by Mark Ripley

� AmbassadorsThe Ambassadors Drum and

Bugle Corps was formed inSeptember 1973, in Aurora, ONT,as a junior corps by Paul Ransonand his wife Bev. The corps,initially performing only inparades, first appeared publicly inthe Maid of the Mist parade inNiagara Falls, NY, in the summerof 1974. They were voted “CorpsMost Likely to Succeed” there.

The early uniform consisted ofwhite shirts, neckerchiefs, blackpants or skirts, goldcummerbunds andwhite cowboy hats.Later styles includedroyal blue shirtscrossed with white,black pants and whiteshakos.

The Ambassadorstook part in their firstcontest in August1975, appearing in theCanadian NationalsJunior E (novice)Class, which they won.That win was followedby the championshipof the CanadianNational Junior D(bantam) Class in 1976. These wins were justbeginning.

The corps moved to Newmarket under thesponsorship of the Lions Club in 1977. Italso received support over the years from thecity of Newmarket and from weekly bingogames.

The Ambassadors won the CanadianNational and Ontario Provincial C (cadet)Championship in 1978, the CanadianNational and Central Canada Circuit CChampionships in 1979 and 1980 and theDCI Canada C Class Championships in 1980.

Not free of the political arena, theAmbassadors performed at the Conservativeleadership convention in 1973 and werelabeled by one parent as “Brian Mulroney’spersonal band.” In 1980, after a Canadianambassador had smuggled some Americanpolitical hostages out of Iran, Americancrowds cheered the corps as surrogate heroesduring appearances in the United States.

In 1981, the year Bob Middleton took overas director, the corps placed in the top half ofthe class A at the DCI World Championshipsin Montreal, QUE.

The Ambassadors’ best year may have been1984, when they marched in theIndependence Day Parade in Washington,D.C., placed second in the Canadian NationalA Class Championship and were a finalist inclass A/division II at the AmericanInternational Open in Butler, PA.

A large turnover in membership in 1985limited the Ambassadors to only two

competitions, including the CanadianNationals where they appeared in class A.They also hosted a home show in Newmarketthat year.

The Ambassadors merged with theOakland Crusaders in 1986 to form a newcorps called Out of the Blue. This corpstraveled to the DCI Division IIChampionships, but were announced andrecorded for history as Oakland Crusaders.� Arnprior Lions

Arnprior, ONT, was proud to be home tothe award-winning Arnprior Lions JuniorDrum and Bugle Corps, which was laterrenamed as the HiRisers Drum Corps. Thecorps competed at the junior class A levelthroughout Ontario, Quebec and in several

northern states. After the HiRisers disbanded in 1969,

several of the playing memberscontinued to participate in senior drumcorps activities throughout Canada andthe United States. Interest in once againplaying in a local band grew and in 1990a new group was formed by several drumcorps alumni, their families and friends.

In tribute to the HiRisers DrumCorps’ final year, the band was namedthe Spirit of ’69.� Bandettes

The Bandettes were formed in 1963by Mary Wilson as an all-girl juniormarching and maneuvering corps. Theyare still under Wilson’s direction as theycelebrate their 40th anniversary in 2003.

Because they arecloser to Grand Rapidsthan Toronto, the corpscompetes often in DrumCorps Midwest (nowDCI Midwest) andaccepts members fromthe United States. Forseveral years the corpsabsorbed visiting girlmarchers from thePhilippines.

The majority of thecorps’ members arefrom the Soo, but it alsohas members fromOhio, Kentucky,Wisconsin andMichigan.

The Bandettes compete in division III.During the summer the corps apprears inapproximately 25 to 30 competitions,exhibitions and parades while traveling morethan 10,000 miles throughout the UnitedStates and Canada.� Blue Saints

In 1952,students from theSudbury Miningand TechnicalSchool (SheridanTech) would playdrums, horns andwhatever elsewould make a lotof noise and

loudly cheer ontheir schoolfootball team, theBlue Devils. Whatthey lacked inmusical ability,they replaced withschool spirit.

The lateMaurice Gravelle,the school’s musicprofessor, decidedto organize theSudbury Miningand TechnicalSchool TrumpetBand from theranks of the noisemakers. Most agree it wasbecause Gravelle had too much respect formusic to listen to their informal playing style.

Gravelle’s school associate and successor,the late George Netzke, continued the processof developing musical ability. However, healso brought military discipline into the mix,for Netzke was quite involved and well-knownwithin the Canadian militia. He brought thegroup from school band to Canadian drumcorps champions.

In 1958, their name became the BlueSaints to compliment the school footballteam. Recently the corps has placed well.They were the Canadian national championsin 1998, 2000 and 2001 and have returned toDCI Division III where they hope to improveeven more in the future.

They also represent the historiesof two other drum and bugle corps:the Nickel City Sound and theImperial Knights.

Since their inception into theworld of drum and bugle corps,they have flourished and made theirschool and city proud. Theycompete in numerouscompetitions and take part in theCalgary Stampede and thenow-famous Quebec WinterCarnival.

For more than 50 years, theyhave represented and entertainedSudbury, providing youth with amusical education, self-esteem, awork ethic, pride and, most

importantly, fun. � Bluewater Buccaneers

The Bluewater Buccaneers, formed in1974, was a junior marching andmaneuvering corps. Its uniform consisted ofred jackets, shirts with puffed cream-colored

sleeves and tricorner hats. NormCampbell was the Buccaneers’ director.They folded in 1985 after severalappearances at the DCI level. � Cadets LaSalle

Cadets LaSalle from Ottawa startedin 1963, originally sponsored byLaSalle College. The corps laterbecame self-sponsored and became oneof the top three corps in Canada by1966.

They lost the Canadian Nationals

OOnntt aarr iioo

Ambassadors, Newmarket, ONT,approximately 1979 (photo by EdFerguson from the collection of DrumCorps World).

Bandettes, Sault Ste. Marie, ONT,approximately 1979 (photo by Art Luebkefrom the collection of Drum Corps World).

Blue Saints, Sudbury, ONT, 2002(photo by Ron Walloch from thecollection of Drum Corps World).

Cadets LaSalle, Ottawa, ONT, 1972 (photo byPaul Stott from the collection of Drum CorpsWorld).

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on two occasions by two-tenths of apoint and folded in 1972. � Canadian Commanders

The Canadian Commanders wereformed in November 1963 through amerger of two Ontario corps. TheViscounts from Hamilton and theJesters from Toronto were bothstruggling to maintain a respectablepresence on the Canadian senior drumcorps scene at the time, so Fred Hawkesof the Viscounts and Vince Macciocchiof the Jesters joined forces and gained thesponsorship of the Metropolitan TorontoPolice Association.

The newly formed Commanders, underthe directorship of Bernie Beers, wasfounded on the principle that everyone wouldmarch, so no one would miss out on theexperience. The corps started rehearsals inseveral locations simultaneously in late 1963:in Toronto on Tuesdays, in Hamilton onThursdays and in Oakville on Sundays.

Because of the split rehearsal locales, thecorps was announced at contests as beingfrom the different rehearsal towns ondifferent nights: Canadian Commanders ofToronto one night, Canadian Commanders ofHamilton the next.

Because of the provison that everyonewould march, the Commanders fielded anunusually large corps. The first publicappearance was at an indoor arena in St.Catharine’s. The director decided to split allsections of the large corps in half and sendthem on separately.

The first half marched in to thunderousapplause and lined up across the arena floor;they covered the floor from one side to theother and then some. Drum Major DonChisholm brought the horns up and lookedas if he was about to start the performance,whereupon the doors opened again and thesecond half of the corps marched in, to theastonishment of the audience.

The corps spread across the width of thearena three times. No one had ever seen acorps that big before. The crowd reaction leftgoose bumps on corps members for hoursand memories for alifetime.

That first night themembers had allcomponents of theiruniform except for thebright orange tunics, sothey went on in corpsT-shirts. Designed byChisholm, thecomplete uniformswere so bright that theyled to the corps’nickname of “Great Pumpkin.” The corpsalso operated under the moniker of TheStoplight Cadets.

In 1964, the first competing season, theCommanders took second place at theCanadian Nationals, being narrowly beaten bythe Guelph Royalaires.

In following years, the corps competed inNew York, Connecticut and Pennsylvania,

scoring fairly well. They had the honor ofbeing invited to the American LegionNationals in Washington, D.C., in 1966 wherethey performed at prelims.

The Commanders’ sister corps duringthose years was the Rochester Crusaders. Itwas not uncommon for corps members toborrow each other’s instruments or play ineach other’s lines during the retreat.

The Canadian Commanders became theBurlington Commanders when they gainedthe sponsorship of the city of Burlington, aname the corps retained until the end of itsexistence in 1978.

Many of the old Commanders continue toperform with various alumni corps in theBurlington area.� Canadian Knights

Canadian Knights from Peterboroughwere formed in 1977 asthe Golden Knights.The corps was namedthe Canadian Knights in1978. They were the1991 provincial andnational parade classchampions. Theymainly competed inclass A/division II andthey won class A in 1986at Madison, WI.� Cardinals

The Cardinals fromScarborough wereformed in fall of 1969 and won manyprovincial, national and international awards.Under longtime director Jim Towie, the corps

was a successfultouring corps in theDCI Class A/Division IIarena until 1995.� Contemporary Youth EnsembleContemporary

Youth Ensemble,founded in 1992, wasa junior marching andmaneuvering corpsbased in Vanier, asuberb of Ottawa. Its

president was Glenn Duncan.The group finished sixth at the 1995 U.S.

Open Division II/III Finals and second in thedivision III finals at DCEast in 1996.

The corps disbanded in 1997.� Conqueror

Sponsored by the Hamilton OptimistClub, this corps was probably one of the mostoriginal and individualistic units. The corps

was originally formed in 1960 as ajunior corps. The musical styling ofthe corps was exciting and varied,but all in keeping with the unique,Roman-styled uniforms.

A large, distinctive color partysupplemented the visualimpression. The entire effect madeConqueror a notable component ofany parade, show or contest.

Conqueror II reformed in May1982 and won various titles

throughout Ontario and the northern UnitedStates. The corps made several consecutiveappearances at theDCI WorldChampionshipsbefore ceasing as atouring corps.� De La Salle OaklandsThe De La Salle

Oaklands drum andbugle corps was oneof the longest-livedcorps in history,tracing its originsto 1910. It wassponsored by De LaSalle OaklandsCollege for 75 years and was affiliated with

the Canadian Drum CorpsAssociation and the New York-Canadian Association.

It reached the peak of itsfame in the late 1930s and1940s with its famous blue andgold uniforms, 100 bugles and50 drums.

Del switched to marching in1958. The 1961 season was thebest year, when it defeated theCanadian champions, theToronto Optimists, on threeoccasions, only to lose out at theCanadian Nationals by .05.

Placing second in 1959 through 1964, thenational title seemed to always elude them.The corps was the Canadian junior A champsin 1969 and 1970.

The uniform was white, trimmedeffectively with red and green scarlet capeswith green satin lining and topped with asilver shako and red plume.

The Oaklands were known in CanadianNationals as “always the bridesmaid, neverthe bride,” due mainly to the success of theToronto Optimists and their string of 11straight Canadian National Championships.

Cardinals, Scarborough, ONT, 1978 (photo by Brad Harris fromthe collection of Drum Corps World).

Contemporary Youth Ensemble, Ottawa, ONT, 1995 (photo byRon Walloch from the collection of Drum Corps World).

Canadian Knights, Peterborough, ONT, 1986(photo by Orlin Wagner from the collection ofDrum Corps World).

Canadian Commanders, Toronto, ONT, approximately 1965 (photo from the collection ofBruce Lindsay).

Conqueror II, Hamilton, ONT,1999 (photo by Harry Heidelmarkfrom the collection of Drum CorpsWorld).

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De La Salle finally broke thisstring in 1970 and becamethe elite Canadian corpsafter that.

In 1971, they entered theUnited States with a bang,making finals at the WorldOpen and beating theCavaliers at “Drums onParade” in Madison.

In 1974, De La Sallebecame the first Canadiancorps to make DCI Finals, finishing seventh.In the off-season, however, they merged withthe Etobicoke Crusaders to become theOakland Crusaders after the sponsorship ofDe La Salle College came to an end.� Durham Girls

Durham Girls started in 1969, succeedinga drum corps of similar name sponsored by ahigh school that was fazed out during closingof the school. The girls were provincialchampions in1971, Canadiannationalchampions in1970 andprovincialchampions againin 1969. Thecorps folded in1982 as one of themore memorableall-girl corps inthe C circuit.� Dutch Boy

This corps hasbeen all over themap, from paradeclass to DCI OpenClass finalist.With a long, richheritage, Dutch Boy has been a contender inall classes in which they competed. Withmusic from jazz to Vegas show-tunes, the corps understandsentertainment and how to get acrowd going. They continue as aDCI Division III corps with JohnRobbins as the driving force.� Emerald Knights

The Emerald Knights fromMississauga were formed in 1980.

They enteredcompetition in 1983and won various titles,including 1991provincial and nationalclass B champions.� Empire Loyalists

The EmpireLoyalists fromAmherstview wereformed in January

1985 incommemoration of theInternational Year of Youth.The corps won a number offirst-place titles in Ontariounder the directorship ofCharlie Cadieux.� Etobicoke CrusadersThe Etobicoke

Crusaders were started in1969 and in 1972 they wonthe junior B national titleand were the western ciruitchampions. The corpsmerged with De La SalleOaklands in 1975 to formthe Oakland Crusaders.� Flying

DutchmenFormed in 1956, the corps

entered competitions in 1959.Originally known as the 48thField Squadron of the RoyalCanadian Engineers, they enteredsenior competition under thename Flying Dutchmen.

They were absent fromcompetition in 1960, but returned

in 1961 with 20appearances, includingeight field competitions.They defeated 20 seniorcorps and traveled morethan 3,000 miles in UpperNew York, Pennsylvania andthroughout Ontario.

A junior corps was founded in1967 as a centennial project bymembers of the senior corps thatlasted into the early 1970s. � Golden Lions

In 1969, the Simcoe Golden Lionswere formed, sponsored by theSimcoe Lions Club. They succeeded asenior corps, the Royal Blues. Thecorps competed in junior B, junior Cand parade class categories,highlighted by a national

championship in 1977. The corps foldedin 1979.

� GuelphRoyalaires

TheGuelphRoyalairessenior corpsbegancompeting in1956 after

many successful yearsas a standstill paradecorps. They wereknown by thecatchphrase “Thecorps with a heart.”

They won the 1959and 1960 CanadianSenior Championship.The 1961 season wastheir most successfulyear in their history

with nine first-place wins and 12 trophieswon in international competitions, includingthe Canadian Senior Championship for threeconsecutive years. They also won the Ontarioprovincial title and an internationalcompetition in Toronto.

They went on to win the Canadian SeniorChampionship once again in 1962. Theirfinal competition was in 1989 at the DCAChampionships. They still operate as apercussion ensemble for parades.� Hamilton Firefighters

The Hamilton Firefighters Senior Drumand Bugle Corps was the idea of Lt. WilliamMitchell of the Hamilton Fire Department.The first planning meeting was held atMitchell’s home. The original six that put theendeavor together were Mitchell, Ray Bertin,

Gord Bone,George Ireland,Jim Gemmeland Bill Brown.

The corpsbecame a realitywhen, in 1961,more than 60active Hamiltonfirefighterscanvassed thedowntown citymerchants andraised enoughmoney topurchase theirfirst set of

instruments. The firstperformance was in theHamiltonRemembrance DayParade, November 12,1961.

Currently themembership is made upof experiencedmusicians from variousjunior and senior drumcorps, military andmarching bands andother musicalorganizations. Theprinciple objective is toprovide a pleasant socialatmosphere for

continuing in drum corps activities withoutthe pressures of a field corps. The corps’activities are primarily family-oriented withseveral married couples participating andseveral father/son combinations as members.

HFFDC is a social corps that keeps the

(Above) De La Salle Oaklands, Toronto,ONT, July 1, 1972 (photo by Paul Stottfrom the collection of Drum CorpsWorld); (right) Oakland Crusaders,1976 (photo by Jane Boulen from thecollection of Drum Corps World).

Empire Loyalists, Amherstview, ONT, 1995 (photo byDan Scafidi from the collection of Drum Corps World).

Dutch Boy, Kitchener, ONT, 1982 (photo byJohn Wacker from the collection of DrumCorps World).

Emerald Knights, Mississauga, ONT, 1997 (photo by HarryHeidelmark from the collection of Drum Corps World).

Guelph Royalaires, Guelph, ONT, July 12, 1962 (photo byMoe Knox from the collection of Drum Corps World).

Golden Lions, Simcoe, ONT,1978 (photo by Brad Harris fromthe collection of Drum CorpsWorld).

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drum line in field competition.”The Kavaliers have since performed all

over Canada and the United States in paradesand concerts and also at Walt Disney World.They also took part in a charity concert heldat Hamilton Place November 10, 2001, forthe relief effort of the victims of the9-11 disaster.

All the members of thecorps are proud to carrythe title of ambassadors ofthe town of Lindsay andsome travel a greatdistance each year topractices, parades andshows. The corps iswell-known for theexciting music it playsand, of course, for itstrademark black and golduniforms.

� Kingston GrenadiersThe Kingston Drum and Bugle Corps,

based in Kingston, ONT, was formed inFebruary 1961. A former member of ThePrincess of Wales Own Trumpet Band andother interested individuals held a meetingfrom which an executive committee wasformed and the name the Limestone CityGrenadier Drum and Bugle Corps wasadopted. The name was changed to theKingston Grenadiers a year later.

Perhaps, along with many CanadianChampionships over the past four decades,performing for her Majesty the Queen andPrince Philip in honor of Kingston’stercentenary was a standout highlight. TheGrenadiers are probably the only corps tohave done so.

In 1975, they amalgamated the BellevilleYardmen into their corps. The corps hadseveral years of short inactivity, but it alwaysrebounded with great success.

This is the first Canadian corps to place inthe top 10 of DCA competition for five yearsin a row (1998-2002).� Kiwanis Kavaliers

The Kiwanis Kavaliers, of Kitchener/Waterloo, ONT, began a collaborative venturewith Tampa Bay Thunder in February 2002.Since the organization’s formation in 1971,the Kavaliers’ programs have reached morethan 2,000 youth and a strong infrastructurehas extended its valuable support to otherorganizations to assist them in achievingtheir goals.

The Kavaliers are known for putting the“I” in DCI and have proudly represented bothCanada and other countries around the globe.In 2001, the organization represented DCI atthe World Showband Championships held inKerkrade, The Netherlands.

The two-week European tour that took thecorps through Germany, France, Belgium andthe Netherlands provided members withunforgettable memories and a great respectfor their newfound supporters.

In the fall of 2001, the Tampa BayThunder organization in Florida approachedthe Kavaliers to discuss possibleopportunities that would benefit individuals

participate in a four-week competitionsponsored by the Toronto Argonaut FootballClub.

As the story goes, in order to avoidconflict with union and army regulations, thecorps rented clown costumes for thisappearance and adopted the name JollyJesters. To their surprise, the name, costumeand show caughton and it wasunanimouslydecided theywould appear thefollowing year inthe clownuniforms.

In 1957, thecorps appeared inred and whitesatin clownuniforms, with thedrum major/director, Ted Riley, dressed as acomical tramp. Then 1960 came along andthe corps decided to go to dress blues andchanged the name to The Jesters. Timemarched on, as did The Jesters, and now theyare a part of drum corps history.� Kawartha Kavaliers

The Kawartha Kavaliers were formed in1957 when a group of young musicians leftthe local militia regiment known as the 45thArtillery Corps to pursue new and differentmusical interests. They gained a respectedreputation as they played in many paradesand concerts throughout the county in 1958representing Lindsay, ONT.

Their first uniform was a white shirt,black pants and a pith helmet. However, theysoon acquired their highly recognizableuniform of a black and gold cavalier-type

shirt with blackpants witha gold stripeand, of course,the cavalier hattopped with agold plume.

In 1960, thegroup enteredthe fieldcompetitioncircuit, and in1967 they wonthe Ontario andCanadianSenior B DrumCorps

Championships. In 1962, the corps wasreorganized and self-sponsored. They testedthemselves in DCA for the first time.

After a short rebuilding period, they wereback on the field in 1972 competing in theRed Carpet Association and holding their ownagainst the likes of the Kingston Grenadiers,Guelph Royalaires, Sudbury ImperialKnights, Pittsburgh Rockets, ErieThunderbirds, Dunkirk Patriots andJohnsonburg Diplomats, to name a few.

The Kavaliers won many awardsthroughout their proud history, includingmany “best band on parade” awards and “best

needs and wishes of the members foremost.The corps has traditionally employedprofessional music instructors and arrangers.Through this professional instruction, thecorps has continuously raised its level ofproficiency and expertise.

In 1965, the corps began acceptingnon-firefighters that had previous musicaltraining and experience.

An all-male organization for most of itshistory, the corps started accepting femalemembers in 1995. Today, the HFFDC hasmore than 70 men and women of varyingbackgrounds and includes alumni from morethan 40 junior and senior drum corps andmilitary bands from all over Ontario.� Imperial Knights

This corps operated out of Sudbury, ONT,for about 20 years, disbanding in 1984.During that time it was a successful seniorcorps that placed well in the Red CarpetAssociation that operated in Ontario and theNorthern United States.

The “green machine,” as they were knownlocally, was most successful in 1972 whenthey were up against some of the seniorpowerhouses like Guelph Royalaires andPittsburgh Rockets. TheKnights placed fourth atthe RCA Championshipsand, if they had gone onto DCA Finals that year,they would probably haveplaced in the middle ofthe pack.

They were led bycorps directors RonGroves and then JohnHallows who laterdirected the Blue Saintsfor many years.

There were severalattempts to revive theImperial Knights, butwithout much success.� Jolly Jesters

This corps was started by a group of menin the militia and was called the FifthColumn Army Service Corps. It disbandedduring World War II, but reformed in1947-1948 as a parade corps until it won theCanadian Championships (senior noviceclass) in 1952. In 1956, the corps altered theuniform from dress blue jackets to sky bluewith royal blue satin blouses.

Also in 1956, it received its first invite to amajor American contest in Albany, NY.Shortly after this, the corps was invited to

Kingston Grenadiers, Kingston, ONT, 1998 (photo by Alan Winslowfrom the collection of Drum Corps World).

Kiwanis Kavaliers, Kitchener, ONT, 1996 (photo by KarenSunmark from the collection of Drum Corps World).

Hamilton Firefighters, Hamilton, ONT, approximately 1960(photo from the collection of Bruce Lindsay).

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participating in bothsummer programs.

Tampa Bay Thunder had ashort but successful history.While under the direction ofJim Newman, Thunderbecame a large division IIcompetitive corps.

Under the direction ofDoug Darwin, the Kavaliershave toured successfully foryears. A strong support staffand exceptional educationalteam have made it possible tooffer an excellent experienceto the Kavaliers youth.

Therefore, the Kavaliers and Tampa BayThunder developed the foundation of alongterm collaborative relationship. Theorganizations merged to offer newopportunities through the sharing ofmanagement, support, staff, resources andmembership, and to maximize the summerexperience for 135 participants in theKiwanis Kavaliers’ world-class summerprogram.

The 2002 Kiwanis Kavaliers featured 135members in a production of “Hall of Justice,”based on comic superheroes. They finished20th in DCI Quarterfinals competition.

The Kavaliers offer several currentcollaborations, including the SentenellesColour Guard, the Ventures ColourGuards and the Spirit Performing YouthEnsemble. All of these groups actindependently of the Kavaliers, sharingresources, staff, equipment, management andoften membership.� Krescendos

Krescendos from Peterborough wereformed 1969 and became national championsin 1970. They competed in junior B class in1971, clad in bright yellow uniforms. Theirlast year in competition was 1982.� Lakeshore Brassmen

The Lakeshore Brassmen were formed in1978 comprised of over-age members of theGolden Lions. The Brassmen are aself-sponsored senior competitive paradecorps still in operation.� Lionettes

The Lionettes, formed in 1945, was anall-girl junior marching and maneuveringcorps based in Sarnia, ONT. When theSarnia Marching Diplomats folded in 1972,

the Lionettesbecame theBluewaterLionaires andinvited men tomarch withthem. Theyear after, thecorps becamethe BluewaterBuccaneers.� MarchingAngels

MarchingAngels, alsofrom Sarnia,

were organized in 1962. Thegirls wore black princess-style uniforms with a whiteshoulder sash and asparkling red shako with aseven-inch white ostrichfeather plume. The corpsperformed until 1966.� Midlanders

The Midlanders, fromLondon/Woodstock, wereformed in 1966 from amerger of the WoodstockImperials and the OakridgeOptimists. They entered

junior class B competition in 1967 and wereOntario junior B champions in 1968 and1969.

They were the Canadian nationalchampions in 1967-1969. They also won theU.S. Open Class A Championship and theWorld Open Junior B Championships in 1970.� Niagara Militaries

Niagara Militaries from Niagra Fallspresented one of the most entertaining showsin the business. Since their inception in1949 as an independent self-supporting corps,the Militaries constantly strived to producethe tops in audience appeal in shows withmusic, drill and uniforms to match. Fansgreeted this corpsas one of the mostunique andentertainingproductions indrum corps circles.� Nickel City SoundNickel City

Sound fromSudbury wasformed inSeptember 1992 asa senior corps. Itbecame a juniorcorps in 1993 andwas the 1993 Canadian National Championsin division IV, clad in scarlet tunics, blackpants and Aussie hats. The corps disbandedin 1994.� North Toronto Lions

Formerly known as the Midtowners ofToronto, this corps appeared in 1963 underthe name North Toronto Lions GoldenMonarchs, complete with new uniforms, newdrill and new music. The corps was always acrowd-pleaser and was the holder of both theOntario and Canadian championships asa junior class B M&M corps in 1959 and1960. Entering junior A competition in1961, the corps was a threat to all itscompetitors.� Northstars

Northstars from Kitchener werecomposed of several groups from thearea. In the fall of 1976, the corpsoperated as an open class corps and wasthe precursor to the existing Dutch Boycorps.� O.Y.B. Lampliters

Founded in 1957 as the Orange

Young Brittons-Hackett O.Y.B. 120, the corpswas renamed in 1963 as the O.Y.B.Lampliters. As one of the oldest continuingdrum corps in North America, the Lamplitersare proud of their heritage. Their symbol is,not surprisingly, the lamp.

In 1987, the new incarnation of theLampliters won the New York State junior Btitle in their first competition. This was nosmall feat for a corps that had beendecimated in years past and relegated tosmall street band status.

The corps again demonstrated its abilityby placing third in both the Ontario andCanadian National Championships in thejunior B class after 11 years of absence fromthe top ranks.

The Lampliters corps is unique in that itis both a junior and a senior corps. Whenparticipating in junior events orcompetitions, only members under age 22perform. When taking part in senior events,all members march.

Ken Cole is the corps’ manager. At age78, he has been a stalwart of the Lamplitersfor more than 50 years. He was proud tohave been honored as “Volunteer of the Year”in Smiths Falls in 2001.� Ridge Raiders

Ridge Raiders from Hamilton/StoneyCreek was formed in 1980. Itbegan as a parade corps, butachieved much beyond theoriginal plan to make severalappearances in the DCI arenaunder longtime directors JohnMcKinley and Russ Hunter. The1999 season was the corps’ last.� Royal Blues

In 1960, Ron Mann becamethe director and the corpsbecame self-sponsored andchanged the name to the RoyalBlues Drum & Bugle Corps.This corps competed in thesenior B category, winning

several championships during its tenure.The Royal Blues folded in 1968.� Scout House

Wilfred Jacob Blum formed the 1stPreston Scout Troop in 1929. In October1938, he noticed a visiting marching band intown. This set off a chain of events thateventually resulted in the birth of the famousPreston Scout House Band. By 1947, theband was widely known throughout Ontario,and on July 29, it made its first tour outside

Krescendoes, Peterborough, ONT,approximately 1975 (photo by Gareth Skippfrom the collection of Drum Corps World).

Northstars, Kitchener, ONT, 1978 (photo from thecollection of Drum Corps World).

Midlanders, London, ONT, approximately1970 (photo by Peter McCusker from thecollection of Drum Corps World).

Ridge Raiders, Hamilton, ONT, 1996 (photo by Ron Walloch from thecollection of Drum Corps World).

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corps. In 1962-1963, they were Canadiangirl’s M&M champions.

Up until 1985, the corps competed in theall-girl category, winning many awards inCanada and the United States. Asmembership dwindled, the board decided anew strategy must be developed.

In 1985, the corps opened its membershipto boys in order to start a strongreorganization process. The rebuilding hasgone in stages, with the early 1990s findingthe corps progressively stronger. The corpsplaced first or second at the Ontario regionaland Canadian National Championships forseven years. Finalist status was achieved atthe DCI World Championships three times inthe same timeframe.

St. John’s experienced a dry spell and wentinactive for the 1999 and 2000 seasons. In

the 2001season, St.John’s finishedsecond indivision IV(parade class),mere tenthsbehind theBlue Saintsfrom Sudbury.During the2002 season,St. John’ssuccessfullyre-entereddivision III.

For a corpswhere theaverage age of

the members was 12 and 12 of the 31members were rookies, they had an excellentseason, placing 19th in division III at the DCIChampionships in Madison, WI.

� Toronto OptimistsThe Optimists can trace their history to

1952 and a scout band that was part of ayouth program offered by the 18th TorontoBoy Scout group. The founder was BudParker. For a time it was part of the No. 157scout troop under the direction of Allen W.Baggs.

In 1955, the scout troop decided todiscontinue the band and Baggs convinced

instruments and theirunconventional drill programmade it increasingly difficult tocompete with drum corpsmarching in the American styleand cadence.

The band folded in 1967. Anumber of attempts were madeto revive the band, which thenincluded both young men andwomen. Unfortunately, themagic could not be recaptured.

Today, you can catch a taste ofthe color and panache of thefamous organization throughperformances by their alumni

association drum and bugle corps at paradesand special performances. The groupparticipated in the 2002 DCA “AlumniSpectacular”in Scranton,PA.� Senators

TheSenatorsfromBramptonwere formed1966 anddisbanded in1968. Thecorps wasre-formedunder theBramptonRecreationDepartmentin 1973 as ajunior class C corps, but it folded againseveral years later.� Seneca Princemen

This corps was formed in 1972,succeeding the former Scarborough

Firefighters that formed yearsearlier. The corps’ program formedpart of the community servicesoffered by Seneca College.

The unit was a junior marchingand maneuvering corps based inNorth York, ONT. The corpsdirector was Wolfgang Petscke.

The corps merged with theToronto Optimists in 1975 to formthe Seneca Optimists. � Simcoe Scout Band & Optimist BandThe Scout Band sponsorship

was taken over by the OptimistsClub in approximately 1958 andthus the name was changed to the

Optimists Band. � St. Andrew’s

St. Andrews from Cambridge was formedin 1973. The corps, originally fromKitchener, folded around 1986 after anappearance at the DCI Championships inMadison, WI.� St. John’s Girls

This corps was organized in 1953 at St.John’s College in Brantford and went on tobecome one of Canada’s great all-girl drum

Canada to perform in Buffalo and Syracuse.Blum received a number of significant

recognitions for his achievements in drumcorps activities. These awards includedmembership in the World Drum Corps Hall ofFame, a Canadian Drum Corps AssociationFounders Award and the province of OntarioVolunteer Service Award.

The sense of pride and the feeling ofsatisfaction that flows from hard work toachieve a high standard of performancecarried Scout House to international fame.All who served under him agree Blum left agreat impression on their lives.

The band’s early public appearancesinvolved marching the WRENS of HMCSConestoga to church service in Galt. By1947, the Preston Band had become well-known outside Ontario and was featured inthe Montreal Standard “Weekend Magazine.”As the band’s fame spread, it annuallyreceived invitations to play at 400-500 eventsacross North America and averaged 2,500 fanletters a week.

In 1953, the band’s music and uniformswere redesigned by Dr. David Ross-Robertson.The traditional scout uniform was replaced by

crimson shirts and socks. Aussie hats andshort black shorts were considered risqué atthe time.

With the new look and sound, theycontinued bringing fame to themselves andtheir community. Canadian NationalChampions in 1954, 1955 and 1957, the bandwas noted as a great show band and crowdpleaser.

By the early 1960s, the band began to runinto difficulties in competitions. Older

Scout House, Preston, ONT, August 26, 1961, at an exhibition in Stratford, CT(photo by Moe Knox from the collection of Drum Corps World).

St. John’s Girls, Brantford, ONT, 1973 (photo by Peter McCusker from the collection ofDrum Corps World).

Toronto Optimists, Toronto, ONT, 1973 (photo by Peter McCusker from thecollection of Drum Corps World).

Seneca Princemen, Scarborough, ONT, 1973 (photo by PeterMcCusker from the collection of Drum Corps World).

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the Optimists Club of Toronto to take on thesponsorship of this fledgling group.

In 1956, still using the scout uniforms,the corps won the Canadian novice title. Thefollowing year the corps had new uniforms ofblue and gold and moved up, entering thejunior class B M&M class and winning thechampionship in Waterloo.

During the fall of 1957, the Optimistsadded boys from the Danforth Crusaders,along with instructors Barry Bell on buglesand Lorne Ferrazutti on percussion.

The corps moved up another division tothe junior A level. Once again, new uniformswere purchased, featuring the now-famousgreen blouses with white stripe, white shakosand black trousers.

In May 1958, in Toronto, competingagainst reigning champion Scout House, theOptimists were defeated, but closed the gapall summer at each subsequent contest,finally capturing the class A title inSeptember. They repeated this title for thenext 10 years.

Bell and Ferrazutti stayed on as the maininstructors through all their winning yearsuntil 1969, when they helped set up thefeeder corps, Optimist Lancers of Etobicoke.

Around 1970, the Optimists Club ofToronto signified its intentions to withdrawits support, saying the operation of threecorps was beyond its financial capabilities.Thus, the management formed its ownOptimists Club, the Optimists Club of YorkToronto. The old club sold all the old assetsto the new club for $1.

Don Daber took over the operation of thecorps in 1963 and was succeeded by AlTierney in 1969 until his election as charterpresident of the new club. Daber took backthe reins and was succeeded by Bob Christieand then by George Wright, followed by DougMackenzie in 1974-1975.

During this five-year period, the corpsexperienced some very trying times with theaddition of a younger instructional staff,limited funds and young, inexperiencedmembers, thus reflecting their placementthrough this time period.

With all of these setbacks, they stillmanaged to place 16th at the 1975 DCIChampionships in Philadelphia, a substantialimprovement over their 34th-place finish theyear before.

In 1970, the Optimists of York Torontoagreed to establish a color guard of girls, theOptimiss, which operated outside the corps.In 1972, the guard merged with the corps andthe Optimists became a co-ed corps. Shortlythereafter, girls were admitted to the bugleline, but it was not until 1976 that a girljoined the percussion section.

In 1975, Tierney once again becamedirector. Major financial commitments hadto be made. New bugles were needed and theuniforms had to be completely replaced.

During the same period, Optimists werecarrying on negotiations with the SenecaPrincemen about a proposed merger. Bothcorps had a membership of approximately 70,not enough to progress into the DCI arena

and too young for the Princemen to field thecorps they wanted. Princemen DirectorWolfgang Petschka felt the merger wouldbenefit both corps.

The decision to go ahead was made earlyin 1976 and the two merged corps becameknown as the Seneca Optimists. Many of theyounger members left for the Cardinals, butthe new Seneca Optimists were 128 strong,with an enthusiastic membership anddedicated and knowledgeable instructors.

Themergerprovided thebugles thatwere neededand surplusequipmentalsoprovidedsome of theneeded cash.Along withWintariofunds fromthe Ontariogovernment,this covered the cost of new uniforms in anew color -- bright yellow -- not previouslyidentified with either of the corps.

In 1976, the corps was a contender forDCI honors. The directorship laid out achallenging contest schedule, competing 15times and finishing 12th at DCI inPhiladelphia. In 1977, the momentum wasmaintained, competing 27 times andfinishing ninth at DCI in Denver, CO. Thefollowing season the corps lost more thanhalf its membership and the potential of thecorps was dismal.

The Krescendos of Peterborough had justdecided to withdraw from competition thatsummer and volunteered to loan theirmembers to the Seneca Optimists for thesummer. The corps went into a crashprogram of rehearsal.

Despite efforts of all concerned, it was not

to be. The corps finished 24th at the DCIChampionships. Following that season, themembers of Krescendos returned toPeterborough. Seneca had a poor recruitingprogram that year and, although practicingcontinued in the fall season, with the comingof the chilly winter months it was all over.

The corps actively competed for 22 years,merged twice, changed uniforms four times,changed names three times, started threefeeder corps and one color guard unit, won

15 nationalchampionshipsand wasamong the top12 in theworld on twooccasions.� Toronto Signals“Sigs” as

they areaffectionatelyknown, havebeenperforming foraudiences

throughout Canada and the United Statessince 1926.

Originally known as the 2nd SignalRegiment, this band was the first toinaugurate the one-valve trumpet (they havesince moved to a two-valve instrument),along with the bell lyre, into the trumpet andbugle band program of that era.

Continuing to lead in their field, this bandalso introduced the sound of three-partharmony in trumpet band music to Canadianaudiences. Then known as the 2nd ArmouredDivisional Signals Regiment, subsequentchanges in the merging of 2nd and 8thSignals Regiment brought about the name ofthe Toronto Signals Regiment.

In 1959, the band left the Canadian armyto form the famed drum corps Canada’sMarching Ambassadors who wherewell-known in Canada and the United States.Since the integration of the Canadian armedforces in the late 1960s, Sigs have carried onas a voluntary organization, maintaining therich tradition and heritage of their formermembers and today still march as duty bandto the 709 (Toronto) CommunicationsRegiment of the Canadian armed forces.

This band has participated in many eventsin both Canada and the United States,including participation in the CoronationCeremonies for Her Majesty the Queen heldin Ottawa and the famous Calgary StampedeParade in the province of Alberta.

They were the only Canadian band toappear three times in the Fourth of Julycelebrations in Milwaukee and theyperformed at Canada’s CentennialCelebrations, touring Northern Ontario.They also performed at Ontario’s 200th-yearcelebration tattoo with Her Majesty theQueen in attendance.

The mayor and council for Torontobestowed the honor of “Signals TrumpetBand Day” with a presentation of keys to the

Seneca Optimists, Toronto, ONT, 1977 (photo by Dick Deihlfrom the collection of Drum Corps World).

Toronto Signals, Toronto, ONT, 2001, at the DCA “Alumni Spectacular” in Scranton, PA(photo by David Rice from the collection of Drum Corps World).

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philosophy of the Ventures has been to growat a slow, steady pace. As the age andmaturity of the Ventures increases, so doesthe program.

With seven Provincial and three NortheastGuard Circuit titles, as well as three WGIRegional wins, the Ventures’ winter guardshave firmly established their name.� Viscounts

It all happened one year in 1887 with theforming of the Royal Hamilton Light InfantryBugle Band. Then in 1959, under FrederickJ. Hawkes, bugle major of the R.H.L.I., theViscounts senior drum corps was created.This resulted in dual organizations underone roof.

Although they met all militaryrequirements, the dual situation gave rise toa number of objections from the militarycommand. This eventually resulted in theseparation of the Viscounts from the militiain 1961.

In their first year of senior competition,the Viscounts placed in the top five at theNew York-Canadian Championships inRochester, NY. They went on and competedin many events in their short four-yearexistence across the Northeastern UnitedStates and Canada.

In 1963, because of financial problems,the corps came to an end and amalgamatedwith the Jesters of Toronto to form a neworganization know as the CanadianCommanders.

It was a fitting end and a greatbeginning to two of Canada’s great drumcorps.� York Lions

The York Lions Drum and Bugle Corps, anoffshoot from the original 180th MosquitoSquadron Air Cadets, perennial Canadianjunior champions, was organized in 1961.The program was sponsored by the YorkLions Club of York Township, a suburb ofToronto.

Their competition affiliations were withthe Canadian Drum Corps Association andthe the New York-Canadian Association. TheYork Lions’ titles included LionsInternational Champions, 1963; OntarioJunior B Champions, 1963; National Junior BChampions, 1963; and fourth place in thejunior A championship in 1964.

York Lions Drum Corps, also known asthe White Knights, had a relatively short butlively existence. Formed in 1961 anddisbanded in 1966, the corps managed tocram a lot of travel and improvement intowhat was really five short competitiveseasons.

The corps would not have existed withoutits founder and driving force, Doug Saunders.He was the director of the Leaside Lions, alsocalled the Jungle Kings. He was instrumentalin convincing the York Lions Club to start anew drum corps in what was then theBorough of York. The York Lions Club hadpreviously sponsored a bugle band in 1942called the 202 Squadron RCAF York LionsBugle Band, which evolved into the verysuccessful 180th Mosquito Squadron Air

Even though the uniform changed manytimes over the years, the dedication, desire,spirit and pride retained the “Ladies of Gold”as a unique and appealing unit.

The Ventures traveled extensively over theyears, with stops in Washington, Miami, LasVegas, New York and Boston. In the late1980s, the Ventures adopted a sister corps inJapan called the Samanoura Girls Drum

Corps. Both units engaged inmember exchanges, with asmall Venture corps travelingto Osaka, Japan, in 1990 toperform with their sistercorps at the Expo. Eventuallythe Japanese corps changedits name to Ventures to modelits North Americancounterparts.

The Ventures were alwaysknown as trendsetters in thedrum corps activity. In 1984,they became the first unit toplace their entire percussionensemble in the front pitarea. This revolutionary ideapaved the way for a moremusical approach topercussion writing and

expanded new percussion sounds notpreviously heard in a drum corps atmosphere.

The Ventures were also the first corps toadopt uniform changes within a performancewith the multi-colored ponchos, which wereremoved layer by layer. The use of pennantsand a large painted tarp for “Suite Earth”were other Venture innovations.

One of the most successful drum corps inhistory, the Ventures won the DCI WorldChampionships in the class A division fivetimes. They are also the only corps in historyto win both the all-girl and class A titles inthe same season in 1980. In 1986, theVentures made history again when theybecame the first all-girl corps to place inDCI’s prestigious top 25.

In 1981, a feeder unit was established as abaton corps. Within two years the baton unitevolved into a winter color guard program forgirls between the ages of seven and 12. This

junior guard program proved highlysuccessful competitively andgraduated many members into thedrum corps.

Change came about in January1995 when the board of directorsmade the agonizing decision tosuspend operations. Like otherdrum corps of the time, theVentures were faced with thechallenges of finding enough girlsto fill the ranks, as well as increasedoperating costs. The resolution wasto find all existing membersplacement with another local drumcorps, the Kiwanis Kavaliers, and to

continue the operation as a winter guardenterprise.

The junior guard program was firmly inplace and the organization then added asenior program for older members. The

city on the occasion of their 50th year. Invitations have been extended to

participate in the Macy’s Thanksgiving DayParade in New York City, the Tournament ofRoses Parade in Pasadena, CA, and theEdinborough Tattoo in Edinborough,Scotland.

The band has the honor of being chosenthe Canadian National Exhibition WarriorsDay Parade champions on 20occasions since 1969 -- anaward usually reserved forprecision drill teams andnever before won twice byany other unit.

Since the band’sinception in 1926, it has wonmore than 200 awards andhas been acclaimed“Canada’s MarchingAmbassadors.” The bandtoday has maintained thereputation as both aprecision marching unit andsuperb playing group. � United Alumni

The United Alumni Drumand Bugle Corps was formedin September 1998. It wasan off-shoot of an alumni reunion drumcorps formed in January 1998 featuringformer members of the Simcoe Boy ScoutTrumpet Band, Optimists Band, Royal Blues,Simcoe Golden Lions and LakeshoreBrassmen.

All of the corps operated out of Simcoe,ONT, except for the Brassmen, whichoperated out of nearby Port Dover, ONT. Allfive corps originated after the previous corpsdisbanded, beginning with the Scout Band in1953. The corps still performs in Ontario.� Ventures

The Ventures Drum and Bugle Corps wasformed in the fall of 1972 by the late PeterVanderkolff at the request of the chief ofpolice who wanted a youth activity for youngwomen.

Originally, the Ventures wore gold dressesand became affectionately known as “TheLadies in Gold.” The nickname held a special

meaning for each member and was adefinition respected by all. Since that firstseason, thousands of young ladiesexperienced the joys of belonging to theVenture program.

Ventures, Kitchener, ONT, 1981 (photo by Art Luebke from the collection ofDrum Corps World).

United Alumni, Simcoe, ONT, 1999 (photo byRon Da Silva from the collection of DrumCorps World).

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Corps, so they were aware of the needs of acompetitive drum corps and readily providedthe tools necessary to start the new corps.

Throughout the fall of 1961, the corpsbegan rehearsals and recruiting. By the startof the 1962 competitive season, the YorkLions were ready to take to the field.

In the early 1960s, every small town insouthern Ontario seemed to have a drumcorps, usually sponsored by a service club,local branch of the Canadian Legion or someother military-based organization.

York Lions joined this large fraternity,entering in the junior B competitive circuit,an equivalent to today’s division II juniorcorps. There was no touring required in thatera, as corps selected when and where theywished to compete according to theirbudgets.

In the normal traveling circuit were suchcorps as the Brantford Belltones, TrafalgarPatrolmen, Columbus (Toronto) SimcoeOptimists and Hamilton Optimists (later tobecome Hamilton Conqueror). The 1962season ended with the corps finishing third atthe Canadian Nationals.

The summer of 1963 became a greatbuilding year for the corps. The WhiteKnights, as they were beginning to be calleddue to the white uniforms with purple andgold trim, started to dominate the circuit andby the close of the season had captured thejunior B national title.

As a Lions Club-sponsored corps, therewere numerous parade and concertobligations to fulfill. One of the mostdesirable commitments was a trip to theannual Lions International Convention.In 1963, the convention was held in Miami,FL. The corps traveled two days via charterbus to Florida, arriving somewhat worse forthe wear, but nonetheless managing tocapture the coveted parade championship inscorching June heat.

In 1964, it was evident the corps was goodenough to move up to the junior A circuitwith the perennial powerhouses, TorontoOptimists and De La Salle Oaklands. Thecorps was competitive throughout the season,but it turned out to be a humblingexperience as they finished fourth at theCanadian National Championships inWaterloo, ONT.

Toronto Optimists (84), De La SalleOaklands (79) and Sarnia Sertomanaires (77)finished in front of York (72). For the firsttime in its short history, the corps was not ator very close to the top.

Again the corps was fortunate to besponsored by the Lions Club as it traveled toLos Angeles, CA, for the internationalconvention, where it again captured thebest parade unit title. Of course, the LionsClub did not cover the total cost of all thesetrips. Corps members sold chocolate barsand raffle tickets, and conducted variousother fund-raising activities to help defray thecosts.

The 1965 season was a truly watershedyear for the corps. With enhancedinstruction, professional musical scores from

some of the activities’ finest and an influx ofpersonnel, the corps truly became a seriouscontender.

Help came from such esteemed sources asFred Johnston, Ted Key, Vinnie Radford andJohn Sazzo, some of whom are now WorldDrum Corps Hall of Famers. The corps againfinished fourth at the Canadian Nationals inToronto’s Varsity Stadium. However, thequality of the corps had risen significantlyand the gaps between first and fourth hadshrunk considerably.

Sarnia Sertomanaires had, unfortunately,left the scene, but a new corps called CadetsLaSalle filled the opening quite nicely andproved to be a strong contender, finishingthird. The big Lions Club trip of 1965 turnedout to be a little anticlimactic as theconvention was held in Toronto that year.Nonetheless, the corps again took top honorsand participated in many local publicappearances over the Lions Club week.

The summer of 1966 was the last year ofthe corps’ existence. It was another greatseason. When you are No. 4, it takes a lot ofrecruiting, a lot of things going just right anda big load of talent to knock off the big guns.The corps worked extremely hard, but fellshort in its quest to overtake the top three.However, it did obtain a fourth straightchampionship title at the Lions InternationalConvention in New York City.

At the Canadian Nationals, the scores wereOptimists, 86.1; De La Salle Oaklands, 82.35;Sertomanaires, 78.45; and York Lions, 74.95.The contest was held at Montreal’s AutostadeStadium, which was built for the upcoming1967 Olympics.

A few old White Knights felt that York hadedged out DEL at the Port Hope competitionin 1966. However, newly found score sheetsof the 1966 show say Optimists, 78.2; De LaSalle Oaklands, 71.0; and York, 70.85. True,they were only 0.15 away, but that mighthave been the closest York ever got todefeating the Oaklands. Regardless, it wasstill a great year.

The corps folded after the 1966 seasonwith its members spreading throughout thelocal drum corps market. Some went toToronto Optimists and De La Salle to finishtheir junior careers. Others went to localsenior corps such as Canada’s MarchingAmbassadors and Canadian Commanders.Some would say the win by Ambassadors atthe 1967 Nationals in Ottawa was heavilyinfluenced the by the influx of well-trainedYork personnel.

The corps foldeddue to the heavycosts associatedwith running adrum corps in thelate 1960s. TheYork Lions Clubreactivated itsmusicalinvolvement withthe York Lions SteelDrum Band a fewyears later. This

group was another Saunders endeavor asDoug’s brother, Don (who was also anassistant director with the White Knights),was a prime mover in this new activity.

The steel drum band still performs atparades all over the continent, including arecent performance for Queen Elizabeth inToronto.

Little information was readily available toinclude in this chapter about the followingcorps:� Belltones

Brantford -- 1960 Canadian National Champion, 1960 provincial champion, feeder corps for the Brantford Girls

� BluenotesPickering

� Bluewater BridgemenSarnia

� Cardinal CadetsScarborough

� ChessmenPrescott

� ChessmenSt. Catherines

� CoachmenKeswick -- folded in 1972, folded in 1977

� CompagnonsEmbrum/Ottawa

� Etobickoke KnightsEtobicoke -- feeder corps for the Optimists

� Georgian LancersOwen Sound

� GuardsmenWindsor -- founded in 1974, folded in 1977

Compagnons, Ottawa, ONT, approximately 1973 (photo fromthe collection of Drum Corps World).

Guardsmen, Windsor, ONT, approximately 1978 (photo from the collection of Drum Corps World).

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Mark Ripleystarted in NavyLeague Cadets atthe age of 10,playing the snaredrum. At 12, hegraduated to theRoyal Canadian

Sea Cadet Corps “AdmiralMountbatten” where he got hisfirst taste of playing a bugle.

While the Cadets and BlueSaints were participating insimilar community events, hisappetite for playing grew. At 18,he hung up his military uniformand put on the white and blueuniform of the Blue Saints.Already having experience onthe bugle, he started out as alead soprano.

In 1983 and 1984, he marched in twocorps: the Blue Saints and the ImperialKnights senior corps.

In 1985, he took on a staff position withthe Blue Saints to give something back to thecommunity and also marched with theOntario All-Star Drum & Bugle Corps. In1986-1988, he marched with the GuelphRoyalaires senior corps, returning to theBlue Saints from 1988-1991 as brassinstructor.

Having seen the Blue Saints finally makeit to the DCI World Championships in 1990,he took several years off, settled down andstarted a family.

After his daughter begged him, he allowedher to join the Blue Saints in 1999. Whilevowing to himself that he would not gettotally involved, he is more involved thanever and now his son is also involved.

When not occupied with drum and buglecorps activities, he is an avid fan of all drumcorps, traveling to as many shows as geo-graphically possible each season.

� HilltoppersRichmond Hill

� HylightersEtobicoke

� ImperialsLondon

� ImperialsWoodstock

� KinsmenEast Scarborough -- founded in January 1972.

� Lions of LondonLondon

� Marching SaintsCarleton Place -- founded in 1965, competed in junior “B” for seven years, folded in 1972

� Niagara RegionnairesSt. Catherines -- senior corps, competed at the DCA level in the early 1980s

� Oshawa RebelsOshawa -- founded in 1977, changed name to Northwind and folded in 1996 following an appearance at the DCI Championships in Orlando, FL

� PatrolettesHamilton

� PirettesParkdale -- all-girl corps sponsored by the Lions Club

� Royal KnightsCambridge

� RoyalsSt. Thomas

� SenoritasStoney Creek

� SkyraidersDon Mills

� TrojansWelland

Regionnaires, Niagara, ONT, 1982 (photo from the collection of Drum Corps World).

(Above) Oshawa Rebels, Oshawa, ONT, 1987 (photo by Roger Ellis from the collection of Drum Corps World); (below left) Northwind,Oshawa, ONT, 1996 (photo by Ron Walloch from the collection of Drum Corps World).

HMCS Ontario Sea Cadets, 1988, one of a number of youth military-affiliated drum and bugle corps that still exist in theprovince of Ontario (photo by Don Daber from the collection of Drum Corps World).

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