Pipers play last song as Ogilvy nixes decades-old tradition

The skirling of bagpipes resonated for the last time through the five floors of downtown Montreal's Ogilvy department store as a longstanding tradition came to an end on Wednesday.

At noon sharp, the pipers played their final performance, weaving their way through the historic building on Ste-Catherine Street in front of shoppers, tourists and those who came out to support them.

For Tim Mundy, who played the bagpipes at Ogilvy for 15 years until 1998, the last song was bittersweet.

"Aside from having my kids seeing me playing here and posing in front of the Christmas window, there's a lot of tradition here at Ogilvy," said Mundy.

"After 72 years, it's sad to see such a wonderful tradition to come to an end."

Last day of bagpipers at Montreal's Ogilvy department store.

7 years ago

Duration 0:36

Since the 1940s, pipers have played in La Maison Ogilvy. First they started to close the store, then they played at lunch. But today, the tradition ended.

Long hailed as part of the department store's charm, the bagpipe ritual first began at Ogilvy in the late 1940s as a way to announce closing time.

Over the years, the pipers have serenaded customers and passersby at lunchtime as they march, playing, from floor to floor.

Ogilvy said its decision to put an end to the bagpipes comes as the store's brand and customer base changes.

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"The pipers will always be a big part of our history, but they are synonymous with a different era for Ogilvy," said the store's vice-president, Normand Ciarlo, in a statement.

"Now is the right time for us to respectfully move on to relevant and new traditions."

'A disservice to the community'

The move was criticized by fans of the bagpipes such as Sheldon Marstine, a Pittsburgh resident who often visits Montreal on business.

Over the past 35 years, Marstine's gone out of his way to see pipers play their noontime music at Ogilvy. The store's management is "making a big mistake," he said, by letting its two pipers go.

"I feel it is a disservice to the community," he said. "It's part of tradition, and traditions are dying today — and that's a negative thing."

As for longtime piper Mundy, he wishes he could have played one last time with the pipers at Ogilvy. While he's upset to see the bagpipes disappear from the store, he recalls the time he spent there with fondness.

"It was enjoyable, and I remember meeting so many tourists," he said.

"And you have to wonder how many photo albums around the world the Ogilvy piper has his picture in."

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