The Maxwell Occasionals Ceilidh Band - updated 21 March 2007

Formed in 1990, the group has played for Ceilidh Dances, church socials and concerts at Seniors Homes.

Mary Porter vamps on the piano - she passed away on 20 Jan 2006; Hugh Reekie is lead with his Shand Hohner Echo IV 3-row Chromatic box; Ian MacIntyre plays string bass; Sid Board (hiding at the back) plays percussion - snare drums et al; all are also Scottish country dancers. The photo was taken at the Orange Hall, Gladstone Ave., Ottawa, Ontario in 1996, when the band played for an Ottawa Gaelic Society social. Their favourite tunes include The Hogmanay Jig (Andrew Rankine), The Little Burnt Potato (a Nova Scotia tune written by Collin J Boyd for Don Messer) The Conversatzione, Morag of Dunvegan, Wee Laddie by Jim Macleod and Auld Lucky - a favourite melody of Jimmy Shand's. One gig was in Kingston, Ontario - for Scottish and other dancers.

They played at a Clan Maxwell Canada Annual Dinner at the North Lanark Highland Games in the late 1990s, and have not played since; one or two new harmony players are being sought. Ian now has a family, and the double bass is in Halifax NS, being used by Hugh's daughter Megan in a jazz band! Finding a new piano player with the time and interest to be part of the group is a tall order!