Looking for bagpipes, Scottish dancing, whisky tasting, Quidditch games, haggis hunting and much more, all in one place? That would be at the BC Highland Games and Scottish Festival to be held at Percy Perry Stadium in Coquitlam on June 17, 2017.
“I like to call it a moveable feast of activities,” laughs Mike Chisholm, Chair of the BC Highland Games. “There’ll be something for everyone.”
The Scot’s were one of Canada’s first immigrant groups, exploring the country and producing many of our early politicians such as Sir. John A. MacDonald, Canada’s first prime minister. As a community that enjoys celebrating its culture, it was only natural that it would bring its Highland Games to Canada.
“The original Games grew out of the Scottish Highland chieftains calling the clans together to find the best runner, the strongest man, the best musician or dancer and so on,” Mike explains. “In the 19th century Baron Pierre de Coubertin visited the highlands of Scotand, witnessed a demonstration of the Highland Games and was so impressed he took it as the basis of an idea for the modern Olympic Games.”
On June 17, the programme starts on the Friday evening with a grand Piobaireachd (pronounced “pea-brock”) piping competition featuring the classical music of the pipes from some of the best professional pipers in the Pacific northwest.
“On Saturday,” Mike says, “rain or shine, we’ll have the competitive games, including the Scottish heavy athletic events, such as the caber toss and the shot putt. There’ll also be lots of British food, like haggis and bacon butties, British cars, kids activities, cultural talks, and our ever popular Whisky School.”
This year, getting to the Games has never been easier. Hop on the new Evergreen SkyTrain Line and stay on. That’s right, stay on until the end of the line (Lafarge Lake-Douglas Station). The Percy Perry Stadium is a scenic seven-minute walk from there.
For more information on the BC Highland Games, call 604.263.9911 or visit the website www.bchighlandgames.com. Tickets are available online. The Highland Games can also be found on Facebook and Twitter.
