CABINET Secretary for Culture and External Affairs Fiona Hyslop has welcomed the reversal of Vancouver’s bagpipe ban.
Buskers had been barred from playing bagpipes, bongos and other percussion instruments on the city’s streets as a result of new noise regulations.
The ban has now been lifted by Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson, who proudly claims Scottish descent.
The pipes had been banned by the city Photo: Macieklew
Ms Hyslop, who is in Vancouver for Scotland Week 2012, said: “Having personally spoken to Mayor Robertson, I can confirm that Vancouver’s ban on bagpipes has now been lifted. I welcome the fact that common sense has prevailed, the Mayor has acted decisively and that bagpipes will once again be heard on the streets of Vancouver.
“Mayor Robertson and I both recognise that bagpipes are part of the cultural heritage shared by Scotland and Vancouver. With more than five million Canadians claiming Scottish roots – many of them here in British Columbia – and Simon Fraser University home to one of the world’s leading pipe bands, I am delighted that people in Vancouver can continue to hear bagpipes played in public places.”
