British Columbia Regiment Band
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The British Columbia Regiment Band is one of many Canadian military bands in the Canadian province of British Columbia, serving as the official that serves as the official regimental band of The British Columbia Regiment (Duke of Connaught's Own), based out of Beatty Street Drill Hall in Vancouver. It is a voluntary band, which means that its band members are not composed of full-time professional musicians.[1] The band currently provides musical support for the community in the Greater Vancouver metropolitan area.[2]
The band often takes part in the following events:[3]
- Kerrisdale Parade
- North Thompson Fall Fair and Rodeo
- Remembrance Day
- Performances for the Royal Family
- Presentation of Colours
- Remembrance Day
- Sun Run
- Apeldoorn Veterans Parade
- Government House (Victoria) Open House
The first authorized regimental band was formed on 9 November 1883, one month after the establishment of the regiment. The band evolved into a drum and bugle corps in 1900 after the regiment's designation as a rifle regiment from artillery. During, the First World War, members of the unit were deployed to Europe while the drums sat with the colours in the Regimental Museum. In the immediate decade after the Second World War, the band became very well known and won many band competitions. With the 1968 Unification of the Canadian Armed Forces by the Department of National Defence under the auspices of minister Léo Cadieux and the Government of Pierre Trudeau, the band was disbanded and its members were absorbed into the regiment. 20 years later in 1987, Major Jim Barrett, a former band officer, began efforts to revive the band with permission from the committee of retired colonels which he obtained that year. Warrant Officer Claire Archer became the band's first Director of Music, Over the following ten years under Ron's leadership the Band grew to 40-50 members, eventually having the means to write a constitution in 2003.[4][5]