March On! ...the history of the

Toronto Optimists Drum & Bugle Corps

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

For cell phones only Photo Gallery (new layout)
Audio Files Video Files Colin Hedworth's History of the Optimists A Myriad of Memories
Audio Files Change History for this website Newsletters (GCCs and others) Links to other sites News of Interest to Optimists Photo Gallery (old layout) Photo Gallery (new layout) Our Repertoire through the Years Search Our Website Site Links to each page Site Map Video Files
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Our History

Here are the links to pages on this site related to the roots and history of the Alumni Corps.

 

History Information

 

 

Toronto Optimists History

A Myriad of Memories

Memories thru the years (organized by year)

Colin Hedworth's book: "From Toronto...The Optimists!"

The book, a history of the Toronto Optimists, is 400 pages and includes hundreds of photos.

Miscellaneous

The Optimists Family Tree

Toronto Optimists Feeder Corps

Our Optimists Roots

A History of The Optimists by Vern Johansson

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Video footage showing the Toronto Optimists

Please visit our Videos Page

 

 

Optimists Alumni History

Announcement of the First Alumni Corps Rehearsal on October 20, 2002 (Acrobat file)

The Beginnings of the Optimists Alumni

A Brief History of the Optimists Alumni

Reports from early Alumni Corps rehearsals

These Rehearsal Reports were written by Alumni Corps members during the first two years of the Optimists Alumni Corps.

  1. A Beautiful Noise (by Vern Johansson)
  2. Making My Family Happy (by Ted Wilson)
  3. Up From The Basement (Vol 1) (by Ted Wilson)
  4. Up From The Basement (Vol 2) (by Ted Wilson)
  5. Up From The Basement (Vol 3) (by Ted Wilson)
  6. Common Goals and Greatness (by Kevin Matthew)
  7. Sucked In Like A May Fly (by Gord Lefevre)
  8. We're A Drum Corps (by Gord Lefevre)
  9. Notes From The Back Of A Pickup Truck (by Ted Wilson)
  10. Post-G.A.S. Ponderings (by Gord Lefevre)
  11. I Love A Parade (by Gord Lefevre)
  12. Waterford Show Ponderings (by Gord Lefevre)
  13. More Than Just a Song (by Brian Hogan)
  14. Tribute To a Humble Genius (by Brian Hogan)
  15. The Thrill of Drill (by Bill Kane)

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Video footage and Slideshows showing the Optimists Alumni

Please visit our Videos Page

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Links to the Acrobat Files on this website

Articles are organized by year. Those without a year are first.

 
A biography of Don Daber
 
From Toronto...The Optimists Colin Hedworth's history of the Optimists (400 pages with many color photos)
 
Vern Johansson's History of The Optimists (a compilation of the web pages in "Our Optimists Roots")
 
We Remember — all of the "We Remember pages in one acrobat file (last updated: September 15, 2020)
1957
Program  from a contest sponsored by the Parkdale Lions Club
 
Program from the first contest sponsored by the Optimists
 
Article about Opti-Corps from the Toronto Globe and Mail
1958
Newspaper clippings about the Toronto Optimists winning the Nationals
 
Phil Hennings newspaper clippings about the 1958 Toronto Optimists
 
Photo of the 1958 Toronto Optimists on the steps of De La Salle "Oaklands" (includes the names of corps members)
 
The Strange case of the City of Toronto flag
1961
Photo of the 1961 Toronto Optimists on Parliament Hill in Ottawa (includes the names of corps members)
 
Article about the 1961 Nationals re-created from GCC
 
article by Alex Barris about the Toronto Optimists published in the Toronto Telegram on July 12, 1961
 
Article about "The Port Credit Pear Pickers" Optimists alter-ego that performed in a Santa Claus parade
1962
Bill Thorne interview with Doug MacKenzie and Joe Gianna (for GCC)
 
Optimists Conquer Rome! about Optimists beating Blessed Sacrament in Rome, NY
 
Photo of the 1962 Toronto Optimists at Varsity Stadium (includes the names of corps members)
 
Program for the Junior International (Optimists first contest of 1962)
 
Program for the 1962 Nationals
1963
Article about the 1963 Individual Championships (from "Off The Line" magazine)
 
Article about Optimists mini-corps (from GCC)
 
Interview: Gene Chepswick interviews Richard Robida, Ronn Prokop, Fred Lombard and Joe Palanica (from the Vol 3, #2, 1963 issue of GCC)
 
Photo of the 1963 Toronto Optimists at Waterloo Lutheran University (includes the names of corps members)
1964
Article about Toronto Optimists from the Toronto Telegram (April 23)
 
Article about Toronto Optimists from "Marche et Manoeuvres" (in French)
 
Article about a contest in Highland Park IL that included the Optimists
1965
Toronto Optimists Yearbook
 
Article about Andy Henderson as "Drum Major of the Month" (from March issue of Drum Corps Digest)
 
"Men of Ideals" about Barry Bell (from March issue of Drum Corps Digest)
 
Article about The Optimists (from February issue of Drum Corps Digest)
 
Article about De La Salle (from May issue of Drum Corps Digest)
1966
Article about Blessed Sacrament Golden Knights (from January issue of Drum Corps Digest)
1967
Report on the Shriner's International (by Vern Johansson)
 
Reports on the Nationals (from Ottawa newspapers)
 
Report on the 1967 Nationals (Volume 7, #5 issue of GCC)
 
Members Manual for the Toronto Optimists
1968
"A Day in the Life of a Corps" The unusual account of how a junior corps primes itself to win the Canadian Nationals (by Douglas McPhail)
1969
Youth of Toronto and Optimists International (Optimists International and The Optimists)
1972
Names Photos of Corps Members (from GCC)
 
Report on the 1972 Nationals (Vol 12, #8 issue of GCC)
 
Article about the Optimist Lancers
1974
Article from GCC about the Optimist Cadets Awards
1975
Toronto Optimists Yearbook
 
1975-75 Flying Dutchmen Program and Yearbook
1976
Seneca Optimists Yearbook
 
Information Drum Corps June 1976 (Submitted by Enzo Marrella)
 
Information Drum Corps October 1976 (Submitted by Enzo Marrella)
1977
Seneca Optimists Yearbook
 
Article about Ken Mulgrew of the Seneca Optimists (This article was taken from a 1977 issue of DCI today)
 
Dutch Boy/Northstar Program and Yearbook
1978
Article about the Seneca Optimists (from City magazine)
 
Information Drum Corps March 1978 (Submitted by Enzo Marrella)
 
Dutch Boy/Northstar Program and Yearbook
1984
Book commemorating 50 years of Drum Corps in Canada (published by the Canadian Drum Corps Association)
1990
Article about former member Bill Thorne and his family (from Parades and Pageantry, February, 1990)
2002
Announcement of the Optimists Alumni's first rehearsal
2010
Article about the Optimists Alumni (from the Welland Tribune)
2020
Article about "Old Skool Drum Corps (from GCC)
 
DCW Interviews Doug Darwin about the Optimists Alumni

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We Remember

We Remember corps members and staff of the Toronto Optimists, the Seneca Optimists and the Optimists Alumni who have passed away.

Names of those who have passed away with links to their "We Remember" pages

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