President Theodore Roosevelt was an avid hunter, and he was invited on a bear hunting trip. To insure the President did not go home empty handed, his hosts tied a bear to a tree.

But Roosevelt did not have the heart to shoot the helpless animal. When the press heard the story, the Washington Star ran a cartoon featuring Roosevelt and a cowering bear cub. Brooklyn toy salesman Morris Mitchom promptly created a stuffed bear that he displayed alongside the cartoon in his storefront window.

And he even got Roosevelt's permission to use the name that would become a favourite of children everywhere. The Teddy Bear.

HISTORY OF THE TEDDY BEAR AS A SYMBOL OF THE AVRIL ELIZABETH HOME

Through the wonderful fundraising effort by volunteers from the Eastern Caledonian Society, a ball was arranged around the theme of "The Teddy Bears' Picnic". Following this, it was decided to adopt the teddy bear as the symbol of the Avril Elizabeth Home and to incorporate it into the logo, symbolizing the love and care provided to the residents at the Home.