The Northwest Territorial Pipe Band is a Grade Four recreational pipe and drum band which makes its home in the city of Yellowknife on the shores of Great Slave Lake in the sub-arctic region of Canada's Northwest Territories.
The NWT Pipe Band has the distinction of being Canada's most northerly highland pipe band at 62° 27 North latitude-edging out the Midnight Sun Pipe Band from Whitehorse, Yukon for this frosty honour!
The band plays at numerous community events throughout the year, such as Remembrance Day services, Yellowknife's Canada Day Parade and spring "Caribou Carnival". The band also plays at various fundraising, such as the NWT Council for Disabled Persons' Celebrity Auction and sporting events, including curling bonspiels and the biannual Arctic Winter Games.
An annual highlight is Yellowknife's Raven Mad Daze, held in celebration of the summer solstice and almost 24 hours of sunlight on June 21st. The band's annual Robbie Burns Supper is a welcome diversion from -30C to -40C temperatures!
The Pipe major is Brad Heath and the Drum Major is Jeff Phillips.
Many of the pipers and drummers who have worn the Northwest Territorities' distinctive tartan of yellow-orange, green, white and blue were actually trained by the band. This is necessary for the survival of the band, given the isolated location of Yellowknife (it's a 1,513 kilometre drive from Edmonton, Alberta). However, this makes for an interesting mix of players. The band currently consists of nine pipers and six drummers.