The Defeat of the Orange Order in Toronto
The Orange Order almost exclusively ruled “Toronto the Good” up to the late 1950s or early 60s. It is said that nearly every Mayor of Toronto was an Orangeman, and they also made up the majority of City Councils. The last Mayor in the unbroken line or Orangemen was Leslie Saunders (left), who was Mayor of Toronto from 1954~1955. Saunders was rather staunch in his Orangeism by the standards of the 50’s. He was defeated by Nathan Phillips (right), who just so happened to be Toronto’s First Jewish Mayor, who’s slogan was “Mayor of all the people.” Phillips broke the line of Anglo-Protestant rule over Canada’s “Queen City” and initiated Toronto’s transition into a Multicultural and non-sectarian city and began the process of extensive urban remodelling. It seems like Toronto was all down hill from there on.