Local regiment band named best at CNE
For Kelly McGrath, winning two first-place awards for the Lincoln and Welland Regiment Association Band during the 100th Warrior’s Day Parade at the Canadian National Exhibition was a highlight of his band presidency.
The competition was held Aug. 20 during the CNE and comprised about 85 contingents with approximately 1,500 people.
“We always attend every year and take some good trophies away from the event,” said McGrath.
The two trophies were the Elwood Hughes Trophy (best brass, bugle or trumpet band) and The Frank Jamieson Memorial Trophy (parade champions), which meant they were the number one it was the No. 1 contingent overall, McGrath said.
He said it was a surprise — band members attended the Warrior’s Day Parade Council Award Banquet on Oct. 15, where they were named the winners and accepted trophies.
“I was ecstatic. This is my first term as president, so it really made me look good and feel good,” said McGrath.
“It was just a great feeling, especially being the hundredth anniversary. We’ve come in second and third place in the past, but I can’t recall in recent history where we ever took a first place, and especially taking first in two categories, was just an unbelievable thing for us.”
He said despite what the name implies, the band is all volunteer and is not a military marching band.
“The Lincoln and Welland Regiment used to have a fulltime, on-strength band, which was released from the military in 1998,” he said.
McGrath said it was due to budgetary cutbacks that most military bands went from full time to volunteer status.
McGrath said to beat out a full-on strength band from Toronto was a great accomplishment and shows the dedication of the volunteers.
He said despite the downtime from during the COVID-19 pandemic, the band was able to rent alternative space once restrictions started to lift.
“We were able to continue practising earlier than expected, because with COVID we weren’t allowed back in the military facilities because 90 per cent of our personnel are volunteer,” he said.
“That gave us a bit of a head start, and with dedicated members coming in even during that time to keep our practice up, I think that contributed to it.”