HFFDC's Members Origins

The Hamilton Firefighters Drum Corps membership and alumni is comprised of ex-members of the following musical organizations. Many of these drum corps no longer exist. The HFFDC keeps their memory alive through its activities, memories and camaraderie of the membership.

The body of experience in the Firefighters, and most of their past instructional staff comes from, basically three organizations, the Royal Hamilton Light Infantry Bugle Band, the Viscounts Senior Drum Corps and the Canadian Commanders Senior Drum Corps. In 1960 the RHLI Bugle Band and the Viscounts Drum Corps were one and the same organization. The Viscounts left the militia, en masse, in 1961. For four years they competed in the pre-DCA drum corps scene, with corps such as Reilly Raiders, Archer-Epler Musketeers, Geneva Appleknockers, the Princemen, Niagara Memorial Militaires, Canada's Marching Ambassadors, Guelph Royalaires, Jolly Jesters, Hawthorne Caballeros, Skyliners, etc, etc.

In 1964, the Jolly Jesters and the Viscounts amalgamated into the Canadian Commanders, forming up to that point in time, the largest senior drum corps ever to take the field. Many of these old RHLI, Viscounts and Commanders are alive and well in the Firefighters today.

Nine of the original Viscounts are still marching with the Firefighters; 28 ex-Royal Hamilton Light Infantry Bugle Bandsmen are still marching with the Firefighters; 11 ex-Guelph Royalaires are still marching with the Firefighters; 15 ex-Commanders are still marching with the Firefighters.

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Last Updated on February 13, 2004 by Peter Mason