manager. Although Cilla did not stay in touch with many childhood friends in Scotland, she regularly returns to visit (four times in the last eight years). Her first [three-week] trip back in the early seventies was very emotional; she cried while walking up the Waverley steps in Edinburgh. After visiting with a family friend, they went down to Galashiels to see Jim. On a later visit, she attended the funeral of her birth mother; there, she met other members of her birth family, with many of whom she continues correspondence. In Vancouver, she was not very involved in the Scottish community until after her separation (until then, she occasionally went to Tattoos of the Blackwatch Pipe Band). In the early eighties, she joined the St. Andrews and Caledonian Society, it was “great fun” and she became friends with many other Scots. They re-established the Ball, which later led to the establishment of a separate society due to financial responsibilities etc. of regularly hosting a Ball. Her son Breandain also belongs to the St. Andrews Society. When visiting Scotland, Cilla notices that most people have positive attitudes about Canada, especially after having visited themselves (“They love it!”). However, many often think Canadians are actually American, despite many having at least one relative in Canada. For Cilla, it is still very emotional to go back to Scotland; however, she thinks that if she were to move back, it could only be for a short time (six months max.). She does not like what she calls the “insularity” of the Scottish people, and how people worry about very small things. What she does miss most is the Scottish landscape: the physical place has a great “pull” for her and she remarks on the “sameness of the air.” Her children love Scotland too; the family often eats haggis and celebrate Burns’ Night together. She misses many Scottish foods, including: porridge, oatcakes, black pudding, and mince and tatties. She enjoys listening to Scottish music, especially British Columbian pipe music. Cilla and Breandain both enjoy reading Scottish authors, including Ian Rankin. If Cilla were to relive her life, she would have stayed in Scotland longer and gone into journalism as a full-time career to become a foreign correspondent. Her biggest satisfaction in life is her children.
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Date: 2005-02-27

Title: Interview of Jane & Peter Hammond
Description: Dec 23 2011 Jane Hammond (née Jane Elle Campbell; b. 1949 in Toronto) is the youngest of four children. Her father, Albert McTaggart Campbell (b. 1910 in Strathroy, Ontario; d. 1973) was the eldest surviving son of seven-eight children, two of whom died from appendicitis. Growing up in a farming community, he received his Bachelor’s of Science in
Show moreDec 23 2011 Jane Hammond (née Jane Elle Campbell; b. 1949 in Toronto) is the youngest of four children. Her father, Albert McTaggart Campbell (b. 1910 in Strathroy, Ontario; d. 1973) was the eldest surviving son of seven-eight children, two of whom died from appendicitis. Growing up in a farming community, he received his Bachelor’s of Science in Agriculture from the University of Guelph before teaching science in northern Ontario. After marrying he moved to South Ontario where he became very involved in local politics; he was on the Scarborough School Board, served as mayor of Scarborough, and, beginning in 1970, became a chairman for metropolitan Toronto. Jane has no memory of her paternal grandfather, John Campbell (d.1952-1953), who was first-generation Canadian. Her paternal great-grandfather was possibly born in Inverurie, Scotland; she has neither information about nor memories of him. Jane’s mother, Helen Emily Huber (b. 1910 in Cobalt, Ontario), had one sister. Her maternal grandfather was Wimund Huber (b. in Bracebridge, Ontario) and her maternal grandmother was Bertha May Cornell (b. 1881). Jane had a “normal upbringing” on a hobby farm. She attended the local public schools before receiving her degree in Psychology from York University. Jane then moved out West where she completed a degree in Social Work; her first job was as a child welfare worker in Victoria. She met Peter while travelling on a freighter, the SS Washington, to Japan; they were married within six months. Peter Hammond was born Phillip Edward Scofield (b. 1948 in San Francisco); at the age of two, after his birth parents’ divorce and his mother’s second marriage to Mr. Hammond, his parents changed his name in order to allow Mr. Hammond to legally adopt Peter/Phillip and thus release Peter/Phillip’s birth father from any child support responsibilities. Because of Mr. Hammond’s involvement in the military, Peter grew up on the island of Guam. He held an appointment as a merchant marine at King’s Point, New York before beginning his studies in marine engineering and, after graduation, sailing for some time. For fourteen years he was the chief engineer for the shipping company American President Lines and, in 1996, he became the director of Calhoon MEBA Engineering School in Maryland, USA, a post that he held for four years before briefly retiring. Peter is currently the chief engineer on the Spirit of Vancouver (BC Ferries); at the time of the interview, he had worked for the company for three years. In 1982, Peter and Jane sold their house in Fairfield and bought Glenrosa. Their reasons for buying the acreage included its location and the spaciousness and peacefulness of the property, especially as a place to raise their four children. Growing up on a farm, Jane was used to the rural life and thus the decision to take up sheep farming was not a stretch. However, at the time of purchase, the Hammonds had no knowledge of the history of Glenrosa and the Dunlop-Reid family; they gradually learned about the house’s past by reading the book Footprints and by speaking with locals and the former owners. They also had a luncheon with the Vine family and others. In 1998/9, after hearing about the newspaper articles and letters that John Dunlop-Reid had written, Peter and Jane travelled to Scotland where they undertook some research about Glenrosa and John Dunlop Reid. They visited the archives in Kilmarnock and the Baird Institute in Cumnock; a woman working at the Baird Institute made copies of the newspaper articles and, eight months later, the Hammonds received a package of them. Entitled “Farming Life in British Columbia,” the Ayrshire Press had published numerous articles by John Dunlop-Reid about the conditions in North America; these were designed to encourage emigration, specifically female. At the time of purchase Glenrosa was lacking a proper foundation and proper central heating. In 2002, the Hammonds began to renovate the house, paying attention to the original design. They saved wood from the original building and ensured that the main room maintained the same dimensions as the original house (30’ by 30’), thus the renovations took a long time. According to Ron Reid, “they did a fabulous job of preservation.” When asked about the Dunlop-Reid’s contact with Native peoples living in Mutchosin, the Footprints book mentions employment for harvesting, construction, and other odd jobs on the Glenrosa acreage. The Hammonds’ future plans for the Glenrosa house include continuing as a Bed and Breakfast and potentially reopening Glenrosa as a teahouse. Although the house is built to commercial standards, expansion and development have proven difficult in a municipality that “resists change."
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Date: 2011-12-23

Title: Interview of Willie McErlean
Description: Willie McErlean April 25 2012 Born: William James Farrell McErlean on Sept 11, 1931 in Glasgow, Scotland. He grew up in a tenement with his two sisters (one living in Portland, Oregon at time of interview). All of his siblings were born in the same bed in the tenement. He shared a bed with his Dad while his Mom shared with his older sister Dot. The
Show moreWillie McErlean April 25 2012 Born: William James Farrell McErlean on Sept 11, 1931 in Glasgow, Scotland. He grew up in a tenement with his two sisters (one living in Portland, Oregon at time of interview). All of his siblings were born in the same bed in the tenement. He shared a bed with his Dad while his Mom shared with his older sister Dot. The beds recessed into the walls. It was 3 stories high, and the bathroom was shared in the hallway on each floor. There was no heat in the bathrooms. The area where the tenement was located has changed now. Father: Andrew Arthur Augustus McErlean. Born in Belfast, Ireland around in the late 1800s. 89 when he passed. William never knew his father was Irish and didn’t ask much about his family. His father changed the pronunciation of the last name. Mother: Born Mary Elliot. Two brothers and two sisters. Her parents (Will’s grandparents) lived upstairs from them in the tenement building. Maternal Grandfather: Thomas Farrell. William attended primary school at Grove Street School in Glasgow. He attended a high school on St. George’s Road, and then it was “get a job or go in the Army”. His dad took him to the unemployment exchange at age 15, and he took the first job – in a stationary office called William Love & Sons. He continued to work there until he moved to America. Willie started on the drums in the Boy’s Brigade at age 12; it was something he’d always enjoyed. He stayed until age 17, when he went back and taught drumming. The Boy’s Brigade would have a band of nine boys with an older Pipe Major. He was also in the HLI Cadets & Pipe Band. He also played in the Highlander Pipe Band, but none of these bands were competitive. A man named Stuart taught him drums in Boy’s Brigade. James Thompson was his first drum instructor, who taught him the basics, step-by-step. William feels drummers may be rushed in nowadays. His biggest influences were Willie Patterson of the Clan MacCrae Society, and Irish drummer Patty Donovan. The Irish have a “jazzy” feeling to their drumming which William feels has influenced drumming today. John Wally of the Glasgow Police Pipe Band was another influence; Will never tried to model himself after anyone and tried his own style. Willie was Lead Tip with the Cadet Pipe Band around age 14. He was once in 3 bands at 1 time. He first came to America joining his sister in Portland, Oregon. The Portland Scottish Pipe Band paid his way to go to Edmonton, and he hated it. A man named Chester McNeil asked him to take over a drum group. He gathered two other drummers, and entered a competition as a drum corps called the Portland Scottish Band, as a B class. He has dabbled in side and tenor drum. He worked for another stationary company in Portland, until the Korean War broke out. He was drafted despite only being a permanent resident at the time. He was shipped to Camp Roberts, where it was 130 degrees Fahrenheit in the shade. He wasn’t able to drum while in the Army. He served for 2 years. He wrote to the commanding officer of a brass band in San Francisco in 1964. After the Army, he taught drums for the San Francisco Police Pipe Band. He worked for the police as a civilian employee. He was assigned to take reports and give out tickets in “Black neighbourhoods” – he wore a uniform, though different from an officer. He met his wife Theresa at Santa Rosa, where he was playing with the San Francisco Pipe Band. She played with the Vancouver Ladies’ Pipe Band. Her family was unsure of him at first as he was older. Donald Ramsey was the Pipe Major of the San Francisco Pipe Band. The band had 8 pipes, 3 sides, 2 tenors, and a bass drum. He was the best pipe major in Willie’s opinion – “always a gentleman”. Johnny Patterson was the lead drummer when Willie joined. Willie played with them for 4 years, before moving to Canada with Therese. In Vancouver, he worked at another stationary supply stores, until he got another job through fellow drummer Davie Bruce. He drummed for the Vancouver Ladies for a time. Angus MacPherson asked Willie to take over the ANAVETS (Army/Navy) Pipe Band, based out of Kingsway in Vancouver. They went to the Worlds twice – in 1978 and 1979. They won the ’79 World Drumming Championships in Nottingham. Jimmy Troy was there with the City of Victoria Pipe Band. Willie feels this was one of their best performances, although they usually placed in the top 3. Willie would recommend a new drummer get a good teacher with a good reputation, and then get to know the music. His favourite tunes included “Highland Wedding”, “Donald Cameron”, and “Loyal Highlanders”. He wasn’t allowed to choose the music he played as lead tip. He likes the Knightly drum, as it has a sharp sound. The type of drum a player used never impacted his judgement of them. He feels that Simon Fraser’s Pipe Band is disciplined and only takes on the best players. It attracts great players from all over the world. Growing up, William’s mother was the disciplinarian. She was a good housewife, and what they call a “French polisher”- she would polish tables until they gleamed, with a method from WWI used to shine the wings of planes. She would take odd jobs refinishing tables. None of his family members spoke Gaelic. His feelings of “Scottishness” have always been pronounced, as he never took much from his Irish roots, though he respects them. Politics and religion were not major topics in his family. His father was Catholic and his mother was Protestant, and Willie was raised Protestant. There was a Catholic and a Protestant school in his area, and kids went to one or the other. His favourite relative growing up was his Uncle Willie (his namesake); he lived in Springburn (in Glasgow) and had a toilet inside his apartment, which Willie thought was posh – he asked his mother, “Are they rich?” Coming to America, he travelled by airplane, and landed in New York. He got on the train to Portland, which took about 5 days. A sergeant from the US Army was getting off in Salt Lake, and looked out for him along the way. He arrived in Portland with a big bulky jacket in September, and was dressed too warmly for the season. He never experienced any discrimination in the US or Canada. In Vancouver, Willie worked shipping & receiving for Barber Ellis (stationary), a job he got through Davie Bruce. Willie has judged several drumming competitions in the past. Looking back on his life, he wishes he had more education, but it wasn’t an option due to money. He doesn’t have any opinions on the politics back in Scotland (such as the 2012 referendum for independence). His wife Theresa points out that jazz drumming has been a huge influence in Willie’s life. He grew up in the “big band” era, and would go to dances and watch the drummers. He admired people like Buddy Rich. He studied with a man named Joel Allen in San Francisco. Willie played with a jazz band at the Fairmont Hotel, where they brought in performers like Tony Bennett. He got to know many great drummers, such as Shelly Manne. One of his most memorable experiences was at the Jazz Workshop in San Francisco. He played with greats like David Van Kriedt; there were lots of quality local musicians in the area. Played for Danny Kaye, who was always very nice. Even met stars like Joel McCrea, Jimmy Stewart, Phil Harris and Art Linkletter. Willie didn’t play as much jazz in Vancouver. Andy White, a good friend of Willie’s, was another great jazz drummer. Willie has always tried to make his drumming “swing” the band, whether a pipe band or jazz band. He always enjoyed piano, and wishes he had taken it up. Billy Gladstone was one of the best symphony drummers in his opinion. He describes the difference in sound between drums, like rope drums, snares, etc. Willie was honoured with a salute by the Simon Fraser Drum Corps at the SFU Pipe Band concert at the Vogue Theatre.
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Date: 2012-04-25

Title: Interview of Charles Humphries
Description: Side A damaged/distorted; Side B a lot of fuzzy crackle; rest of audio file missing)
May 18 2004
Charles Walter Humphries (Galt, 20 August 1932).
Charles was a “Depression Baby”. He had a younger sister (b. 1936), although she developed a blood condition and later died in 1985/6. He remembers there being three Presbyterian churches in Galt—Knox,
Show moreSide A damaged/distorted; Side B a lot of fuzzy crackle; rest of audio file missing)
May 18 2004
Charles Walter Humphries (Galt, 20 August 1932).
Charles was a “Depression Baby”. He had a younger sister (b. 1936), although she developed a blood condition and later died in 1985/6. He remembers there being three Presbyterian churches in Galt—Knox, Central, and St. Andrews—that were flooded with Scots. But this merely reinforced the Scottish nature of the town. He also remembers that this Scottish community in Galt instilled in him a deep respect for education. This Scottish ethos of this community stayed this way until the end of the WWII when younger locals migrated out and immigrants from elsewhere, especially Portuguese, came to settle too. He went to Central Elementary. He talks about the Protestant-Catholic divide in the town. For example, there were four public schools (all Protestant) and one Catholic school; Catholics were therefore heavily outnumbered. His grandfather on his mother’s side installed into him a sense of anti-Catholic bias. He talks of his grandfather being annoyed that he had a Catholic friend, Ray Middleton, and looked down on his mingling with Catholic girls. He then went to Galt Legion High School and then went to Mcmaster University in 1950 to study History. After graduating in 1954, he completed his high-school teacher training certificate in Toronto and got a job teaching at Pilsenberg (?) (1955-7). He then went to the University of Toronto in 1957 and studied for a Masters in Politics. This led him to on to a Ph.D program researching Ontario politicians. He married his wife, Vivian Janzen, whom he had met at the College of Education in Toronto in 1954, in August 1956.
His father was Walter Humphries (Poole, England, September 21 1905). He came over to Canada in 1922; he was 17. But Walter has suspicions that his dad was fathered by another man; although he's sure his grandmother, Florence, was the mother.
His mother was Irene Isabel Cuthiell (January 10 1907, Ontario). She was heavily involved in the Church in Galt. He was also secretary for the BOM Victoria Nurses.
His grandmother on his mother’s side was Mary Hay Stewart (Kirkcubright, Scotland, 4 Sept, 1874). She was a domestic servant in Glasgow.
His grandfather on his mother’s side was Charles Cuthiell (Drip Bridge, Stirling, Scotland, October 17 1881). He was a blacksmith. He married in Glasgow just before making trip out to Canada on 10 June, 1905. Two of his brothers came out around the same time: one went to Calgary, one to Edmonton, and Charles went to Galt, Ontario. He worked as a janitor in Central School. He later became a waterworks superintendent. His politics had religious overtones: the Liberal party was seen as being too friendly towards Catholics. He wasn't going to be a Socialist, so he had to vote Conservative – the lesser of two evils.
His grandfather on his father’s side was George Henry Humphries.
Keywords: Galt; religion;
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Date: 2004-05-18

Title: Interview of Hal Senyk
Description: Hal Senyk Nov. 10 2012 Born: Anthony Harold “Hal” Senyk, March 4th 1950 in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Youngest of 3 siblings. Siblings: Older sister was a Highland Dancer, which is how he became involved in bagpiping. His brother was not involved in Scottish dance or music. Sister became involved in dance through their maternal grandmother, and took
Show moreHal Senyk Nov. 10 2012 Born: Anthony Harold “Hal” Senyk, March 4th 1950 in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Youngest of 3 siblings. Siblings: Older sister was a Highland Dancer, which is how he became involved in bagpiping. His brother was not involved in Scottish dance or music. Sister became involved in dance through their maternal grandmother, and took lessons from Liz Merrimen. Hal also took dance lessons starting from age 5. Attended Lord Nelson School for primary years. The family moved to Montreal in the late 1950’s, and continued to be involved in the Scottish dancing & piping community. When Hal was about 10, he became fed up with dancing, and had fallen in love with the bagpipes. He took his first lessons from Adam Annandale, from the City of Montreal Pipe Band (grade 1), for several years. George Grant was the Pipe Major of the band. Hal also had sporadic contact with Alec MacNeill, studying piobaireachd (genre). They lived in Montreal until 1963, when they moved to Victoria. A lot of his mother’s family lived there, which influenced the relocation. He moved to Vancouver in the early 1970’s. Father: George Senyk, born in Winnipeg in 1919. Ukrainian background. Served in the Airforce during the War. Was a gymnast in his younger years, and worked in physical recreation & education. If the War hadn’t interfered, he would have been destined for the Olympic team. Paternal Grandfather: Emigrated from Ukraine in 1903 (left from Galicia), and settled in Winnipeg. He worked with the Canadian Pacific Railway. He was involved with the strike in Winnipeg. Mother: Maiden name Watt. Family roots in Fife. This side of the family encouraged involvement in Scottish dance and piping. Nobody in the family spoke Gaelic. Maternal Grandmother: Maiden name Reekie; immigrated & settled on the west coast of Canada. Maternal Grandfather: Originally from Aberdeen. Hal has had many influential bagpiping instructors at different points in his life: In Victoria, he joined the Canadian Scottish Cadets. Frank “Dink” Knight was the Pipe Major at the time, and was very helpful. He was well-decorated from his time in the Second World War. Ian Duncan also taught Hal for a time. Archie Cairns, Pipe Major of the Airforce, was posted to Victoria for a few years when Hal was in his late teens; he really helped to launch Hal’s career, and left a large impact on his playing. The development of the Couer d’Alene Summer School of Piping and Drumming in Idaho also tied into his development. Col. John MacEwing founded the Couer d’Alene School. He was a well-decorated veteran. He originally started a school in Spokane, Washington, around 1967-68. It took off, as there were few piping schools around at that time. The school shifted to Couer d’Alene to make use of the university campus. John MacLellan ran the school for a time. Seamus MacNeill was brought out, and requested Bob Hardie as an assistant. Bob played for Muirhead, which was very successful at the time. Hal attended his first year at the school along with Jim Troy. Hal was amazed by Bob Hardie’s playing. Bob Hardie took over the school, and it took off from there. The school had a professional piping competition each year, which players travelled across North America for. Hal won a banner in the competition 1971, and got a trip to Scotland as a prize. He had dropped out of the University of Victoria in favour of bagpiping, and linked up with Bob Hardie while in Scotland. Bob offered Hal the chance to play with the Muirhead & Son’s Pipe Band for a year. He worked as a labourer in a lumber mill while in Scotland – Muirhead & Sons was a lumber mill itself. It paid him 14 pounds per week. At the same time, a large number of players had “aged out” of their previous band, and decided to form their own. Their goal was to beat the Vancouver Ladies. Malcolm Nicholson was the leader, and they named it the Triumph Street Pipe Band after the street he lived on. Some notable members included Angus MacPherson, Rob Abel, Willie MacErlean. He was requested to join the band as Pipe Major; he agreed and moved to Vancouver in 1972, living here ever since. Hal competed at a professional level, which was a point of pride for him, as there were not many Canadian pipers in Scotland at the time. He won a prize at age 22 at the Northern Meeting in Inverness. Another significant event was when Bob requested Andrew Wright to join the trip to Couer d’Alene, who remains “a constant thread” in the school to the time of this interview. Hal describes Andrew as a talented, “intelligent” player – he recalls one evening when several of them gathered in a room with a tape recorder, and requested Andrew to play various piobaireachd tunes; they went on for hours, and there wasn’t a song he didn’t know. Andrew was with the Red Hackle Band for a time, as well as many other bands. He has left a huge imprint on bagpiping on the west coast. Jim McMillan was another notable player. He took a lot of instruction from the Blind Piper, Archie MacNeill, and was considered the “real guru” of west coast playing. Hal would go over to Jim’s house frequently to go over tunes and have a glass of scotch. Jim was a “professional learner”, which Hal tried to model himself after. Hal considers G.S. MacLellan & Donald MacLeod to be the greatest composers of the past; he doesn’t have a particular modern favourite at the time of interview. He feels the trend of entertainment-focused pipe bands will continue to expand. He thinks there is no problem with fresh approaches or varied types of music. Hal went to the World Pipe Band Championships 5 or 6 times with the Triumph Street Pipe Band, starting in 1976; he competed twice while a member of Muirheads, which was his first involvement. He feels they were “robbed” in the 1976 competition, as he feels it was one of their best performances. The Triumph Band continued to improve with each trip to the Worlds, and won 5th prize in 1979. Hal stepped down as Pipe Major of Triumph Street for a short time in the 1980’s to finish his University. Triumph Street disbanded for various reasons in the 1990’s. The most memorable performances for him were not necessarily winning ones. He moved on to work with the City of Abbotsford Pipe Band under Pipe Major Ian MacDougall, which also disbanded in 1995. A few years later, he played with Angus MacPherson in the Maple Ridge Pipe Band. He stopped competing in bands or solo competitions in the 1990’s, as his fingers began to slow. Hal’s youngest daughter became a drummer with the White Spot Organization, and so Hal became an instructor with them. He also teaches at the professional level. Hal always considers the tune he is learning at the given moment to be the most interesting. He points out that every judge has a natural bias based on their own preference. He feels a greater danger in a judge is incompetence. Canadian bands were outsiders in early on in the competitions, and so were the Irish bands – Hal feels there is a strong affinity between them because of this. He points out the nature of bands has changed, so that their membership is no longer regionally based. A strong leader will attract players from around the world to a given band. Hal attended his first BC Piper’s Association Annual Gathering at age 14 (around 1945); he was terrified of travelling alone to the big city of Vancouver, coming from Victoria. The events were held at the Seaforth Armoury at the time, with large crowds. There was a different grading system: Novice, Juvenile, Junior Amateur, Senior Amateur. Hal was a Novice at the time, and couldn’t win a prize in his first year. He promoted himself up to Juvenile anyways, and ended up winning the Aggregate. Memorable recitals at the Annual Gathering included Jim Burgess and Donald MacPherson. The Gathering always brought in a high-profile judge from Scotland. Hal has won the Cairn for Piobaireachd in 1975 and 1976. John A. MacLeod was a major competitor at the time, along with Jimmy Troy. Theresa McErlean & Theresa MacKinnis won many prizes. There were very few competitors from other areas of Canada at that time, which has changed. Hal feels that he plays the Piobaireachd with more understanding as he has gotten older. He has always had an interest in researching old tunes. He would go to the library and look over old manuscripts to try to understand the music better. One of the most astonishing performances he ever heard was by “Wee Donald” MacLeod on a BBC broadcast. Competing with a band brings Hal more satisfaction than solo, as you can share the pleasure with other people. Hal worked most of his life taking jobs around his piping schedule, before getting his law degree in the 1980’s. He has been practicing general law ever since. He has opted not to join large, downtown firms. The term “Piobaireachd” has always bothered Hal – it is unclear whether it is a Gaelic or English word originally, and doesn’t appear in the literature until the late 18th century. The term means “Pipe Music”, which Hal finds foolish, as it would just be called “music”; this leads him to believe it is a newer construct, now used to describe the classical genre. Hal doesn’t have any feelings of “Scottishness”. He identifies as Canadian, and enjoys playing the bagpipes. As an observer, he thinks the Scottish Nationalist Party may result in constitutional reform. He thinks there is room in the union for Scottish independence. Looking back on his life, his greatest satisfactions came from performing with the various bands, as well as solo performances, regardless of whether they were prize-winning. He finds satisfaction from teaching young people.
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Date: 2012-11-10

Title: Interview of Chief Ian Campbell
Description: Feb 27 2012 Chief Ian Geordie (middle name from the movie “Wee Geordie”) Campbell (b. 1973 in North Vancouver, BC) of the Squamish Nation is the youngest of two children (older sister). His mother (of the Baker family, from the Englishman John Baker) has three siblings and his father, Wayne, has six. Ian’s surname “Campbell” is from Jimmy Campbell,
Show moreFeb 27 2012 Chief Ian Geordie (middle name from the movie “Wee Geordie”) Campbell (b. 1973 in North Vancouver, BC) of the Squamish Nation is the youngest of two children (older sister). His mother (of the Baker family, from the Englishman John Baker) has three siblings and his father, Wayne, has six. Ian’s surname “Campbell” is from Jimmy Campbell, a Scottish emigrant who married a Katzie woman (Fort Langley area) in the mid 1800s. Jimmy’s daughter, Jenny Campbell, was a member of the Cowichan nation. Ian can trace his lineage seven generations back to Jimmy Campbell. Jimmy’s exact place of birth is unknown, but it is assumed that he emigrated for work purposes (it is also unknown as to whether he was a Gaelic speaker). He later left Jenny’s mother and moved to New York, perhaps for his other “white” wife. His daughter, Jenny, grew up near Pitt Lake; her upbringing is indicative of life before Reserves and the mass depopulation (through smallpox, tuberculosis and influenza epidemics), trauma, grief, decimation of villages, mass burials, decline of traditional economies, alienation from land, and overall marginalization that accompanied the forced resettlement. Different familial branches are very important for ceremonial rights, resources, economies, and ancestral names. While Ian is a member of the Squamish Nation, he can trace his ancestry on the Campbell side back through his Musqueam (Ian’s father is half Musqueam), Cowichan and to his Katzie ancestors; there are 500 to 700 Campbells on this side of the family. There have been three Campbell clan gatherings within Ian’s lifetime; unfortunately, the logistics prove difficult, thus preventing more regular events. The “Campbell” surname has both opened and closed doors for Ian; it either elicits “big hugs or more negative reactions.” Ian shares a Scottish affinity because of the Campbell surname. In 1997, he travelled to Scotland with Ovide Mercredi as the Canadian youth representative for the Assembly of First Nations. Ian also met the late chief John Macleod. Ian is very proud of his lineage and at times he is proud to be Canadian; however, he emphasizes the work that still needs to be done on improving relations between Canada and its First Nations peoples. Although improving, Canada still needs to be held accountable for its continual legislative oppression and paternalism. Ian speaks of oil, gas, and mining as examples of the official Canadian preference for profit over respect and relationships to the land; Ian is involved in issues and protest surrounding the proposed Kinder Morgan pipeline. Ian Campbell is the youngest of sixteen hereditary chiefs. His maternal (Baker) grandfather mentored him; he can speak the Squamish language proficiently and knows a great deal about the history and traditions of the Squamish peoples. In 1923, many different Squamish tribes amalgamated into one nation and, in 1981 an elected council replaced the former hereditary system; Ian is both a hereditary Chief and an elected Councillor. The mentoring system of future Chiefs is similar to the Scottish clan fostering system. As well, the traditions of welcoming ceremonies and canoe songs are similar to the traditional purposes of Scottish piping. Since 1993 there has been a huge resurgence of canoe culture within the Squamish Nation; Ian believes that the continual cultivation of traditions, language, and culture is very important. He is involved in spiritual work and cleansing ceremonies (i.e. 2012 Justice Forum) and enjoys singing and hiking (connecting with the land is very important to Ian). Ian was very involved in the 2010 Winter Olympics as one of the First Nations co-hosts. By negotiating with the Bid Corporation and working together with the Lillooet, Musqueam, and Tseil-Waututh Nations, Ian and the Squamish Nation were able to ensure many benefits for Aboriginal Canadians. In addition to other forms of public outreach, Ian worked on the Opening Ceremonies, organizing 350 Aboriginal youth to perform, and was behind the bilingual signage on the Sea-to-Sky highway. Ian emphasizes the importance of the Olympics as a catalyst for improving Canadian-Aboriginal relations and as a venue to showcase Aboriginal culture; furthermore, Ian stresses the fact that the four nations were co-hosts of the Olympics and not merely in the background. Chief Ian Campbell was also recently named one of “BC’s Best and Brightest Up-and-Comers” (1997/1998). After serving on the Vancouver Community College (VCC) Board of Governors, John Cruickshank, the former president, recommended Ian Campbell for the award. Speaking of the Aboriginal Achievement Awards, Ian Campbell says that it has had a very positive influence on the Native community. He has been on the host committee twice and thinks that it is a mechanism for youth success and for the continuity of Aboriginal traditions and culture. Ian believes that is crucial that Squamish youth connect to their traditional culture, especially as the traditional Squamish language is in decline (currently 12/3700 are fluent speakers). Youth currently comprise sixty percent of the Squamish tribe and there are plans for a language immersion programme. Ian Campbell’s generation was the first out of residential school; he believes in adaptation and not assimilation. When asked about the First Nations Commercial and Industrial Act (2005), Ian says that it is part of breaking free from the Indian Act and “moving away from this dysfunctional relationship.” FNCIDA has been successful for those tribes able to implement it; Ian credits the work of Harold Calla and Chief Robert Louie in this process. As a tool for financial transparency and accountability, the First Nations Statistical Management Act is also crucial to allowing more land autonomy and breaking free from federal, provincial, and municipal paternalism. In order to abolish to Indian Act, Ian believes that jurisdiction needs to change and that the Aboriginal economy needs to be able to operate/increase independent of federal transfer dollars. Ian’s favourite relatives include one of his first cousins and his grandfather, both of whom have been great mentors to him. Ian was married for ten years to an Ojibway woman; their children were brought up Squamish, but maintain strong connections to Ontario and to their mother’s family. When asked about traditional Native beliefs and traditional European religions (i.e. Christianity), Ian says that many older Squamish people are Christian while most of the younger ones are following traditional beliefs. There is great interdenominational reconciliation occurring, especially in relation to the former outlawing of longhouse gatherings, cultural practices, and other forms of physical and legal oppression. Ian states that it is his connection to the land and to the natural world that keeps him going in his role as a Chief, a job in which he encounters constant conflict.
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Date: 2012-02-27

Title: Interview of James Balfour Buchanan
Description: March 8, 2004 James “Jim” Balfour Buchanan (b. March 31, 1921 in Vancouver) is the only child of James Buchanan (b. Feb. 1877 in Shanghai; d. 1944 in Vancouver) and his mother (b. in Kingston, Jamaica), whose maiden name was Balfour. Father: sent to boarding school in Yorkshire, England at age 8. After completing his schooling, he lived in Germany
Show moreMarch 8, 2004 James “Jim” Balfour Buchanan (b. March 31, 1921 in Vancouver) is the only child of James Buchanan (b. Feb. 1877 in Shanghai; d. 1944 in Vancouver) and his mother (b. in Kingston, Jamaica), whose maiden name was Balfour. Father: sent to boarding school in Yorkshire, England at age 8. After completing his schooling, he lived in Germany for one year, learning the language and thus preparing him for later services as an interpreter at the end of the First World War. He was living in California when the War started, and moved to England to enlist. During the War he was in the Canadian Service Corps, assisting with ammunitions, and stationed in France. Worked as an accountant after the War. Paternal grandfather: also James Buchanan (b.1850 in Dunbar, Scotland), went to Beijing, China in 1867 as an apprentice seaman. Afterwards moved to Shanghai, where he worked as a stockbroker, and had a family. He was also an accomplished rower. He lived and worked in Shanghai until around 1900. His brother, John, was a physician in Liverpool. Paternal grandmother: maiden name was Ure. (d.1940). She lived in Berkeley, California until around 1930, and James visited her several times as a child. Members of her family continued to run James’ stockbroking firm in Shanghai up until the early 1940’s, when the Second World War broke out. Paternal great-grandfather: also James Buchanan, was a baker in Dunbar, Scotland. James tries to keep in touch with some Buchanan cousins still in England when he can. Mother: Balfour. Born in Kingston, Jamaica. 1 of 3 daughters (Sister Edith, lived in Toronto, d. 1985; other in California). She travelled to Westray when living in England. Identified herself as Anglican despite coming from a Baptist upbringing. Maternal grandfather: James Balfour. One of 8 children (5 sons, 3 daughters). They were raised on a 70 acre farm in Westray (Most Western of the Orkney Islands). James went to the University of Glasgow, for his Bachelor’s of Divinity (he was a Baptist); 2 of his siblings received law degrees from Glasgow as well. One of these siblings (David Balfour) became registrar general in the Jamaican government, and children stayed in Jamaica for 2 generations. 2 other siblings settled in Manitoba; a granddaughter from this line lives in Vancouver & contacted James. James moved to Kingston, Jamaica to work as the assistant principal of the local bishop’s college. Passed in 1912; buried in Highgate Cemetery in England. Maternal grandmother: Maiden name: Ada East. Born in Jamaica to an English couple with the surname East, who had settled in the area & established a Boy’s School in 1860. Married James Balfour. They moved together with their children to South Carolina, USA, where James worked in a Baptist college. They lived in England in the early 1900’s, and after her husband died, Ada moved with her 3 daughters to Lloydminster, Saskatchewan, Canada in 1904. She often lived with James’ family while he was growing up, and he was very close with her. Ada passed away in Vancouver in 1936. Maternal great-grandfather: David East; died 1901 in England. James has travelled to Scotland twice; once in 1951, when he discovered the Buchanan Castle existed, and another in 1999. He has always been interested in his Scottish heritage. He bought a Buchanan tartan while in Edinburgh. James struggled with health problems (asthma) growing up in West Pt. Grey, Vancouver, and was in & out of school for a time. He discusses evolution of real estate in his old neighbourhood; his mother sold their house in the 1940’s for $8500; the same house was last purchased for $850,000 in early 2000’s, before being demolished. James attended University Hills School; attended University of British Columbia. He was not involved in the Second World War due to his health problems. He stayed on at UBC as an assistant, and got his Master’s degree in Chemistry. He went to Cornell University in 1946 for his Ph.D., and stayed on there until 1952. He got a job in his department at DuPont in Wilmington, Delaware, and worked there for 30 years. He came out to Vancouver in 1983 “just to look around”, as his mother still lived here. He bought a place near False Creek with the intention of renting, and ended up moving in himself in 1985. He lived there until 6 months prior to this interview. He never married or had children in his life. James has done a lot of travelling in his life, well into retirement, including trips to Europe, Asia, Central America & Africa. James started work with DuPont Pharmaceuticals May 15, 1952. The largest project he was involved in was the development of an antibiotic. His focus later shifted to the agricultural side of the company, which developed pesticides, insecticides, and herbicides. He does not think the development of these chemicals was associated with the chemical research gas from World War Two. He discusses the issues with DDT. Most of the products James was involved with were insecticides which are still used. In 1971, a plague of moths overwhelmed agriculture in Alberta & Saskatchewan. His product, “Lannate”, was used to successfully treat the infestation. The canola crop was particularly at risk. “Every crop duster in Western Canada was spraying it”. In his later years, James was involved in the favourite Scottish pastime of golf, before moving onto a hobby of sailing. He has read books on Scottish history, particularly on Fife and the Balfour family. He visited Edinburgh and went to many bookstores. He has also read on the name Buchanan – in Gaelic, it means “House of the Canon”. The family’s slogans are in Latin. Never had haggis. Owns a few bagpipe records, was interested in piping – saw one Tattoo in the 1940s. He had many other Scottish neighbours when growing up in Pt. Grey. He remembers there were more MacDonalds than Smiths in the phonebook. His father played cricket in the neighbourhood.
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Date: 2004-03-08

Title: Interview of James Russell : Interview
Description: 11 May 2004
Professor Jim (James) Russel (Glasgow, Scotland, 11 September, 1935).
James went to Fulwell primary school in Roker, Sunderland, England, during the war. They were in England due to his father’s job as a civil servant working for the Ministry of Labour. He talks of having a duel tongue: Geordie and Scots. On coming back to Scotland, he
Show more11 May 2004
Professor Jim (James) Russel (Glasgow, Scotland, 11 September, 1935).
James went to Fulwell primary school in Roker, Sunderland, England, during the war. They were in England due to his father’s job as a civil servant working for the Ministry of Labour. He talks of having a duel tongue: Geordie and Scots. On coming back to Scotland, he went to the Royal Edinburgh High School and gained an interest in Classics. Although he says his whole family have been and continue to be Conservative in their political views, he considers himself to be “strongly Scottish” and talks of being influenced by a Scottish Nationalist teacher at High School, who taught Scottish history and literature (neither of which were on the syllabus at Scottish schools at the time). James therefore developed a sense of “cultural nationalism.” He left High School and went straight to Edinburgh University, where he took an Honours degree in Classics, which included Classical history and archaeology as well as Moral Philosophy. He talks about having a keen interest in “ruins and remains” from an early age. His great uncle, James Russel (b. 1820/30 d. 1890), a dyed-in-the-wool Liberal and one of the “self-improving member[s] [...] of the yeoman class of Scotland in the 19th century”, had been one of the first excavators of the Antonine Wall in Scotland. He also talks about student life at Edinburgh University, such as the reaction over the Suez Canal fiasco in 1956; this would prefigure the student demonstrations he encountered while a professor at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada. After leaving Edinburgh University, he taught Classics for a year at Trinity Academy in Edinburgh.
He lived in Scotland until her was 24. He met his wife at Windsor Place, Church of Scotland, and married her on 19 August 1959, just before coming to Canada to teach and study for his Ph.D in Classics at Winnipeg. He then got a fellowship to study in Chicago for a year. He completed his Ph.D in 1965. He was invited to join the University of British Columbia as assistant professor and arrived in Vancouver on 19 August 1966. He got tenure in 1971. He talks about his experience of teaching during the “free thinking” movement that arrived at the end of the 1960s. Supposedly Deconstructionism was a nightmare for history teachers as students would start to question the veracity of dates, historical documents, catalogues, etc. He also talks about witnessing the students demonstrations against the Vietnam war, Government (in genereal), and even the structures of the University.
His time at UBC was mainly spent excavating and compiling samples and information for publication of a 3rd century Roman city at Anemurium, Turkey, from 1970-1985. He retired in 1998. He was also elected President of the Vancouver branch of the Archaeological Institute of America – a post he held for 2 years. He is a member of the Fellows of Antiquities of Scotland.,br> Upon retiring he took up a position of lecturer of Classics at the Intercollegiate Center for Classical Studies in Rome for a year.
When asked about whether or not he feels a “sense of belonging” towards Scotland, he says that he does; but when he is in Scotland, he feels that both he and the place are “different”; he has a whole other dimension to his perception from living in Canada. He does say that he “keeps up an interest” in Scottish politics through the UK papers and still has an interest in Scottish history.
His father, William Russel (b. 17 December 1909, Longcroft, Stirlingshire), was a civil servant. He worked in both England and Scotland. He was heavily involved with the crofters in the Scottish Highlands. He was first destined to become a Minister. He was also very proficient in languages, especially Latin. He was also commissioned into the Army, destined to serve in India, although he somehow managed to escape this duty. He was the son of James Russel (b.1870), a foundry worker from Kilsythe – a short, wiry man; shrewd, athletic, friendly, quiet, and neat and tidy. His wife, the interviewer’s grandmother, Margaret Penman, was fairly unknown to James, although he does say that she might have suffered from Alzheimer’s disease. For example, she “behaved like a child” and “talked to the chickens”. In short, she “wasn’t normal”.
His mother was called Elizabeth Russel. Her father, James’ grandfather, was a grocer in Borland. He blended and sold his own whiskey and advertised it at the local cinema. He also bought and sold horses from Glasgow.
He has one brother. He was born in Newcastle. He went to the same High School as his brother in Edinburgh. Like his father, he became a civil servant and retired as second in command of British Customs. He lives in North Berwick, Scotland.

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Date: 2004-05-11, 2004-08-31, 2004-12-08

Title: Interview of Strachan Birnie : Interview
Description: 30 Novemember 2004 (recording is corrupt and inaudible in parts)
John MacGowan Key Strachan Burnie (Glasgow, 12 March 1937) (being the boy, he was given all the family names – a tradition in his father’s house). He has two sisters, Lindsey and *inaudible*.
He went to Allan Glen’s School in Glasgow (Dirk Bogarde and Charles Rennie Mackintosh are ex
Show more30 Novemember 2004 (recording is corrupt and inaudible in parts)
John MacGowan Key Strachan Burnie (Glasgow, 12 March 1937) (being the boy, he was given all the family names – a tradition in his father’s house). He has two sisters, Lindsey and *inaudible*.
He went to Allan Glen’s School in Glasgow (Dirk Bogarde and Charles Rennie Mackintosh are ex-pupils). He left school when he was 16 and joined the Inland Revenue before having to complete his National Service at 18; he joined the Scots Guards. His army experience included going to Dusseldorf for a year and he remembers the city still being devastated by the war. He eventually became a corporal. After this he was posted back at Chelsea Barracks and was involved in such ceremonial activities as Trooping the Colour; he talks about how “emotional” he was to be marching behind the bagpipes on such an occasion. He was also posted as a guard at the Tower of London, although he was “relieved” from his position for “not awakening the bugler” on one occasion. He also did guard duty at Buckingham Palace. After this he went back to Glasgow and joined the continental department of Thomas Cook Travel Agents; his job involved travelling to the different destinations the company was advertising and arranging travel for customers. He did this for around 6 years before becoming a sales representative for office equipment. By this time he had met Elizabeth Anderson; they later married in 1963 in Glasgow. From here he joined the Bank of Scotland as a teller and worked his way up to head-teller. By this time he and Elizabeth had two boys. He also became the first Conservative counsellor in Kirkirnpilloch and served for a number of years. He was then hired by the Bank of Montreal in Scotland and then was then offered a position in Vancouver. He remembers his father being disappointed that he was leaving Scotland, but when he came out to visit in later years, he soon changed his mind. He therefore flew to Toronto and took the train to Vancouver. He remembers marvelling at the space of Canada as he travelled through it by train. He remembers the colours being “so different from Scotland”. He said coming into British Columbia felt “more Scottish” due to the mountainous landscape; the prairies were so flat and would stay that way for hours of travelling. He arrived in Vancouver in October 1972. When he was shown his work, he was taken aback at the number of women working there. In Scotland, he says, the only women working in the bank were making the tea.... He was one of the only men working in the bank and was also put in charge of handling the bank’s gun when taking money to other branches. He eventually became a manager of a branch in North Vancouver before retiring at 60. In retirement he went on a cooking course and learned how to play bridge.... He also started to appreciate the art of Charles Rennie Mackintosh when he came to Canada; he remembers the Charles Rennie Mackintosh Revival being in full swing when he visited Scotland. He says he had read up on Canada before coming out, so a lot of it wasn’t all that new or surprising. But he was taken aback at the size of the country. He also remembers the people he met being extremely friendly. He also came in contact with other Scots and was soon invited to give the Immortal Memory speech at a Burns night held be a Presbyterian minister just a few months after arriving. He also gave the same speech at the Chinatown Lions Club where they ate haggis with chopsticks. He also says his sense of identity flourished while in Canada. He started wearing his kilt, which had remained in a cupboard while in Scotland. He also took part in many Scottish events, such as Burns Suppers. He also says he became more aware of his “roots” and heritage while in Canada and he wanted his sons, Colin and Guy, to be aware of their background, although he also thinks that his and his son’s lives have “expanded” and their perspectives “broadened” by being in Canada. He also became more interested in Scottish literature, and this blossomed though his friendship with Alma Lee, a fellow Scottish immigrant who founded the Vancouver International Writers Festival. In fact, he introduced him to a new world of Scottish literature, and he even had authors such as Andrew Grieg, an Orkney writer, over for dinner.
James’ father was George Burnie (Glasgow, 7 October, 1905). He was part of the Glasgow police force. He used to be involved in crowd-control at Celtic Park when Celtic played their local rivals, Rangers. John remembers going to Old Firm games and sitting among “the cloth” (Catholic priests) and being so surprised at the division of the fans’ seating – one half was all Celtic, the other half all Rangers. Like “oil and water”, they weren't allowed to mix. George and his wife met on one of the islands of Loch Lomond, Inchkallia. They were later married in Glasgow. His father was a piper. He learnt the pipes at the Boys Brigade, Glasgow. He was a great reader of Burns; he could recite the whole of “Tam o' Shanter”. Meanwhile, John didn't really get into Burns until he came to Canada. James’ grandfather was John Strachan (Elgin, 1879) and was born near the Kirk of Burnie, which is the oldest church is Scotland (1140?). He came to Glasgow and joined the police force. His grandmother was Margaret McGowan and probably came from the borders. James’ great-grandfather, his father’s grandfather, was called George and he was also involved in the police force in Morayshire; his wife was called Mary Hunter.
There were no Gaelic speakers in his family. His father claimed he had traced the family name back to a small town near Bergan, Norway. He therefore believed that “Burnie” comes from the Vikings who came and settled around the Moray Firth area.
He remembers politics and religion being quite prominent in his family. The area where he lived in Scotland was a Protestant and he went to the Presbyterian church. He remembers the Orange Marches and segregated schools. He say he didn't “meet a Catholic” until he entered the army.
His wife Elizabeth’s father was Professor Tom Anderson of Glasgow University (CBE) – a very imposing man. John remembers him being very difficult to get to know in Scotland, but in Canada he was a lot more accommodating and John got to know him a lot better over a glass (or two) of whiskey. He used to go and spend time with him on the Isle of Arran, where Tom had retired, and they used to tour the island.
James’ mother’s last name was Key (January 25 1908). She came from an English family, although she was born in Glasgow. He remembers his aunts being “very English”; his mother was only one who made the transition into Scottish manners. He talks of there being a few “family secrets” on his mother's side. For example, one of his uncles was “excommunicated” from the family for abandoning his wife and child and marrying a younger woman. Then his aunty Eilsa got involved with a greenkeeper from Paisley. They had a child, David. She was therefore sent back down to England and the father was never mentioned. David was later arrested in Turkey for smuggling drugs from Greece and imprisoned for 19 years. He then tried to trick remaining aunts and uncles out of their property by getting them to sign deeds over to him; ironically, his actions brought all the cousins together to try to stop him and bring him to justice. His mother’s father, John Key, married a lady called Wade, who quite possibly was related to General Wade. He had a business in the south of England and Scotland.
Keywords: Glasgow; Scottish societies; religion
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Date: 2004-11-30, 2005-01-18

Title: Interview of Mary Morrison
Description: 2005
Mary Morison (South Vancouver, April 10, 1921).
Mary married Allister James Morison from Aberdeen, Scotland, in 1959/60, although he died not long after they were married. He moved to Canada in 1910; his father was a shoemaker on Commercial Drive and he worked for various drug companies. They met each other at the Loch Nagar Clansmen Social
Show more2005
Mary Morison (South Vancouver, April 10, 1921).
Mary married Allister James Morison from Aberdeen, Scotland, in 1959/60, although he died not long after they were married. He moved to Canada in 1910; his father was a shoemaker on Commercial Drive and he worked for various drug companies. They met each other at the Loch Nagar Clansmen Social Group, Sons of Scotland, of which she was a camp Chief for one year. She used to teach Gaelic songs at this camp. Mary worked at Eatons for 15 years. They had had two sons: Murray Allister and Ian James. They don’t really keep in touch with their Scottish roots, although they do still sing snatches of Gaelic songs, which they used to perform at the concerts their mother organized. Mary’s interest in Gaelic songs came about in the 1930s when her parents tried to organize a Gaelic choir. She went to General Woolf’s School in Vancouver. She remembers having to sing “Maple Leaf Forever” during the raising of the flag every time they went into school. She then went to Queen Alexander’s School for 4 years before going to Grandview Commerce. At this stage her mum was working for Elmer Cannery. Mary went to work too on the bean belt; she remembers a lot of Scots and Italians working well together. She left school at 18 years old.
Mary’s been to Scotland twice: once in 1979 (she wasn’t impressed; she had heard about all the costumes and festivities, etc, but she didn’t get a “warm feeling” from the people and the legendary Highland hospitality turned out a myth) and again to the Black Isle in 1997.
Her father was Alexander Murray (North Dell, Lewis). He died when she was very young. He spoke Gaelic and wrote songs and poetry. He went out to South Africa to work as a stone mason before coming to Vancouver.
Her mother was Joanna Campbell (Valtus, Uig, Isle of Lewis, 1890). Both she and her eldest daughter, Catherine, went out to work at Kerrisdale, then at Tulloch’s Cannery. She then went to work for Canadian Fish until she was 65 years old.
Her grandfather on her mother’s side was Alexander Grant Campbell (Dunvegan/Harris?) He lied to get into the army at the age of 14. He joined up with the Cameron Highlanders and Seaforth Highlanders. He was stationed in Manchester. He was gassed in WWI and had a terrible cough afterwards. He worked on the BC street cars in Vancouver. He had one brother in Glasgow – John Campbell. He was a Gaelic speaker.
Her grandmother on her mother’s side was Catherine Smoth (Uig). She came from a family of five. She loved Gaelic songs. She couldn’t speak English when she first came over to Canada.
Keywords: Scottish societies; Gaelic; Aberdeen; Lewis
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Date: 2005-03-15

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