Chris Toner has been an Optimist most of his adult life. He joined in his early twenties, and today is one of the club’s senior members… but remains a “friend of youth”. The local club is somewhat unique in that it remains an all-male organization, while the companion club, the Arnprior Optimistic Women’s Club is the first so-chartered by Optimist International. Another aspect that differentiates the Arnprior Optimist Club is that all monies raised locally is spent locally; the club does not advantage itself of any shared opportunities with the International body. The signature event of the local club is January’s Arnprior Optimist Winter Carnival- perhaps soon to be rivalled by the Town’s Santa Claus Parade, which the club accepted organizational responsibilities for in 2025.
