 At the turn of the century Toronto was nicknamed "The Belfast of Canada".Historian Hereward Senior has noted that the Orange Order’s political ideal was expressed in the word “ascendancy.”
"This meant, in effect, control of the volunteer militia, of much of the machinery of local government, and substantial influence with the Dublin administration.Above all, it meant the ability to exert pressure on magistrates and juries which gave Orangemen a degree of immunity from the law.