Henry Cairney retired in August 2018 as a Director of Engineering from Suncor Energy in Calgary Alberta Canada after 47 years in engineering, with the last 32 years in various management roles. He trained as a Power and Control engineer with Monsanto in Ayrshire and thereafter attained a Bachelor Of Science Degree in Electrical and Electronic Engineering. He also worked with ICI Ardeer in Stevenson Ayrshire before joining Elf in the North Sea Oil and Gas sector, finishing that career as an OIM. He then passed his teaching diploma and taught Technology and Computing at Inverurie Academy for a few years before in 2006 being called to another senior engineering role in Canada’s Oil industry.

Henry is an Ayrshire man and went to school in Irvine attending Loudon Primary, Loudon Montgomery and Irvine Royal Academy. He also spent many years before moving to Canada as a musician, playing accordion and keyboards in various bands, playing and singing many of Robert Burns songs in many settings including Burns suppers.

He is a Life member of Irvine Burns Club, Scotland, Twice Past President of the Calgary Burns Club, Past President of the Robert Burns Club Of North America (RBANA) where he is presently Secretary, Past President of the Robert Burns World Federation (RBWF) and member of Greenock Burns Club, Scotland. He has spoken and performed at many Burns suppers throughout North America and the United Kingdom, including his own Clubs Supper which has had up to 800 guests at its peak. As 1st VP of the Calgary Burns Club he has organised that dinner in its entirety twice.

Henry still plays music mostly in Calgary, and along with the Calgary Burns Club Singers perform at many Care Homes and other events in the community. He is very proud of his input in making 4 of 7 CD’s with the Calgary Burns Club Singers, where he has provided and played all the music including some compositions of his own. The latest CD “Ay Waukin O” has just been released  containing many Burns, Scottish and Canadian traditional songs.

Henry has also written in excess of 150 poems and songs due to the influences of our Bard throughout his life and is still writing at present

Retirement has given Henry the freedom to devote more of his time to the Burns community, and although in Canada, he returns very regularly to Scotland.