Burlington Teen Tour Band Receives 2022 Key to the City During Canada Day Celebrations
On Canada Day (July 1), Burlington Mayor Marianne Meed Ward presented our global musical ambassadors, the Burlington Teen Tour Band, with a Key to the City.The presentation was made at Spencer Smith Park during Burlington's Canada Day celebrations.
A MESSAGE FROM MAYOR MEED WARD:Canada Day was the perfect day to present our Burlington Teen Tour Band with the Key to the City -- the highest honour we have -- to recognize 75 years of dedicated service to our community as our global musical ambassadors. Since its inception, BTTB has achieved so much, many of which are laid out below -- so I'm sure that we can all agree that they are certainly worthy of this honour. Thank you to Rob Bennett, BTTB Managing Director, for being there to accept the Key on behalf of the band and its members -- past, present and future.
BURLINGTON TEEN TOUR BAND (July 2022)The Burlington Teen Tour Band (BTTB), our city’s global musical ambassadors, marks its 75th anniversary in 2022. Their first performance was on Dec. 15, 1947, and they were known as the Burlington Boys and Girls Band. Since then, the band has had many major achievements, many 'firsts', prestigious awards and successful tours around the world where they have mesmerized their audiences. Over the past 75 years, BTTB has grown to become Canada’s oldest and largest youth marching band -- competing in internationally-scaled competitions and returning as champions and first-prize winners. They have represented Burlington while performing in five provinces across the country, and represented Canada on the world stage, performing for Heads of State and Royalty (as well as on TV and in movies) in eight countries -- such as Itabashi, Japan to mark the 20th and 30th anniversaries of the twin-city relationship between Burlington and Itabashi. BTTB is the first foreign band to have been allowed to perform underneath the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, France. They are also very popular in the U.S. having performed in 23 states for many events and ceremonies, such as the Rose Bowl Parade, the 70th anniversary of the Pearl Harbour attack, and the Orange Bowl Parade.Each band member is strongly encouraged to give their best effort along with appreciating and supporting the efforts of all others engaged in activities with the band. BTTB's philosophy emphasizes the importance of cooperation, discipline, sportsmanship, friendship, and an eagerness to learn.
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ABOUT THE KEY:Designed and created by local stained glass artist Teresa Seaton, the multi-coloured glass key incorporates elements of Burlington’s natural landscape and the City crest, all within the shape of our well-known blue city clock that stands proudly outside City Hall as a gift from our twin city, Itabashi, Japan. The key is housed in a textured glass box that adds to the timeless beauty of this work of art. Burlington’s Key to the City program was launched in 2019.RELATED LINKS:
- Key to the City Program
- Past recipients:
- March 2022: Gold-Medal Olympians Renata Fast & Emma Maltais Recipients of 2022 Burlington Keys to the City
- Oct. 2021: Burlington 2021 Key to the City Recipients Announced: Jean Longfield & Lisa Lunski
- Dec. 2020: Two New Burlington Key to the City Recipients Announced: Kendall Cooper and Ian Elliott
- Jan. 2020: First 2020 Key to the City Recipient Burlington Veteran Gordon Schottlander
- Oct. 2019: City of Itabashi, Japan and Mayor Takeshi Sakamoto receive Burlington Key to the City in 2019
- Jan. 2019: Launch of Burlington’s new Key to the City program sees Mike Taylor, posthumously, as first recipient
- Burlington Unveils New Key to the City
—*Posted by John Bkila, Mayor’s Media and Digital Communications Specialist