The pipes play on: bagpipes return to Ogilvy after four-year pause

MONTREAL -

A Montreal tradition is back.

In 2017, the sounds of bagpipes outside the department store Ogilvy were silenced when it was bought by Holt Renfrew.

Many were sad to see the 72-year-old traditional suddenly come to an end -- but now, the pipes are back with a bit of an update.

All the way back to the Second World War, Ogilvy's always had a male piper -- until now.

"I get to be the first woman bagpiper doing this, and the pink tartan is a nice touch, it's a new twist," says bagpiper Jenna Dennison.

When Holt Renfrew and Ogilvy merged, the piper tradition was retired in favour of a more modern image to reflect the new partnership.

But four years later, the piper returned.

"We recognized that the Scottish tradition for the Ogilvy brand was really important for the community. We reinvented the tradition," says Natalie Lord, divisional vice-president of Holt Renfrew.

And the music has been reinvented, too.

"I get to mix it up with some new compositions and some of the old traditional stuff, too," said Dennison.

A composer and performer, Dennison's love of the instrument partially began right at Ogilvy.

"This is a big honour for me because before I even started bagpiping, I remember seeing a bagpiper here in the store and it was one of the times that grabbed me," she said. "I was moved by it, and so years later to be here and piping, it's incredible."