Let the 2025-2026 Season Commence!

After a busy and exciting summer season, we’re thrilled to see everyone back for the PPBSO - Ottawa Branch 2025-2026 Knockout season!

As the new season kicks off, we’re looking forward to reconnecting, sharing fresh ideas, and continuing to grow together. We’ve got some exciting updates and events planned, and we can’t wait to experience them with you.

Here’s to a great season ahead — full of energy, collaboration, and new beginnings. Welcome back!

The evening started with Snare Drumming then Piping with an intermission where we hosted our 2025-2026 AGM.

Ottawa Branch Annual Report: A Year of Growth, Music, and Momentum

Since our last Annual General Meeting in November 2024, the Ottawa Branch has enjoyed another vibrant and successful year. From record-breaking events to exciting plans for the future, here’s a look back—and ahead—at what’s been happening in our community.

🎶 Membership Milestone

We’re proud to share that the Ottawa Branch now has the highest membership, with 382 members strong! This growth reflects the energy, dedication, and passion of our piping and drumming community.

🏆 Knockouts Series

This past season saw five successful Knockout events, held on October 19th, November 30th, January 11th, and March 1st, with the grand finale on April 5th, coinciding with our Annual Amateur Piobaireachd Contest. Congratulations to Jean-Sébastien Gamache, who captured the top spot this year!

🎵 Ottawa Indoor Contest

Our Ottawa Indoor Contest in Kemptville on May 10th was a tremendous success, bringing together outstanding talent from across the National Capital Region.

• 17 band entries representing 12 bands

• A record-breaking 130 pipers, 21 snare drummers, and 7 mid-section players participated!

The atmosphere was electric—thank you to everyone who helped make it such a memorable day.

🥇 The Glengarry Cup

The 2025 Glengarry Cup, held on September 27th at the Junior Ranks Mess in downtown Ottawa, showcased top-tier solo performances. Eleven pipers competed, with Colin MacLellan emerging as this year’s champion.

Looking Ahead: 2026 and Beyond

As we move into the next year, the Ottawa Branch is focused on strengthening our foundation and expanding opportunities for our members.

Our Priorities

• Financial Recovery: We’re prioritizing efforts to recoup financial losses to allow greater investment in education and branch-wide initiatives.

• Boosting Participation: We aim to grow engagement in the Knockouts Series, especially within the drumming and midsection categories.

• Band Support: The launch of the PPBSO Ottawa Branch Band Advisory Board will help us identify and address the key needs of our local bands.

  
  

Save the Dates!

• 2026 Ottawa Indoor Contest: April 25th at St. Michael’s Catholic High School, Kemptville

• The Glengarry Cup: September 26th, 2026

  
  

At this years AGM we had alot Iof really great conversation and our members had a some really great ideas that we are definitely going to discuss at the branch level this year. Overall this year has been a year of achievement and momentum—thank you to all our members, volunteers, and supporters who make the Ottawa Branch such a thriving and inspiring community. Here’s to another great year ahead!

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Knockout Results

Snare 40+

1. Jason Grew

Snare C

1. Walter Chaytor

2. Calum Porter

3. Shawn Tobin

Snare A

1. Walter Gammeter

Piping C

1. Barbara Bolte

2. Kelly Keiran

3. Marcus Langille

4. Amilea Grant

5. Callum Wilson

6. Theodore Yakimchuk

Piping A

1. Nathan Plante

2. Matthew Parsons

3. Erin Bell

4. Benjamin Doucet

5. Noah Grew

6. Steve Brooke