REMEMBER THIS? Highland games in the Sault

From the archives of the Sault Ste. Marie Public Library:

The skirl of the bagpipes, a 16-foot caber flying through the air, the colourful swing of dancers’ kilts. All of it was on display on July 16, 1955, when Sault Ste. Marie held their first-ever Highland Games and celebrated Scottish music, dancing, and athletics.

In September 1954, the first rumblings of highland games in Sault Ste. Marie hit the news, with the Sault Daily Star reporting that a local Highland Association was looking to organize an event. With a committee that initially numbered ten people, it was sure to be an undertaking.

In the spring of 1955, more details began to take shape. The games would take place at Queen Elizabeth Park and be “held in conjunction with the Sault Locks Centennial Celebrations” happening that summer.

In the Soo Locks Centennial Program, the games were listed as part of “All Nations Week,” along with other exciting events, including an “Old Fashioned Costume Promenade,” fireworks, circuses, trapshooting, and a “Helicopter Rescue on River opposite Brady Park” on the American side.

As the date neared, the news reported breathlessly on the number of pipe bands registered. “Three pipe band entries guarantee competition for Highland Games here,” headlines proclaimed in May. A week later, the Star reported that two all-girl pipe bands would be in attendance: one from Fort William and one from Georgetown. The Georgetown Girls, who were apparently “so much worth listening to” because they “[played] for the love of playing and for no other reason.”

The bands weren’t the only feature: the public expressed considerable interest in the caber toss and tug-of-war events. The Star encouraged “all men, or ladies” who thought they could successfully throw a caber to give it a try.

Despite some rain, the games were a resounding success, with thousands of spectators taking in the display.

Ten pipe bands attended, just meeting the committee’s goal for participants. Locally, the Pipes and Drums of the 49th HAA Regiment and the brand new 155 Air Cadet Squadron Pipe Band performed. The others travelled in from out of town, arriving from Bruce County, Copper Cliff, Fergus, Fort William, Georgetown, North Bay, and Sudbury. Due to a mix-up, the Georgetown Girls, who thought they were only there to perform, found themselves registered in a competition and took home first place in their category; the award encouraged them to compete in future games and become a well-known, decorated, all-women pipe band.

The Highland dance portion saw kilted competitors compete in three traditional dances: the Highland Fling, Sword Dance, and Seann Triubhas. While many were local dancers vying for trophies and medals, others came from further afield, including Patricia Ewan from Toronto, who had won hundreds of medals and dozens of trophies at competitions around the world. She took home the gold medal in all three of her dances.

As it turned out, a local fireman, Al Maki won two events, caber toss and hammer throw. A common misconception about the caber toss echoed in newspaper articles about the games, is that the goal is to throw the caber the longest distance. In fact, distance does not matter, and the angle with which the pole lands is the important part: it must turn end over end and land as close to the 12 o’clock position as possible. Maki’s strength and balance served him well and led him to victory. After his win, the Sault Star commented that “Sault Scots [were] giving a new twist to the pronunciation” of his Finnish last name.

With the inaugural games in the bag, organizers looked to the future with plans to make the Sault Ste. Marie Highland Games an annual event.

In 1956, the event expanded to two days, with the addition of more events including shot-put and hammer throw – and, in a less cultural vein, a draw for a free car. According to the Sault Daily Star, “crowds attracted by the colourful affair equalled or exceeded those of the Highland Games at Embro,” referencing the Highland Games that began in 1820 in Ontario and continues to be held on Canada Day each year.

In 1957, additional competitions were added for square dance, country dancing, fiddling, and even photography, where entrants could submit their favourite photos taken over the course of the games for a chance to win a prize. 6,000 spectators showed up to view just the mass pipe band performances.

That momentum continued into 1958, when Chair of the Sault Ste. Marie and District Highland Games Association, Jim Young announced that “there is a continuing conviction that this city is established as an annual mecca for those who enjoy Scottish pageantry, piping, dancing and highland games.”

By 1959, the competition had become firmly established. The entry form for the Highland dance portions revealed a competition that in many ways mirrored those of the modern day: groups broken up by age, an early morning start for the younger competitors, and cash rewards instead of medals for the oldest groups. As in previous years, the dancing portion featured traditional Highland dances, with no inclusion of national or character dances.

That year, the Sault Daily Star proclaimed that there were “signs that the Sault and District Highland Games [was] fast becoming the Braemar gathering of Canada,” citing the numerous attendees and competitors from far and wide. This was high praise: Braemar, arguably the most famous of the Highland Games, is held in Scotland every year to massive crowds, including British royalty.

Despite the success of the Sault Ste. Marie Highland Games, all that momentum ground to a halt in June 1960, when organizers announced that the games were postponed for “economic reasons.” While the event returned in 1961, it was on a much smaller scale, with fewer events. It was mainly focused on pipe bands, with less than a hundred pipers attending. Another major change was the location: this year, for the first time in the event’s history, it was held indoors, with the Sault Armoury as the venue.

As it turned out, 1961 was the last games held in Sault Ste. Marie. In 1978 there was an attempt to resurrect the tradition and host a Tattoo here – a show featuring military bands, pipes and drums, and other displays. However, this never panned out. While there have certainly been performances, dance competitions, and Celtic celebrations, the Sault Ste. Marie Highland Games remains a relic of the 1950s and 60s.

Each week, the Sault Ste. Marie Public Library and its Archives provide SooToday readers with a glimpse of the city’s past.

Find out more of what the Public Library has to offer at www.ssmpl.ca and look for more "Remember This?" columns here.