History Series: To help mark what would today, under normal circumstances, be the Canadian Police & Peace Officers Memorial on Parliament Hill, we are pleased to share this next article in our history series featuring Pipe Major Jamie Ritchie, who currently leads one of the Break and Enter Squads for the Ottawa Police Service (OPS), and has been Pipe Major of their Pipe Band since 2005. He joined the band in 1997 under then Pipe Major Pat Hayes, and was subsequently appointed Pipe Sergeant in 2003. He has played in many competitions, the highlight being the OPS winning the Grade 2 North American Championships in 2013 and 2014, under competition Pipe Major and childhood friend Andrew Hayes.
Jamie grew up in Ottawa and was encouraged to take up bagpipes by his highland dancing teacher mother, Donna Jean MacDonald.
In 2013, Pipe Major Ritchie was awarded the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal for community service and voluntarism within the pipe band world. This year he will be awarded the Police Exemplary Services Medal by the Governor General.
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