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Walter Saunders (1901 — October 5, 1969) was a municipal politician in York, a municipality of Metropolitan Toronto who was a member of the township council throughout the 1950s and 1960s, including one year as reeve (mayor), also sitting on Metropolitan Toronto Council.[1]
He was born in Nantwich, England and came to Canada with his family in 1906 and had served in World War I.[1][2]
Saunders was first elected to York Township Council in 1950, after spending six years as a school trustee, including two years as school board chairman.[3] He gained a reputation as "watchdog of the treasury" and an opponent of property tax increases, particularly due to their impact on senior citizens living on a fixed income.[1] While serving as councillor for Ward 2, the township council voted Saunders in as reeve in January 1962 to complete the term of Frederick Charles Taylor, who had died in office. He had previously run for reeve in 1955, when was defeated by 300 votes,[4] and again in 1956 when he was defeated by 935 votes.[3][5] As reeve, Saunders favoured the construction of "posh" high-rise apartments in order to generate new property tax revenue, opposed the planned Spadina Expressway as a "waste of money", and favoured "some kind of amalgamation" among the municipalities of Metropolitan Toronto.[5] He began using an answering service a few weeks after becoming reeve because "cranks" and "crackpots" calling him at home at all hours of the night were robbing him of his sleep.[6] A travel agent by profession, who had also worked as a printer, Saunders had run for reeve in previous general elections but had not been successful. Saunders did not run for the position of reeve in the December 3, 1962 Toronto municipal election and was instead elected in his previous position as councillor until retiring in 1964. He returned to council as alderman in the 1966 municipal election and remained on council until his death from cancer in October 1969.[1][3] Walter Saunders Memorial Park along the York Beltline Trail between Dufferin Street and Times Road is named after him.
References
edit- ^ a b c d "Walter Saunders, 'treasury' watchdog", Toronto Daily Star (1900-1971); Toronto, Ontario. 06 Oct 1969: B36.
- ^ "Alderman dies", Weston Times', October 9, 1969, pg 5
- ^ a b c "Was York reeve from 1961 to '64, then alderman", The Globe and Mail (1936-); Toronto, Ont.. 06 Oct 1969: 11
- ^ "To Fill Out Taylor Term: Saunders Chosen Caretaker Reeve". The Globe and Mail (1936-); Toronto, Ont.. 03 Jan 1962: 5.
- ^ a b "New York Township Reeve Favors 'Posh' Apartments". Toronto Daily Star, pg 19. January 3, 1962. ProQuest 1425996182. Retrieved June 27, 2021.
- ^ Answer Service Provided Reeve As Crank Shield The Globe and Mail (1936-); Toronto, Ont.. 30 Jan 1962: 3.
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