Every Friday at 5 p.m., a joyful sound rolls through Lonsdale Avenue in North Vancouver. It’s not traffic or music from a café. It’s the sound of bagpipes played by the now-famous “Pink Pied Piper,” also known as Frank Wimberley.
Wimberley wears bright pink clothing and marches down the street, marking the start of the weekend. For many locals, his bagpipe parade has become a signal to relax and enjoy a glass of wine.
“It’s become a tradition,” said Wimberley. “People come out on their patios and cheer. They say it helps them know when to shut their computers and enjoy Friday evening.”
His bright outfit and weekly parade may seem fun and quirky, but they have a deeper meaning. Wimberley served in the South African military, where he wore a brown uniform daily. When he returned to civilian life, he rejected dull colors and started wearing pink.
“I wore brown every day for two years. After that, I wanted to wear anything but brown,” he said. “Pink was not common for men at the time, but I didn’t care. I had been told what to wear for long enough.”
Wimberley moved to North Vancouver years ago and joined the JP Fell Pipe Band. Around the same time, he started biking across Canada on the Trans Canada Trail, completing it one region at a time.
During the COVID-19 lockdowns, he played his bagpipes outside Lions Gate Hospital during the nightly cheers for healthcare workers. While not everyone loves the sound of bagpipes, Wimberley has seen how they lift people’s spirits.
“Most people smile when they hear it,” he said. “Especially kids. Some kids even cry — but I like to think those are happy tears.”
Now, Wimberley is planning something even bigger. This August, he’ll begin a cycling journey from Winnipeg to Toronto with his bagpipes. His goal is to raise money for two causes close to his heart: youth piping and poetry.
Funds from his GoFundMe campaign will go to the Robert Malcolm Memorial Youth Pipe Band. This group helps young pipers grow and feeds talent into the famous SFU Pipe Band. The other half will go to Word Vancouver, a local literary festival where Wimberley reads poetry he writes during his cycling trips.
Wimberley knows his mission is unusual. “Yes, it’s a bit wacky,” he said. “But bagpipes need new players. The piping community is aging, and we need fresh young talent to keep the music alive.”
To support his efforts, Black Kettle Brewing in North Vancouver has created a limited-edition beer called “Perambulating Pink Piper Pale Ale.” The word “perambulating,” meaning walking or moving about, is something Wimberley enjoys.
“It means wandering from place to place without a straight path,” he said, laughing. “That’s pretty much how I live — no straight lines, just lots of fun detours.”
The beer, he says, tastes great. And having his own beer is something he never expected. “It’s quite the honor,” he said.
Wimberley’s pink outfits, joyful tunes, and long bike rides have made him a local icon. But at the heart of it all, he’s just someone who wants to make people smile and help young artists grow.
His message is clear: whether it’s with music, poetry, or a bike ride across Canada, anyone can bring joy — even one puff of the pipes at a time.
