Leslie Howard Saunders
Encyclopedia
Leslie Howard Saunders (1899 - March 30, 1994) was Mayor of Toronto from 1954 to 1955 and the last member of the Orange Order
to hold the position until William Dennison
. He also served as Mayor of East York
in 1976.
at the age of six. He began his working career in Northern Ontario
with the Ontario Northland Railway
. A trade union
ist, he became president of his local union and once ran as a Labour candidate for North Bay
's city council. He served in World War I
and subsequently became Secretary-General of the Great War Veteran's Association in North Bay helping raise money for a war memorial.
, joining the Order in 1918. He had a 37 year long political career which began in North Bay where he served as an alderman for six years. He and his family moved to Toronto
in 1928 and, during the Great Depression
, Saunders became Business Manager of the The Sentinel, the Orange Order's influential, twice-weekly publication. In 1936, Saunders founded a rival publication, Protestant Action, as he felt The Sentinel was not taking a strong enough stand against Catholic
-run Separate School
s. Saunders himself entered politics being elected first as a school board trustee and then as an alderman in the 1942 election
.
The council that Saunders joined was dominated by the Orange Order. 16 out of 23 members were Orangemen. Saunders was considerably more radical in his Orangeism than his fellows. He at times refused to stand for O Canada
, arguing the monarchist God Save the King and the Maple Leaf Forever were Canada's true anthems. In 1946 he led a campaign against the city holding a public welcoming for newly proclaimed Cardinal James Charles McGuigan. Saunders argued that Catholics had no right to parade through the streets of what was a "Protestant City." He also led a letter writing campaign against the Encyclopedia Americana
, for what he argued was a biased article on the Orange Order. The campaign was a success and the volume was recalled and replaced with an article written by Saunders himself.
Saunders was chairman of the city committee which established Regent Park
as Canada's first public housing
project.
In 1945, Saunders attempted to win the Progressive Conservative
nomination for Riverdale
, but he lost narrowly to his fellow Ward 1 alderman Gordon Millen
. Saunders then tried to win election to the Board of Control
. He received no major newspaper endorsements and in both the 1945
and 1946 elections
failed to win a seat. In 1947 he won back his old seat on city council he served there for two years before trying again for the Board of Control. In the 1949 election
he was endorsed by all three daily papers and won a seat on the Board.
. When mayor Allan Lamport resigned to become head of the TTC
, Saunders was appointed mayor. Saunders caused almost immediate controversy when one of his first acts was to write a Twelfth of July letter on official stationery extolling William of Orange
's victory in the Battle of the Boyne
. Controller Roy Belyea, a fellow Orangeman, criticized Saunders for his action accusing him of being intolerant of religious minorities.
The Mayor's letter was reprinted in the press prompting him to be vilified in editorials. The controversy, along with Saunders's decision to bar the press from attending meetings of the Board of Control, was a contributing factor in his subsequent electoral defeat at the hands of Nathan Phillips
, the first non-Protestant, the first non-Orangeman in the twentieth century and first Jew to be mayor of Toronto. During the election, Saunders had proclaimed himself to be running as "Leslie Saunders, Protestant". In pointed contrast to Saunders, Phillips was hailed as "Mayor of all the people".
Forty members of the Orange Order had become Mayor in Toronto's history, including all of Toronto's mayors in the twentieth century up to and including Saunders. Subsequent to his defeat, Saunders became Grand Master of the Orange in Canada and Imperial Grand President but was unable to stem the decline of the Order, particularly amongst youth, in what was becoming an increasingly multicultural, non-sectarian city.
. He was elected to the East York council in 1961, where he became a fixture. n 1976, argued against holding a Flag Day to commemorate the tenth anniversary of the Maple Leaf Flag replacing the Canadian Red Ensign
as Canada's flag.
He finally did serve as the borough's chief magistrate in 1976 when he became interim mayor, appointed to complete the term of Willis Blair upon his appointment to the Ontario Municipal Board
. He was re-elected to council as an alderman for a final term before retiring in 1978.
Orange Order in Canada
The Orange Order is a Protestant fraternal organisation based predominantly in Northern Ireland and Scotland, and has lodges in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Ghana, Togo, the U.S.A, etc..-History:...
to hold the position until William Dennison
William Dennison
William Dennison or Denison may refer to:*William Dennison , 18th-century Master of University College, Oxford*William Dennison, Jr. , American politician, Governor of Ohio and U.S...
. He also served as Mayor of East York
East York
East York can refer to:*East York, Pennsylvania, United States*East York, Ontario, Canada...
in 1976.
Early life
Saunders was born in London, Ontario and moved with his family to North Bay, OntarioNorth Bay, Ontario
North Bay is a city in Northeastern Ontario, Canada. It is the seat of Nipissing District, and takes its name from its position on the shore of Lake Nipissing.-History:...
at the age of six. He began his working career in Northern Ontario
Northern Ontario
Northern Ontario is a region of the Canadian province of Ontario which lies north of Lake Huron , the French River and Lake Nipissing. The region has a land area of 802,000 km2 and constitutes 87% of the land area of Ontario, although it contains only about 6% of the population...
with the Ontario Northland Railway
Ontario Northland Railway
The Ontario Northland Railway is a Canadian railway operated by the Ontario Northland Transportation Commission, a provincial Crown agency of the government of Ontario....
. A trade union
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
ist, he became president of his local union and once ran as a Labour candidate for North Bay
North Bay, Ontario
North Bay is a city in Northeastern Ontario, Canada. It is the seat of Nipissing District, and takes its name from its position on the shore of Lake Nipissing.-History:...
's city council. He served in World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
and subsequently became Secretary-General of the Great War Veteran's Association in North Bay helping raise money for a war memorial.
Political career
A staunch Salvationist, Saunders was a fervent OrangemanOrange Institution
The Orange Institution is a Protestant fraternal organisation based mainly in Northern Ireland and Scotland, though it has lodges throughout the Commonwealth and United States. The Institution was founded in 1796 near the village of Loughgall in County Armagh, Ireland...
, joining the Order in 1918. He had a 37 year long political career which began in North Bay where he served as an alderman for six years. He and his family moved to Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
in 1928 and, during the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
, Saunders became Business Manager of the The Sentinel, the Orange Order's influential, twice-weekly publication. In 1936, Saunders founded a rival publication, Protestant Action, as he felt The Sentinel was not taking a strong enough stand against Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
-run Separate School
Separate school
In Canada, separate school refers to a particular type of school that has constitutional status in three provinces and statutory status in three territories...
s. Saunders himself entered politics being elected first as a school board trustee and then as an alderman in the 1942 election
Toronto municipal election, 1942
Municipal elections were held in Toronto, Canada, on January 1, 1942. Incumbent Frederick J. Conboy was acclaimed as mayor.-Toronto mayor:For the second election in a row no one chose to run against incumbent Frederick J...
.
The council that Saunders joined was dominated by the Orange Order. 16 out of 23 members were Orangemen. Saunders was considerably more radical in his Orangeism than his fellows. He at times refused to stand for O Canada
O Canada
It has been noted that the opening theme of "O Canada" bears a strong resemblance to the "Marsch der Priester" , from the opera Die Zauberflöte , composed in 1791 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and that Lavallée's melody was inspired by Mozart's tune...
, arguing the monarchist God Save the King and the Maple Leaf Forever were Canada's true anthems. In 1946 he led a campaign against the city holding a public welcoming for newly proclaimed Cardinal James Charles McGuigan. Saunders argued that Catholics had no right to parade through the streets of what was a "Protestant City." He also led a letter writing campaign against the Encyclopedia Americana
Encyclopedia Americana
Encyclopedia Americana is one of the largest general encyclopedias in the English language. Following the acquisition of Grolier in 2000, the encyclopedia has been produced by Scholastic....
, for what he argued was a biased article on the Orange Order. The campaign was a success and the volume was recalled and replaced with an article written by Saunders himself.
Saunders was chairman of the city committee which established Regent Park
Regent Park
Regent Park is a neighbourhood located in Old Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Regent Park is Canada's oldest and largest social housing project; built in the late 1940s. Formerly the centre of the Cabbagetown neighbourhood, it is bounded by Gerrard Street East to the north, River Street to the east,...
as Canada's first public housing
Public housing
Public housing is a form of housing tenure in which the property is owned by a government authority, which may be central or local. Social housing is an umbrella term referring to rental housing which may be owned and managed by the state, by non-profit organizations, or by a combination of the...
project.
In 1945, Saunders attempted to win the Progressive Conservative
Progressive Conservative Party of Canada
The Progressive Conservative Party of Canada was a Canadian political party with a centre-right stance on economic issues and, after the 1970s, a centrist stance on social issues....
nomination for Riverdale
Riverdale, Toronto
Riverdale is a large neighbourhood in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is bounded by the Don River Valley to the west, Danforth Avenue and Greektown to the north, Jones Avenue, the CN/GO tracks, and Leslieville to the east, and Lake Shore Boulevard to the south....
, but he lost narrowly to his fellow Ward 1 alderman Gordon Millen
Gordon Millen
Gordon Millen was a politician from Toronto, Canada. He served several years on city council before being elected as a Member of Provincial Parliament....
. Saunders then tried to win election to the Board of Control
Toronto Board of Control
Toronto Board of Control was a part of the municipal government of Toronto, Canada from 1904 until its abolition in 1969 and served as the executive committee of Toronto City Council. It consisted of four councillors elected city wide and was presided over by the mayor. Each voter could vote for up...
. He received no major newspaper endorsements and in both the 1945
Toronto municipal election, 1945
Municipal elections were held in Toronto, Canada, on January 1, 1945. Controller Robert Hood Saunders defeated incumbent Frederick J. Conboy to be elected mayor.-Toronto mayor:...
and 1946 elections
Toronto municipal election, 1946
Municipal elections were held in Toronto, Canada, on January 1, 1946. Incumbent Robert Hood Saunders was acclaimed as mayor.-Board of Control:One incumbent on the Board of Control lost, William J. Wadsworth. He was defeated by Alderman Bert McKellar...
failed to win a seat. In 1947 he won back his old seat on city council he served there for two years before trying again for the Board of Control. In the 1949 election
Toronto municipal election, 1949
Municipal elections were held in Toronto, Canada, on January 1, 1949. Hiram E. McCallum was elected to his first full term as mayor.-Toronto mayor:...
he was endorsed by all three daily papers and won a seat on the Board.
Mayor
Saunders topped the Board of Control vote in the 1953 electionToronto municipal election, 1953
Municipal elections were held in Toronto, Canada, on December 7, 1953. Incumbent mayor Allan Lamport won an unexpectedly close race against school board trustee Arthur Young.-Toronto mayor:...
. When mayor Allan Lamport resigned to become head of the TTC
Toronto Transit Commission
-Island Ferry:The ferry service to the Toronto Islands was operated by the TTC from 1927 until 1962, when it was transferred to the Metro Parks and Culture department. Since 1998, the ferry service is run by Toronto Parks and Recreation.-Gray Coach:...
, Saunders was appointed mayor. Saunders caused almost immediate controversy when one of his first acts was to write a Twelfth of July letter on official stationery extolling William of Orange
William III of England
William III & II was a sovereign Prince of Orange of the House of Orange-Nassau by birth. From 1672 he governed as Stadtholder William III of Orange over Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht, Guelders, and Overijssel of the Dutch Republic. From 1689 he reigned as William III over England and Ireland...
's victory in the Battle of the Boyne
Battle of the Boyne
The Battle of the Boyne was fought in 1690 between two rival claimants of the English, Scottish and Irish thronesthe Catholic King James and the Protestant King William across the River Boyne near Drogheda on the east coast of Ireland...
. Controller Roy Belyea, a fellow Orangeman, criticized Saunders for his action accusing him of being intolerant of religious minorities.
The Mayor's letter was reprinted in the press prompting him to be vilified in editorials. The controversy, along with Saunders's decision to bar the press from attending meetings of the Board of Control, was a contributing factor in his subsequent electoral defeat at the hands of Nathan Phillips
Nathan Phillips (politician)
Nathan Phillips, KC was a Canadian politician and popular Mayor of Toronto, Ontario.-Early life:Born in Brockville, Ontario, the son of Jacob Phillips and Mary Rosenbloom, he was educated in public and high schools in Cornwall. In 1908, he articled with the Cornwall lawyer, Robert Smith, who later...
, the first non-Protestant, the first non-Orangeman in the twentieth century and first Jew to be mayor of Toronto. During the election, Saunders had proclaimed himself to be running as "Leslie Saunders, Protestant". In pointed contrast to Saunders, Phillips was hailed as "Mayor of all the people".
Forty members of the Orange Order had become Mayor in Toronto's history, including all of Toronto's mayors in the twentieth century up to and including Saunders. Subsequent to his defeat, Saunders became Grand Master of the Orange in Canada and Imperial Grand President but was unable to stem the decline of the Order, particularly amongst youth, in what was becoming an increasingly multicultural, non-sectarian city.
East York
Saunders subsequently became politically active in the Toronto suburb of East York, running for reeve in 1960, only to be defeated by True DavidsonTrue Davidson
Jean Gertrude Davidson, CM , the first mayor of the Borough of East York, Ontario, was one of Toronto’s most colourful politicians in a career spanning nearly 25 years...
. He was elected to the East York council in 1961, where he became a fixture. n 1976, argued against holding a Flag Day to commemorate the tenth anniversary of the Maple Leaf Flag replacing the Canadian Red Ensign
Canadian Red Ensign
The Canadian Red Ensign is the former flag of Canada, used by the federal government though it was never adopted as official by the Parliament of Canada. It is a British Red Ensign, featuring the Union Flag in the canton, defaced with the shield of the Coat of Arms of Canada.-History:The Red Ensign...
as Canada's flag.
He finally did serve as the borough's chief magistrate in 1976 when he became interim mayor, appointed to complete the term of Willis Blair upon his appointment to the Ontario Municipal Board
Ontario Municipal Board
The Ontario Municipal Board is an independent administrative board, operated as an adjudicative tribunal, in the province of Ontario, Canada...
. He was re-elected to council as an alderman for a final term before retiring in 1978.