The Pipes and Drums of The Edmonton Police Service

Welcome!

The Pipes and Drums of the Edmonton Police Service are proud representatives of the City of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. They have a storied past dating back to 1914.  The band provides music and goodwill to the citizens of Edmonton, surrounding communities and beyond. The band has traveled extensively throughout Western Canada and the United States. In October 2010 the traveled to Ireland. The photo below was taken at the 2011 Alberta Police and Peace Officer Memorial with Chief Rod Knecht, Deputy Chief's Darryl da Costa, David Korol and Neil Dubord and Corps Sgt. Major Adrian Marr. Click on photo to see a full sized version.

On November 11, 2012, the Pipes and Drums of the Edmonton Police Service will be celebrating their 50th anniversary in their present format. The band has traced its roots back to 1914 when pipers and drummers from the Edmonton area, some of whom were serving police officers, played for the newly formed Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry Regiment. They followed the regiment to France during the Great War and acted as stretcher bearer's on the field of battle. The group disbanded after the war and it was not until 1959 when several Irish, Scottish and British expatriate members of the Edmonton Police Service formed the Pipe Band. After two years of practice the members were outfitted in the Prince Charles Edwards Stewart tartan and first performed publicly on Armistice Day (Remembrance Day) 1962. To commemorate the anniversary several ideas are being discussed including a banquet, the production of a ceremonial sword and a recognition ceremony at Edmonton City Hall.  Watch this space for more information.

What's New on our Website?

See photos from the band's 2010 trip to Ireland and some of the history behind it. Check out some photos from the Provincial Police and Peace Officers’ Memorial Day 2010. Ever wonder why some band members wear animal skins? Read about the tradition. View a slide show of the band playing at the 2008 Remembrance Day Ceremonies in Edmonton with some behind the scenes photos as they tune up and prepare to play. 

Our Members

The EPS Pipes and Drums have thirty members currently in the band. Only active and retired police officers are afforded the privilege to be a member of this band. They are all serving or retired police officers with the Edmonton Police Service, plus one member of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and one member of the Canadian Armed Forces. The majority of members have learned their musical skills within the ranks of the Edmonton Police Service. Learn more about the band.

Upcoming Public Performances

November 28 to December 2, 2011 - Ten Christmas Concerts at Extended Care & Nursing Homes in Edmonton, Alberta

Band Video 

Click here to see a video clip of the band at the 2005 Edmonton Klondike Days Parade. (Webmaster note: If video is jerky, hit play for a second time and it should be smoother.)

Contact Information

To contact the EPS Pipes and Drums in writing, please forward a letter to the Chief of Police, at the address below. Requests for performances should be sent at least three months prior to the performance. Telephone requests can be made to 780-421-3529 where you can leave a voice mail and a band member will return your call.

Postal address

Edmonton Police Service

9620 103 A Avenue, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada T5H 0H7

 

Electronic mail

General Information: terry.rocchio@edmontonpolice.ca

Webmaster: blakemac@telus.net
 

This is not an official website of the Edmonton Police Service.

The official Edmonton Police Service site can be found by clicking on the crest on the top right of each page.

 

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We Need Your Help!

We are always looking for photos and information about the band. If you have any photos of the band taken over the years and are willing to share them for use in our archives and possibly on this website, please send an email to the webmaster listed above. If you have a photo in electronic format, please send it by email. For any printed photos or negatives, we will make arrangements to pick them up and make sure they are returned to you.

Please let our webmaster know if you notice any errors or omissions in any of the text or photos on this web site. Thanks and we hope you enjoy our web site!

EPS Pipes & Drums Webmaster

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