
Frank
first began taking bagpipe lessons in 1963, at the age of 8, in
Prince George, B.C. He progressed to the point of just starting
to play on the pipes when he gave them up. In 1968 his family
moved to the Lower Mainland area, eventually settling in Port
Coquitlam, B.C.
In 1970,
Frank again took up the bagpipes and under the tutelage of Pipe
Major Archie McAffer he started to play with the Haney Legion
Pipe Band. He played and competed with this Pipe Band until 1975
when he
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joined
the R.C.M.P. and went off to Regina for training. His first posting
after finishing training was to Sicamous, B.C., and in 1976 he joined
the Shushwap Pipes and Drums in nearby Salmon Arm, playing with this
group only a short time.
In the spring of 1978,
Frank’s R.C.M.P. career took him back to Prince George. He
joined the Prince George Legion Pipe Band and in the years that
followed, received tutoring from Pipe Majors Alan Walters, Mark
Christie and Peter Peebles. During the many years of playing with
the Prince George Pipe Band, he competed at various venues in B.C.
and Alberta. In 1984 he traveled with the Prince George Pipe Band
to Honolulu, Hawaii and competed in the Highland Games they were
hosting.
The highlight of Frank’s
piping career was in 2004 when the Prince George Pipe Band
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traveled
to Scotland, where they competed at the Inverkeithing Games, the
Bridge of Allan Games and the World Championships in Glasgow. Competing
at the Grade 3 level they surprised many, including themselves,
with a 4th place finish at Bridge of Allan and a 5th place finish
at the Worlds.
In August 2006, Frank
and his wife Donna, were transferred to Langley and presently live
in Chilliwack, B.C. Frank joined the “E” Division Pipe
Band in November of that year, and has found the new music both
challenging and enjoyable. He has 32 years of service with the R.C.M.P.
and intends to make this his last posting. Frank and Donna have
found new friends and enjoy socializing with this new group, now,
and in the years that follow.
To send an email to Frank,
click
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