A fond farewell to john devine

By Jen Hill

Members of the Scottish Society of Ottawa were honoured to attend a reception at Crichton Lodge this week to bid farewell to John Devine as he concludes his time as Head of the Scottish Government in Canada.

Since arriving in 2022, John quickly became a familiar and valued friend of Ottawa's Scottish community. He has been a strong supporter of the Society and a welcome presence at many of our events, including St. Andrew's Day celebrations, Ottawa City Hall flag raisings, Hogman-eh!, Burns Suppers, and countless community gatherings.

Throughout his time in Canada, John worked closely with SSO Chairs, Executive members, and volunteers, offering encouragement, support, and genuine enthusiasm for our efforts to celebrate Scottish culture. We are grateful not only for his work strengthening ties between Canada and Scotland, but also for the friendships he built along the way.

Representing the Society were Chair Donald MacDonald, Vice Chair Jennifer Hill, past Chair Jane Torrance, past Chair Heather Theoret, Past Chair John McLuckie and Directors Liz Smith and James Obi.

As part of the evening, we presented John with a commemorative quaich. In Scottish tradition, the quaich is known as the Cup of Friendship, symbolizing welcome, trust, and goodwill. Filled with whisky and passed among friends, it was a fitting tribute to the many connections John has helped foster throughout his time in Canada.

Karen Stevens also provided John with a unique gift, on behalf of the SSO. Karen is an award winning internationally recognized fiddler and composer originally from Caithness in Northern Scotland. We also have the great fortune to have her as our secretary at the SSO.

She provided an audio gift to John - she composed   "John Devine's Awa"  - a lively reelin the  style of a Scottish Country dance. We played it in the background , to John's delight., as we sipped from the quaich.

You, too, can enjoy a musical sampling here.

We extend our sincere thanks to John for his friendship, partnership, and commitment to the Scottish community. We wish him every success and happiness in the next chapter of his journey and know he will always have friends in Ottawa.

At the same time, we are delighted to welcome Joanna Keating as his successor and look forward to continuing the strong spirit of friendship, partnership, and celebration of Scottish culture in the years ahead.

Slàinte mhath, John, and thank you for everything.