BY AJ WILSON
It’s been 150 years since Halton Region’s Reserve Unit, The Lorne Scots, was formed on Sept. 14 1866. In celebration, all of the unit’s members, including cadets, drilled for weeks in preparation for the parades held last weekend. Visiting from England to attend the parade was the Lorne Scots’ Colonel-in-Chief, Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, who is also the first cousin of Queen Elizabeth.
“It sounds really easy to a civilian to do the marches,” said Private Graham Wigley of the Lorne Scots, “but it gets complicated when some people take bigger or smaller steps than others.”
The parade saw Sergeant Kwaku Wiafe of the Lorne Scots receive the Canadian Forces Decoration medal. Sergeant Wiafe had been one of Wigley’s Commanding Officers during his basic military qualification course earlier this year.
“It’s so nice to see all of them doing the marches,” said one mother whose son was in the parade, “and the band members’ display of focus to keep playing while marching in different formations is amazing.”
After the parade on Saturday a gala was held at the Pearson Convention Centre in Brampton, which was attended by Lorne Scots members, their families, and the Duke of Kent. The gala featured dinner and musical performances both by Lorne Scots and Musical Theatre students from Sheridan College.
The Sheridan students were the graduating class from the Performance Studies program and their performances included singing traditional to the history of the Lorne Scots.To top off the celebration, a monument to the Lorne Scots was unveiled in George’s Square. Oakville Mayor Rob Burton was also present at the unveiling.
