Robert Hood Saunders was the 48th Mayor of Toronto who was best known for helping to start the wildly-popular Elmer the Elephant Safety program almost 75-years ago.
Saunders was dubbed ‘Grassroots Bob’ by residents for his down-to-earth style when he was elected Mayor from 1945 to 1948.
He was first elected alderman for Ward 4 in 1935 and 1936 and served on the Toronto Board of Control. He was elected Mayor in January 1945 and was re-elected in 1946, 1947 and ’48. Ward 4 now includes large tracts of South Etobicoke.
A lawyer by trade, Grassroots Bob was at one time the President of the Canadian National Exhibition and Chairman of Ontario Hydro, where he went on to do great things and had a facility named after him. He was also a member of the Orange Order in Canada.
He helped to start the Elmer the Safety Elephant program to teach young children to remain safe after a trip to Detroit in 1946.
Grassroots Bob pitched the Elmer idea to an editor at The Toronto Evening Telegram newspaper, who agreed to sponsor the program with Toronto Police. They chose an elephant mascot because of the animal’s legendary memory.
Elmer the Safety Elephant was born in 1947. That year, his impact was dramatic. Traffic collisions among Toronto children dropped an astonishing 44 per cent, even though vehicle registrations increased by 10 per cent.
Back then accidental injuries were a leading cause of death and hospitalization for Canadian children up to age 19. The role of Elmer the Safety Elephant was to teach young children how to stay safe.
From the day Elmer appeared, he was an instant hit with kids. Over the years, his image has changed to maintain a positive impact on young children.
As the Safety Elephant’s fame grew, other Ontario communities asked for the program. Demand became so strong that the Telegram, owner of the copyright, authorized the Ontario Safety League to administer the program in Ontario outside Toronto. Elmer’s fame grew by leaps and bounds to encompass schools throughout that province.
By the 1960s, with requests for Elmer pouring in from other provinces, the Canadian Highway Safety Council was asked to assume administration of the program on a national level.
In 1968 that Council amalgamated with two other organizations to become the Canada Safety Council. When The Telegram ceased publication in 1971, the Canada Safety Council negotiated the transfer of all rights to the program. The Canada Safety Council currently holds the trademark and copyright for Elmer the Safety Elephant.
After his resignation as mayor, Saunders became chairman of the Ontario Hydro commission and one of his mandates was developing Ontario’s waterpower resources, especially the massive St. Lawrence Seaway and Power Project, which he did successfully.
Grassroots Bob died in 1955 at the young age of 52. He was travelling on Ontario Hydro business when the ice-encrusted Grumman Mallard aircraft in which he was a passenger crashed while approaching the London, Ontario airport. He succumbed to his injuries.