Tartantown: A Small Oasis of Scottish Culture in Coquitlam
 TERRY LEE the general manager of Tartantown displays a sample of a new gift item called ‘Scot in the Box’. It contains all the essentials to become a Scot, including the insta kilt, the Jimmy hat, flags and t-shirts. A great outfit for the Highland Games.
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 TARTANTOWN also stocks a beautiful traditional range of pottery and china such as the Highland china and Tain pottery.
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 DONALD-Gordon’s Tartantown is located on Clarke Road in Coquitlam.
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By CATHOLINE BUTLER
Donald-Gordon’s Tartantown Ltd., fondly referred to as Tartantown, is a bustling and attractively merchandised retail store located on Clarke Road in Coquitlam, B.C.
The establishment has been in business since 1976, specializing in outfitting and supplies for pipers, drummers and Highland dancers, giftware, Celtic jewellery, clan paraphernalia, CDs and videos.
Rental of kilts and full costumes for weddings and other special occasions is also a large part of Tartantown’s business, along with a lucrative wholesale, shipping and mail-order market.
Tartantown is like a small Scottish oasis in the heart of Coquitlam, all that’s missing is a bar and a wee dram of Scotch.
I recently dropped in to speak to general manager Terry Lee, who is also Pipe Major of the six time World Pipe Band Champion Simon Fraser University Pipe Band (SFU).
He told me about some of the new products they have added to the shop saying, “Here in the shop we’re designing new brighter tartans for Highland dancers as they like to be as bright as possible.
“We also have lots of new gift items, again very colourful, such as the insta kilt in the brighter shades. For instance, pink is the new shade in the insta kilt.”
Terry laughed and picked up a box called, ‘Scot in the Box.’ He said, “this is for anyone who wants to be a Scot for a day or for a party, or what-have-you.
“This box contains everything over the top to be a Scot, including the insta kilt. It has the Jimmy hat, flags and t-shirts and will be great for the Highland Games. We’re already stocking up on ‘Scot in the Box,’ for our booth at the BC Highland Games in Coquitlam.”
Tartantown also stocks a beautiful traditional range of pottery and china such as the Highland china and Tain pottery, which is great for gift ideas.
Terry said, “A lot of our items don’t change that quickly because they are traditional. Our emphasis is bagpipe, band supplies, Highland dance supplies, kilts, Highland dance shoes, Gillies brogues....those items remain constant.”
Speaking about the SFU Pipe Band and preparations for the World Pipe Band Championship in Glasgow, Terry said, “Our band remains very strong this year. We are really just getting started in our season and as usual we hope for the best.
“We have 48 members in the pipe band who will be making the trip to Scotland this year. Our members keep getting larger each year which can present a challenge but this will be our twenty-sixth consecutive appearance at the Worlds, so we’re getting pretty accustomed to it by now.”
A week before the Worlds, on August 4, the band flies to Belfast to do a joint concert with the Field Marshal Montgomery Pipe Band.
“They came in second to the SFU Pipe Band last year at the Worlds,” said Terry, “and they are very big competitors of ours so a lot of people are looking forward to that joint concert this year. It should be fun.”
He continued, “We then fly to Glasgow and then on to Stirling. That’s where we stay before the Worlds. We find that it’s a little bit out of the hubub of Glasgow with all the pipe bands from North America and around the world arriving.
“We find Stirling is a little bit more isolated, so we’re able to practice and concentrate better on the task at hand. Then, we go to Glasgow for the World Pipe Band Championship on August 14.”
The Lee family, Pipe Major Terry, his brother Pipe Sergeant Jack and their families are all totally immersed in the Scottish culture – both in the piping and Highland dancing.
They are all high achievers and have brought great honour, trophies and championships home to Canada.
We send best wishes to Scotland along with the SFU Pipe Band to once again return home triumphant as the seventh time World Pipe Band Champions.
Look for the Tartantown booth at the B.C. Highland Games and Scottish Festival at Percy Perry Stadium, Coquitlam on June 26.
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Tartantown is located at 4 - 555 Clarke Road in Coquitlam, B.C. For more information, call (604) 936-8548, toll free: 1-877-800-5458. Visit their website at www.tartantown.com.
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