'Wanted to show our sadness': Manitoba group pays tribute to Queen with bagpipe ceremony

With Queen Elizabeth II’s state funeral taking place on Monday, one Manitoba group paid tribute to the monarch with a special ceremony at Assiniboine Park’s English Gardens.

On Sunday, the St. Andrew’s Society of Winnipeg paid their respects to the Queen as a lone bagpiper played a series of laments followed by a moment of silence.

“We just wanted to show our sadness of the passing of the Queen, and we thought, what better place to do it than here in front of the statue of Queen Victoria,” said Dwight MacAulay with the St. Andrew’s Society of Winnipeg.

MacAuley noted that it is a well-known fact that Queen Elizabeth II was fond of Scotland, and the society thought it would be fitting to have a bagpiper play a lament in her honour.

“The St. Andrew’s Society, like people in general just all over Canada, we’re very sad at the loss of Queen Elizabeth and this is just our small way of showing the people of Winnipeg that we share the grief like everybody else,” he said.

Colin Tighe from the Lord Selkirk Robert Fraser Memorial Pipe Band played the bagpipes at Sunday’s ceremony.

“The loss of Her Majesty is being felt so deeply by so many and we are proud to perform this small ceremony, open to all to attend, and celebrate and honour this amazing lady we are so proud to have called our Queen,” said society president Evelyn Mitchell in a news release.