Shamrocks, four leaf clovers and bagpipes: St. Patrick’s Day in Vancouver

The plaid is a sure sign of spring in British Columbia. Starting this weekend, the French Canadian community in the Lower Mainland is the first to host a festival that has been going strong for 40 years.  The Festival du Bois takes place the March  5 weekend in Coquitlam, and is the kick-off event of …

Bagpiping in Vancouver, BC in the rain, mist and gloom

Will this gloom ever end? The clouds and rain moved into the Lower Mainland of B.C. in early April. It’s now mid-June and it was 11 degrees today. I could see my breath when I went outside. Mo chreach! (that’s Gaelic, for ‘my goodness’).  I’ve been trying to get outside for a few tunes, but …

Weddings & graduations for a Vancouver, Lower Mainland bagpiper

As I’ve mentioned in an earlier blog post, it’s wedding and graduation season in British Columbia, and for a Vancouver bagpiper, that can mean some busy weeknights and weekend evenings.  Throw in the highland games competitions that take place most weekends around the region, and you can understand why spring is the busiest of times …