The Masonic student, as well as the youngest Mason in this gathering,
\nmight reasonably ask, “When did Freemasonry first make its appearance in
\norganized form in the West?” We take the enquirer back to the days when the
\nonly settlement in the West was centered at “The Forks” and extended about
\ntwenty miles in each direction along the banks of the Red and the
\nAssiniboine Rivers. There was no town, no village, no organized
\nmunicipality and the place or rather the district was known to the outside
\nworld as Red River Settlement. Where the City of Winnipeg stands today and
\nwhere the McDermott, the Bannatyne, the Ross and the Logans homesites – and
\nthe prospect of opening a Masonic Lodge under such circumstances would seem
\nhopeless. In all, there were probably ten dwellng houses adjacent to the
\nlocation known to day as Portage and Main.<\/p>\n
During the latter part of the summer of 1863 and the early fall of that
\nyear, Hatch’s Independent Battalion of Calvary, Minnesota Volunteers, was
\norganized for the express purpose of securing the Sioux Indians who had been
\nin revolt in 1862-63. The military establishment was sent to the
\nInternational border and located at Pembina in Dakota Territory. Among the
\ntroops were a number of Freemasons and under the leadership of C. W. Nash,
\nwho became the Worshipful Master, a dispensation was obtained from the Grand
\nLodge of Minnesota to open Northern Light Lodge at Pembina.<\/p>\n
At the time this dispensation was issued the Grand Master of the Grand
\nLodge of Minnesota appears to have had a vision of the future. From a
\nletter written by the first Master – C. W. Nash, we read, “the prayer of the
\npetition was granted; the Grand Master remarked that by this step the
\nbrethren of Fort Garry would be ble to secure, what for long time had been
\ntheir desire. “That it would open the door to those who were worthy and
\nwell qualified. That it was hoped and expected that there would be a
\nsufficient number apply for the degrees who were permanent residents of Fort
\nGarry and vicinity to warrant the planting of a Lodge there, whenever the
\ntroops were moved away. If this should be the case the brethren upon a
\nproper petition were to have a petition issued.”<\/p>\n
The original Northern Light Lodge held its inaugural meeting early in
\nJanuary 1864 using the officers’ quarters for a lodge room. Five months
\nlater, on may 8th, the soldiers were moved to Fort Abercrombie, and all the
\npapers, records, petitions and documents along with the dispensation were
\nreturned to the Grand Lodge of Minnesota.<\/p>\n
Reference has been made to “the brethren” then residing in Fort Garry
\n(1863). This matter has intrigued me because of account of the isolated
\nlocation and the lack of transportation facilities, it was impossible for
\nthe residents to become members of a lodge. If there were any masons they
\nmust have been recent settlers who had been made in other centres. A little
\nresearch discloses that Dr. John C. Schultz had been initiated prior to his
\ncoming to Red River in 1860 and at the first meeting of the (military) lodge
\nat Pembina he occupied the Junior Deacon’s chair. Another Freemason was
\nCharles Curtis, then a resident at Sturgeon Creek, who was employed in
\nbuilding the log huts for the soldiers at Pembina. A third brother in the
\nperson of Matthew Connor was also at Red River. This was the entire Masonic
\npopulation in March, 1864, when this news item appeared in the “Nor
\nWestern” – the first newspaper to be published int the West and edited by
\nWilliam Coldwel, the Secretary of the Lodge when it was instituted.
\n“A party from the Settlement proceeded to Pembina
\na few weeks since to join the Masonic Order, through
\nthe Lodge estblished there. They took the necessary
\ndegrees to qualify them to open a Lodge here, which
\nit is their intention to do on receipt of a dispensation
\nfrom the Grand Lodge, applicaton for which has already
\nbeen made.”<\/p>\n
It is evident the petitioners received all three degrees at the one
\nmeeting; such a procedure was not uncommon, a century ago. The candidates
\nwho participated in this eventful meeting were A.G.B. Bannatyne, William
\nInkster, W.B.Hall, Robert Morgan and William Coldwell.<\/p>\n
Within two months from the day of this memorable visit to Pembina a
\npetition was submitted to the Grand Lodge of Minnesota, as follows:-
\n“The undersigned petitioners being Amcient Free, and
\nAccepted Masons, having the prosperity of the fraternity
\nat heart, and willing to exert their best endeavours to
\npromote and diffuse the genuine principles of Masonry
\nrespectfully represent that they are desirous of forming
\na new Lodge int he Red River Settlement, Ruper’s Land to be
\nnamed Northern Light Lodge; they further pray for
\nletters of dispensation, or a warrant of constitution, to
\nempower them to assemble as a legal lodge to discharge
\nthe duties of Masonry in a regular and constitutional
\nmanner, according to the original forms of the order, and
\nthe regulations of the Grand Lodge.
\nThey have nominated and recommended Brother
\nJohn Schultz, to be the first Master, Andrew G. B.
\nBannatyne, to be the first Senior Warden, and William
\nInkster, to be the first Junior Warden of the Lodge.
\nIf the prayer of the petition is granted,the promise a
\nstrict conformity to the constitution, laws and regulations,
\nof the Grand Lodge.
\nAndrew G.B.Bannatyne
\nWilliam Inkster
\nCharles Curtis
\nW. B. Hall
\nRobert Morgan
\nAssinboia, William Coldwell
\nBritish America, John Schultz
\n27th April, 1864 Matthew Connor<\/p>\n
The dispensation was issued at St. Paul, Minnesota, under date 20th May,
\n1864 and in connection therewith it is significant that the Grand Master, A.
\nT. C. Pierson, makes this reference in his address. “During the year, I
\nrenewed the dispensation of Northern Light Lodge removing it to the Red
\nRiver Settlement.”<\/p>\n
The inaugural meeting of the newly formed Lodge at Red River Settlement
\nwas held in the lodge room, over the store of A.G.B.Bannatyne, on the
\nevening of November 8th, 1864. This was the first regular meeting of a
\nMasonic Lodge in the Canadian North West.<\/p>\n
It is a sad corollary but we Canadians have been too busy in the advance
\nagainst our huge frontiers to think of the tomorrow and what should be
\nlearned from a backward glance. Our meeting on this occasion is being held
\nin the Province of Manitoba. To many people Manitoba is one of the young
\nmembers of the Dominion with its story beginning in 1870. How many in this
\naudience know that Manitoba is the central portion of a region that has been
\nunder one flag more continuously than any other part of continental North
\nAmerica? It has never been under any other flag than the British since
\nThomas Button arrived at the mouth of the Nelson River in 1612. We have no
\nMasonic records of that far off day and cannot advance any claim to Masonic
\npriority so far back but as Canadians we hold an enviable position.<\/p>\n
However, on the shore of Hudson’s Bay, at Churchill, stand the ruins of
\nFort Prince of Wales, built by the Hudson’s Bay Company, about 1733-34.
\nThere, in the bleak solitude of the North, chiseled on each massive block of
\nstone built into the fortress over two hundred years ago, we can still
\nsee the distinctive individual mark of the operative mason who cut the
\nstone. Were these men speculative as well as operative Masons? Time may
\ngive an affirmative answer, but meantime we must content ourselves with the
\nknowledge that they left their Masonic marks in the stones they cut.<\/p>\n
When we study the period in Western history when “Fur was King” we
\nbecome familiar with the names of the men who blazed trails and established
\ncivilized customs among the nomadic residents. We seldom associate these
\nfur traders with any other activity. But, like ourselves, they did have
\nother interests. One of these individuals was James Findlay, who
\nestablished for himself a reputation as a man of courage and enterprise. He
\nwas the first English speaking trader to penetrate “the lone land” after the
\nFrench. In the year 1767 he located at Neepawie (Nipiwin) said to be the
\nuppermost French post. Twenty-four years afterwards he was in charge of the
\nN.W.Co. and Sir Alexander Mackenzie makes reference to his being in charge
\nof the newly established depot on the Peace River in 1792. His name is
\nperpetuated by one of the northern tributaries of Peace River, called after
\nhim, Findlay River.<\/p>\n
He was chosen one of the twelve “most respectable citizens,” six English
\nand six French, who drew up the articles of capitulation presented to
\nGeneral Montgomery in November, 1775<\/p>\n
Why make reference to these details in this address? James Finlay was a
\nprominent Freemason. We learn that he was constant in his attendance at St.
\nPeter’s Lodge, Montreal in 1771 and from 1776 until his death he held active
\nmembership and occupied the Master’s chair for some time. I believe we can
\nregard him as the first Freemason to travel the western plains of Canada.<\/p>\n
Another individual around whose name many stirring memories gathered was
\nArchibald Norman McLeod, also a pioneer fur trader. He figured largely in
\nthe Seven Oaks affair and it appears he was the moving spirit behind the
\nattempt to drive the Selkirk Settlers away from Red River. His connection
\nwith Freemasonry is also centered in St. Peter’s Lodge, Montreal, which he
\nvisited while sojourning in the City.<\/p>\n
The two Craftsmen we have mentioned were undoubtedly the earliest
\ncontacts made by Freemasons in the West and no other brother appears on the
\nscene until Northern Light Lodge was instituted at Red River in 1864. From
\nthat time onward we have a recorded history. The available material
\nconcerning the pioneer lodge – Northern Light – consists of the original
\ndispensation and minuted book which, however, ends with the meeting held
\n18th April, 1866. During its brief existence the members had been diligent
\nand had intiated 17 members. There must have been a later minute book
\nbecause form another source we learn that on 23rd December 1867, A. G. B.
\nBannatyne was elected Worshipful Master; Thos. Bunn, Senior Warden; and John
\nBunn, Junior Warden. From that date the life and work of Northern Light
\nLodge is obscure. Trouble had developed in the Settlement over the transfer
\nof the territory and it is evident the members quietly decided to suspend
\nactivities and as a result the Lodge never met again. Masonry had, however,
\nbeen introduced in the West.<\/p>\n
There is a connecting link in the story of Freemasonry in the West with
\nthe events leading up to the creation of the Province of Manitoba. Let us
\nbriefly follow through.<\/p>\n
In 1858, the Imperial Government passed the Rupert’s Land Act, to
\nprovide for the surrender of Rupert’s Land to the Crown and negotiations for
\nthe transfer of the rights claimed by the Hudson’s Bay Company began in
\n1869. These arrangements met with a mixed reception at Red River.
\nSuspicion and antagonisms were rampant in certain parts of the district and
\nthese finally developed into the Riel Revellion. Riel was seized Fort Garry
\nin November 1869 and held it until August 1870, when the expedition under
\nLord Wolseley, then a Colonel, arrived and re-established constituted
\nauthority.<\/p>\n
The troops, under Wolseley, left Collingwood, Ontario, on 21st May, 1870
\nand reached Fort Garry on 24th August, 1870. It is not surprising that in a
\nbody of soldiers numbered 750, we find several members of the Masonic Craft
\nattached to the different units. In the course of their journey westward
\nthese men had frequent opportunity to fraternize, to discuss their Masonic
\nexperience and affiliations and doubtless dream dreams for the future.<\/p>\n
When the disbandment of troops took place at Fort Garry, not a few
\ndecided to remain in the West. Within three months after their arrival the
\nFreemasons in the group who did not return east met informally and organized
\n“Winnipeg Lodge” under dispensation. The first meeting of the new Lodge was
\nheld on 10th December, 1870, and a month later it was decided to change the
\nname to “Prince Rupert’s Lodge” which name the Lodge has carried through the
\nsucceeding years. When the Grand Lodge of Canada met in Annual
\nCommunication at Ottawa in 1871 Prince Rupert’s Lodge received its charter
\nand was numbered 240 on the Grand Register.<\/p>\n
It will be recalled that the original Masonic Lodge in Red River
\nSettlement – Northern Light – was an outgrowth from a Lodge, the charter
\nmembers of which were all members of a military establishment at Pembina.
\nIn the case of Prince Rupert’s Lodge it is significant that here again all
\nthe charter members had been connected with the Wolseley Expedition. The
\nWorshipful Master was R. Stewart Paterson, Chaplain of the Forces, Lieut.
\nWilliam N. Kennedy was Senior Warden; Seargeant-Major Matthew Coyne was
\nJunior Warden; and of the others E. Armstrong was Quartermaster, D.M.Walker,
\nLieut. A. R. McDonald, Surgeon, Jas. T. B. Morrice, Paymaster and Henry T.
\nChampion.<\/p>\n
The first Worshipful Master of Prince Rupert’s Lodge retuned to Ontario
\nfive months after he had instituted the Lodge and never came back to
\nWinnipeg. He came into the limelight some ten years later at which time he
\nsought by petition a dispensation to open a lodge at Gibraltar with himself
\nas W.M. The petition carried a rider to the effect that “the place of
\nmeeting should be ultimately removed to some city in Morocco.” The
\ndispensation was issued and the Lodge subsequently received a charter and
\nthe number sixteen (16) on our Register and was designated “El Moghreb al
\nAska Lodge.”<\/p>\n
An immediate objection waws lodged by both the Grand Lodge of England
\nand the Grand Lodge of Scotland. The whole proceedings in our opinion, were
\nirregular.<\/p>\n
An urgent cable was sent to Brother Paterson instructing him not to
\nconstitute the lodge but it arrived too late, the ceremony had already taken
\nplace. Not only had Paterson constituted the lodge but he had convened what
\nhe termed “an occasional Grand Lodge” at which meeting he constituted a
\nTerritorial Lodge. His actions were repudiated by the Grand Logee of
\nManitoba who recalled the charter of the lodge, requested the return of all
\ndocuments and revoked the commission issued to Brotehr Paterson. Our
\nbrother ignored these demands. The Lodge submitted a plea that they were
\ninnocent victims and had not been advised of the pronouncement of Grand
\nLodge. Subsequently the lodge was reinstated in 1890 with the brief
\nstatement “suspended for failure to submit returns.” Evidently the sojourn
\nof Brother Patteson in the wide open spaces of Western Canada had widened hs
\nhorizon and given him ideas when he went to the Mediterranean.<\/p>\n
This episode might be cosidered a digression but it is so closely
\nassociated with Freemasonry in the West these few paragraphs are
\njustifiable.<\/p>\n
The members of Prince Rupert’s Lodge did not long enjoy the distinction
\nof being the only Masonic Lodge in Manitoba. On 20th February 1871,
\n“Manitoba” Lodge under dispensation from the Grand Lodge of Canada, met for
\nthe first time at Lower Fort Garry. This lodge, like its neighbour at
\nWinnipeg, decided to change its name and consequently it became Lisgar Lodge
\nNo. 244, G.R.C. In 1879 the place of meeting was removed to the town of
\nSelkirk where it has worked ever since.<\/p>\n
The influx of new settlers and the enthusiasm of the brethren who had
\nsettled in Winnipeg made it necessary, in the judgment of one group, to
\norganize a second lodge in the City. On December 9th, 1872, Ancient
\nLandmark Lodge was instituted and in due course a charter was issued and the
\nlodge numbered 288 on the Register of the Grand Lodge of Canada.<\/p>\n
These three pioneer lodges did yeoman work under the difficult and
\ntrying conditions of a frontier town. When the Grand Lodge of Manitoba was
\norganized in 1875, by reason of their priority Prince Rupert’s Lodge
\nreceived No. 1, Lisgar Lodge No. 2, and Ancient Landmark Lodge No. 3 on its
\nregister.<\/p>\n
From the earliest times the men who made their homes in this part of our
\nwide Dominion have shown remarkable courage and enterprise. What a vast
\nexpanse of territory came under the jurisdiction of few brethren who
\norganized the Grand Loge of Manitoba. Do we realize today that the men who
\nunfurled the banner of Freemasonry in this land were in truth Empire
\nBuilders. They unquestionably carried their obligation to make daily
\nprogress into practice by building churches, schools, hospitals, and in
\norganizing all the necessary activities required in a civilized community.<\/p>\n
The Red Letter Day in the Masonic history of the West was Wednesday,
\n12th May, 1875, because on that day the Grand Lodge of Manitoba was
\ninstituted. This was a bold adventure. There were only three lodges within
\nthe wide jurisdiction assumed by he young Grand Lodge and the combined
\nmembership was less than 200. The men who directed the course were ready
\nand willing to accept the responsibility of governing not only the three
\nduly constituted lodges but all the future lodges that inevitably would be
\ninstituted across half a continent. Thus sovereign Masonic authority passed
\nfrom the Grand Lodge of Canada (in Ontario) to the Grand Lodge of Manitoba.<\/p>\n
It would appear that four brethren stand out as the prime leaders of the
\nsturdy pioneers who organized the Grand Lodge of Manitoba. William C.
\nClarke, a Scot who had been initiated in True Briton Lodge No. 14, Perth,
\nOntario; he was elected Grand Master. William N. Kennedy, Deputy Grand
\nmaster, had been brought to Masonic Light in Corinthian Lodge No. 101,
\nPeterborough, Ontario. James Henderson, another Scot, hailed from Zetland
\nLodge No. 21, Montreal and John H. Bell, a native of London, Ontario brought
\na certificate issued by St. John’s Lodge No. 20, London, Ontario. As Joseph
\nFort Newton so aptly said, “they were men of faith who builded better than
\nthey knew . . They believed in the future in the growth of large things from
\nsmall beginnings.”<\/p>\n
With the creation of the Grand Lodge of Manitoba it might be expected
\nthe members would organize new lodges without delay. This was not the case.
\nThe surrounding territory opened up for settlement slowly because there was
\nno direct means of transportation to and from the East. The City of
\nWinnipeg had been incorporated in 1873 and naturally it became the centre of
\nactivity,. About two months after Grand Lodge was formed a dispensation was
\nissued to St. John’s Lodge. The reason given for the formation of St.
\nJohn’s Lodge was that several unaffiliated brethren hailing form the
\nMaritime Provinces, from Western Ontario and the United States desired to
\nwork the ceremonies according to the system they were familiar with – thus
\nAmerican or so-called York Rite was adopted by the new lodge and shortly
\nthereafter by Ancient landmark Lodge. A dispensation was also issued to
\nHiram Lodge – East Kildonan about the same time.<\/p>\n
In 1876, Emerson Lodge was instituted at the border town of that name
\nand in 1878 a dispensation was issued to Assinoboine Lodge to meet at
\nPortage La Prairie. Thus we can see that the new lodges did not come into
\nbeing overnight. It is interesting to learn that by reason of Emerson Lodge
\nbeing located in the centre of an isolated territory permission to initiate
\nresidents of the State of Minnesota and Dakota Territory was granted by
\narrangements with the respective Grand Masters.<\/p>\n
Today we travel from Winnipeg to Emerson by highway in less than two
\nhours. At the time the officers of Grand Lodge instituted the lodge they
\nwere obliged to travel by steamboat and it required four days to make the
\nvisit.<\/p>\n
The year 1878 was one of disaster in Manitoba Masonic circles. An
\nunfortunate schism took place and two groups represented themselves as the
\nGrand Lodge of Manitoba. The beginning of the rupture occurred at the Third
\nAnnual Communication held in June 1878. It is a long story and we won’t
\nmake an extended reference to it here. Later in 1878 – toward the close of
\nthe year, the “schismatics” held a meeting which they designated “Third
\nAnnual Communication.” They elected officers and also installed them.
\nThree weeks later, the same group, held the “fourth annual communication”
\nand re-elected the same slate as had been previously elected. At this
\nmeeting they issued warrants to four new lodges some of which had previously
\nobtained a dispensation nor been elected. It is doubtful if this experience
\ncan be duplicated in Canada or elsewhere. only two of the four lodges
\ncommenced to work right away, the other two were later instituted by the
\nRegular Grand Lodge in proper form. Peace and harmony were restored at the
\nFourth Annual Communication largely though the officers of Bro. S. P.
\nMatheson, afterwards Primate of Canada.<\/p>\n
We should note that during the cleavage no attempt to issue
\ndispensations to new Lodges had been made by Grand Lodge but immediately the
\nbreach was healed Gladstone Lodge was instituted. We mention this event
\nbecause the Grand Master left a pen picture of his official visit in 1880
\nwhen he constitute the Lodge.”
\n“I approach the subject of my visit to this lodge with
\nremembrances of mud and water. Mud of such depth
\nand tenacity as is only found in Manitoba when it
\nhappens to be muddy, and water of a coldness which
\nstill makes me shiver when I think of it, and which V.W.
\nBrother House says ‘nearly used him up’. This lodge
\nis about one hundred miles from Winnipeg and the trip
\nwas made by team. At Portage La Prairie, R.W. Bro.
\nMcCuaig joined Brother House and myself, Bro.
\nSmall acting as guide. The latter said repeatedly, the
\nroads were ‘not bad’ – we wondered what ‘bad’
\nmeant – and Brother Small gave us the desired
\ninformation. But beyond walking some miles, and
\noccasionally helping the horses to pull the wagon, wet
\nfeet and muddy clothes, and wading a creek on our
\nreturn, the coldness of the water causing Bro. House
\nto utter strange sounds, we met no mishaps.”<\/p>\n
Thus, in the ten year period, from the time the Province of Manitoba had
\nentered Confederation in 1870, only eleven lodges had been instituted, the
\none at Gladstone, 100 miles distant from Winnipeg, being the farthest from
\nthe centre. But, evidence of masonic activity was present in far off Prince
\nAlbert, N.W.T. Here we find a group of Masons with a problem on their
\nhands. They wanted a dispensation to form Kinistino Lodge but the existence
\nof two Grand Lodges in Manitoba, the nearest Grand Jurisdiction, raised
\ndoubts as to which one would receive the petition if sent there. Inasmuch
\nas the North West Territories were beyond the boundaries of Manitoba, they
\napplied to the Grand Lodge of Canada (in Ontario) and receive their
\ndispensation form that source. The first meeting of this lodge was held on
\nFriday, 3rd October, 1879, the first Worshipful Master being Chas. F. Young.
\nKinistino Lodge was numbered 381, G.R.C. and continued under this
\nJurisdiction until 1882 when arrangements were made with the Grand Lodge of
\nCanada who had issued the original charter and the Grand Lodge of Manitoba,
\nto transfer its allegiance to Manitoba. thus Kinistino Lodge became No. 16
\non the Manitoba register. Subsequently when the Grand Lodge of Saskatchewan
\nwas formed Kinistino became No. 1 in that Jurisdiction.<\/p>\n
Settlement was moving slowly westward and the horizons of the Grand
\nLodge of Manitoba expanded in the process. During 1882 petitions to form
\nlodges were received from two widely separated points – Rat Portage in the
\nDistrict of Keewatin and Edmonton in the west. Dispensations were duly
\nissued and subsequently Saskatchewan Lodge No. 17 meeting at Edmonton and
\nPequonga No. 22, meeting at Rat Portage were constituted.<\/p>\n
Today the City of Edmonton is the Capital of the Province of Alberta and
\nthe oil centre of Canada. By some strange alchemy the pioneer lodge which
\nopened in 1882 seems to have been premature and ahead of time. It had
\ndifficulty in functioning and after striving against the odds for seven
\nyears it voluntarily surrendered its charter in 1889. The building of the
\nrailway n 1890-1891 brought an improvement in the situation and Masonic
\nactivity was revived in 1892 when Edmonton lodge received its dispensation
\nand carried on from there.<\/p>\n
The brethren of Pequonga Lodge, Rat Portage, carried the banner of the
\nCraft under the Grand Lodge of Manitoba until 1887, when they were compelled
\nto transfer their allegiance, very unwillingly, to the Grand Lodge of Canada
\n(in Ontario). The part of Keewatin Territory in which Rat Portage was
\nsituated was in dispute and in 1887 the Privy Council decided the town was
\nin the Province of Ontario; consequently it was outside the territorial
\njurisdiction of Manitoba. Masonic precedent gave this Lodge to the Grand
\nLodge of Canada (in Ontario).<\/p>\n
As we consider the story of Freemasonry in the West we are apt to pay
\nlittle attention to the impact made on the social life of the territory by
\nthe construction of the C.P.R. This phase did not occur to me until quite
\nrecently. Only a brief comment on this important fact can be given in a
\nshort address but it carries a human interest. Let us journey westward with
\nthe construction gang.<\/p>\n
On July 26th, 1881, the C.P.R. ran its first train over Louise Bridge
\ninto Winnipeg. There was only one town of any size form Eastern Ontario to
\nthe British Columbia shore and Winnipeg itself did not have 8,000
\ninhabitants when construction of the transcontinental railway line began
\nwestward in 1881. The first sod of the section had been turned on May 2,
\n1881, and the construction gangs reached Calgary on 18th August, 1883. To
\nthe East, the last gap north of Lake Superior was closed. May 17th, 1885 an
\non November 7th of the same year the last spike was driven home. The fist
\nthrough train left Montreal on June 28th, 1886, and it arrived at Port Moody
\non July 4th. There was no City of Vancouver then, only a clearing in the
\nforest primeval which had begun about 90 days before. This is the setting
\nof the development of Masonic lodges clear across the prairies.<\/p>\n
We cross the Red River then on the first train in July 1881 and follow
\nthe construction line westward. On the 22nd May of that year, a solitary
\nshanty, built by the original claimant of the S1\/2 of Section 23, Tp10,
\nR18.- Robert Adamson, was, with the tents of the survey party, the only
\nevidence of settlement where the City of Brandon was located. The first
\ngrading of the railway west of Portage La Prairie was commenced the same
\nweek and by June it had passed through Brandon. Six months after the
\narrival of the construction gang – on January 16th, 1882, Brandon Lodge, No.
\n19 – G.R.M. was instituted with Peter McGregor, Worshipful Master.<\/p>\n
The railway tracks reached the banks of the Wascana river on 23rd
\nAugust, 1882. A site for the future City of Regina had been selected,
\njointly, by the Dominion Government and the C.P.R. The place was familiarly
\nknown at the time of construction as “Pile O’ Bones,” and when the first
\ntrain pulled in the only sign of habitation was a group of tents. Our
\nbrethren of the Mystic Tie seem to have kept pace with the track builders
\nand this is evidenced from the fact that six months after the steel was laid
\na dispensation was issued to 14 petitioners authorizing them to open
\nWasacana Lodge in Regina. The first W.M. was J. H. Benson, the date of the
\ndispensation 20th February and the first meeting was held on 6th march,
\n1883.<\/p>\n
By the month of December, 1882 the railway was open to Moose Jaw and by
\nthe time the winter snow had disappeared the town had begun to have the
\nappearance of a settled community. Under date 24th September, 1883, a
\ndispensation was issued to 28 petitioners and on 9th October Moose Jaw Lodge
\nwas instituted. The first Worshipful Master to preside over this lodge was
\nE. H. D. D. Hall.<\/p>\n
When construction work closed down in 1882 the steel had reached 25
\nmiles east of Medicine Hat. In the following spring this prospective city
\nconsisted of two stores on the east side of the river and one on the west
\nside. The owners anxiously waited the advent of the railway while a town of
\ncanvas sprang up as by magic. The steel reached Medicine Hat in 1883 but
\nour Masonic brethren here did not act as promptly as they did elsewhere
\nalong with the line. Dispensation to Medicine Hat Lodge did not issue until
\n16th June 1885. The first W.M. was Thos. Macpherson, the S.W. Silas B.
\nYuill, and the J.W. Thomas Tweed. Brother Macpherson was one of the great
\narmy engaged in the construction of the C.P.R. and in due time he arrived at
\nMedicine Hat where he was employed on the construction of a narrow gauge
\nline to Lethbridge known to old timers as “The Turkey Trail.” Later in 1887
\nhe was transferred by his employers to Lethbridge where he organized a Lodge
\nand became its first Worshipful Master. He along with his first Junior
\nWarden – Thos. Tweed – were trailblazers in the realm of Masonry in Alberta.<\/p>\n
The first train to pull into Calgary arrived in August 1883. At that
\ntime the place consisted of a dozen log houses, the principal one being a
\ntrading post which supplied the trappers and wandering nomads of the
\nfoothills country. The only connection it had with the outside world was by
\nmeans of “bull teams” which hauled its supplies from Fort Benson, the head
\nof navigation on the Missouri river in Montana. A story from the days of
\nrailway construction tells of Herbert Holt, a young Irishman, chief engineer
\nof construction for CPR. When the line reached the Bow River, the group of
\nbuildings was not so near the tracks as the residents wished. They wanted
\nto move the Post Office nearer the tracks as the residents wished. They
\nwanted to move the Post Office near the the station but the government did
\nnot move fast enough to satisfy the people even though the building was a
\nmere shack. Holt solved the problem by taking a bull team to the building
\nand moving it to a spot selected by the dozen or so residents. Since there
\nwas no one in authority or bulls to move it back again, there it remained
\nand in a short time all the inhabitants followed suit. We cannot tell if
\nany of tee Masonic brethren took part in this episode – doubtless they did
\nbecause some were located nearby. On 19th January 1884, a petition signed
\nby 24 brethren was granted and dispensation issued to open a loge,
\ndesignated Bow River Lodge and confirmed Neville J. Lindsay as first
\nWorshipful Master.<\/p>\n
We have traveled across the prairies in company with the men who
\nconstructed the Canadian Pacific Railway and it is evident the
\ncontemporaneous development of Masonry and the opening of these lodges was
\none of the earliest contributions to the community life. A fair sized
\nvolume could be developed form this particular phase of activity, perhaps we
\nhave already expanded the subject too much for the present purpose. The
\ntemptation could not be resisted.<\/p>\n
The jurisdiction of the Grand Lodge had widened to such an extent that
\nat the ninth Annual Communication held on February 1884 it was decided to
\nconstitute a new District to comprise all the territory west of the Western
\nboundaries of Manitoba. By the arrangement, Kinistino Lodge meeting at
\nPrince Albert, Saskatchewan Lodge at Edmonton, Wascana Lodge at Regina,
\nMoose Jaw Lodge at Moose Jaw, and Bow River Lodge at Calgary were formed
\ninto the sixth Masonic District. The first incumbent of the office of
\nD.D.G.M. was Rev. Canon James Flett of Prince Albert – a fine tribute to the
\npioneer lodge of the district and also to the brother who Worshipful Master
\nof Kinistino Lat the time this Lodge transferred its allegiance to the Grand
\nLodge of Manitoba.<\/p>\n
The construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway was not the only
\nundertaking that caused the Grand Lodge of Manitoba to lengthen its cable
\ntow. Gold was discovered in the Klondyke in the Fall of 1896. When news of
\nthe strike reached the outside world thousands started for the diggings. By
\n1898 some 18,000 persons were domiciled in the region. It was natural that
\nin a population of this size there would be some Freemasons. How many must
\nbe left to conjecture. They, in common with other brethren who participated
\nin opening new frontiers wanted their lodge, so on October 15th, 1898, a
\ndispensation was issued authorizing Klondyke Lodge to be instituted at
\nDawson, City, District of Yukon. The petition was signed by 21 charter
\nmembers and William Edward Thompson named as Worshipful Master. Authority
\nwas given to Brother Thompson to institute the Lodge. It would appear that
\nby reason of the irregularity of the mail service and the isolated position
\nof the Yukon considerable delay was occasioned. When Grand Lodge met at
\nRegina in July 1899 it was reported that no information had been received
\nfrom Klondyke Lodge. Evidently the right of Manitoba to issue a
\ndispensation was challenged by the Grand Lodge of British Columbia who
\nenquired if Manitoba claimed exclusive jurisdiction in the Yukon. The reply
\nwas to the effect that Manitoba claimed no more rights in the territory than
\nBritish Columbia. Another year passed by and again we read that no
\ncommunication had been received by Klondyke Lodge. There is no record in
\nManitoba to indicate that this Lodge was ever instituted.<\/p>\n
A second petition, signed by 14 brethren, was received in 1900 and on
\n20th October of that year a dispensation was issued to Yukon Lodge to meet
\nat Dawson City; C. W. Wells was named as Worshipful Master. This Lodge was
\ninstituted on December 27th, 1900 by Brother R.A.Cowan and in 1901 it
\nreceived number 79 on the Manitoba register.<\/p>\n
Another Lodge in the Yukon came to life in 1902. A dispensation was
\nissued to open Whitehorse Lodge at Whitehorse on March 5th, 1902. There
\nwere 16 signatories to the petition and the first Worshipful Master was N.
\nJ. Lindsay. This lodge subsequently was registered as No. 81 Grand Lodge
\nof Manitoba. It is interesting to note that the neighboring lodges at Dawson
\nCity and Whitehorse were separated by a distance of 460 miles by river and
\n360 miles over the winter trail. These two lodges continued under the
\njurisdiction Manitoba until 1907 when both petitioned for authority to
\nsurrender their charters and permit them to seek warrants under the Grand
\nLodge of British Columbia. It was resolved “That the petition of Yukon
\nLodge No. 79 and Whitehorse Lodge No. 81 be granted, to date not earlier
\nthan June the 25th, 1907, and that the charters be returned to the said
\nLodges after cancellation and subject to acceptance of such lodges by the
\nGrand Lodge of British Columbia. The transfer was consummated and two
\nlodges with a combined membership of 147 were lost to Manitoba. This closed
\nan early contact between Manitoba and a distant part of the Dominion but let
\nus return to the Prairies.<\/p>\n
It is dangerous to draw conclusions and express opinions when dealing
\nwith historic events. Whether it was discontent or ambition we do not know
\nand the story left to us does not disclose the reason behind a movement
\nwhich existed in the Alberta District in 1890. It would appear some of the
\nbrethren desired a Grand Lodge of Alberta. All that has been preserved in
\nconnection with the matter is the comment of the Grand Master who reported:
\n“I have been notified of the intention of certain brethren residing in the
\nDistrict of Alberta, to constitute a Grand Lodge to be known as the Grand
\nLodge of Alberta. Such a Grand Lodge would manifestly violate one of the
\nfundamental laws of Masonic jurisdiction, viz – ‘that each Grand Lodge must
\nat least be co-extensive with some Province or State which has a seat of
\ngovernment of its own.’ Alberta is not a Province in this sense of the
\nword. Should the lodges contained in the whole territory, under the control
\nof the Governmental authorities at Regina, apply to us for recognition, the
\ncase would be entirely different.” Nothing came of the move and we heard no
\nmore about forming a Grand Lodge of Alberta until 1905; the year Alberta
\nbecame a Province. At the next succeeding Annual Communication of the Grand
\nLodge of Manitoba, the Grand Master reported the creation of the Grand Lodge
\nof Alberta in these words:-
\n“The granting of Provincial autonomy to the
\nNorthwest Territories was followed by the organization
\nof the Grand Lodge of Alberta, which important event
\ntook place in the Province of Alberta, except one, were
\nrepresented and the proceedings were characterized by
\nthe utmost harmony and good feeling. I had the
\npleasure on the occasion and installed the officers of the
\nnew Grand Lodge —— I would recommend that our
\nofficial recognition be extended to the Grand Lodge of
\nAlberta and that she be extended a hearty welcome
\ninto the sisterhood of Grand Lodges. I would
\nrecommend that the question of finances be taken into
\nconsideration at this Annual Communication ——- all
\nthe lodges in our jurisdiction have been contributing
\nannually in the form of fees an dues. Our brethren in
\nthe new Province have done their full share and I
\nwould recommend that we deal not only justly but
\ngenerously with our offspring as they go out from the
\nparental roof.”
\nThe first Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Alberta was Dr. George
\nMacdonald of Calgary. The separation of 18 lodges in Alberta reduced the
\nmembership in Manitoba by 1,053.<\/p>\n
The action of the brethren in Alberta could not remain unnoticed by the
\nFreemasons in the adjoining Province of Saskatchewan. With the arrival of
\nSpring in 1906 a group of brethren residing in Regina organized themselves
\ninto a committee to enquire into and report upon the visibility of forming
\na Grand Lodge in Saskatchewan. Later, a convention was held at Prince
\nAlbert on May 25th, 1906. Committees were then appointed to make
\npreliminary arrangements and discuss matters with the Grand Lodge of
\nManitoba. Although the Annual Communication was held in Winnipeg abut three
\nweeks later, no reference what ever was made in open session regarding the
\nproposed new Grand Lodge. We learn from the attendance register that
\nrepresentatives form fifteen of the twenty-four chartered lodges in
\nSaskatchewan were present and it is a reasonable deduction to presume the
\nquestion was fully discussed.<\/p>\n
A convention of all the lodges in Saskatchewan was held in Regina, on
\nAugust 9th, 1906, and 25 out of 29 were represented at the meetings. The
\nGrand Master of Manitoba, John McKechnie, in company with James A. Ovas,
\nGrand Secy. and Geo. B. Murphy, Past Grand Master were also in attendance.
\nThe Grand Lodge of Saskatchewan was then brought into being and the first
\nGrand Master was H. H. Champion of Indian Head. The installation ceremony
\nwas conducted by Brothers McKechnie and Ovas of Manitoba. By the creation
\nof this new Grand Lodge the jurisdiction of Manitoba removed from its
\nregister 29 lodges with a membership of 898.<\/p>\n
In June 1908 a request was submitted by the Grand Lodge of Saskatchewan
\nasking the same consideration with respect to Grand Lodge finances as had
\nbeen promised to the Grand Lodge of Alberta in 1906. It was decided to make
\na grant of $1,000 to each of the two recently created Grand Lodges and by
\nthe time the Annual Communication was held in 1909 the obligation had been
\nfully discharged.<\/p>\n
So, brethren, you have the story of “Early Freemasonry in the Canadian
\nWest”. I have used a lot of words to tell it but please keep it in mind the
\nvast territory included in the term “Canadian West.” I have treated the
\nword “early” as “the beginning” which required me to deal largely with
\n“firsts.” In following this trend I have tried to narrate the starting
\npoints in the realm of Freemasonry. I have been obliged to abbreviate the
\ndetails without destroying the substance and I trust my endeavour has been
\nsuccessful. It is truly a most interesting page in Canadian history.<\/p>\n
Now let me add a final word. There is a tendency in some quarters to
\nregard Grand Lodge as a piece of machinery, or as an institution, colorless
\nand lifeless. This is a weird and unreal conception. When we carefully
\nexamine what our founders had to contend with we are amazed. They did not
\nhave the numbers, the facilities, the financial standing that exists today.
\nOnly a few composed our various Grand Lodges when they were first
\ninstituted. They were men of flesh and blood just as we are. There were
\ntimes when they did not know what in the world to do, still they always
\nmanage to pull through.<\/p>\n
Let us pay tribute to their grit, their valor, their refusal to say die,
\ntheir ingenuity. Yes, they were just like ourselves in many respects. They
\ntoo also enjoyed the refreshment hour after the labor of the evening was
\nended. They swapped their stories, laughed and sang their favorite songs
\ntill the “wee sma hours’. They were human in every sense and when it was
\ntime to go home, like Craftsmen of our own day they found fellowship and
\nbrotherhood in the clasp of the hand and the message of their farewell
\nsong – For Auld Lang Syne.<\/p>\n
May it ever be so in all our Lodges.<\/p>\n
By M.W.Bro. William Douglas, P.G.M. (Man);
\nPublished in THE PAPERS OF THE CANADIAN
\nMASONIC RESEARCH ASSOCIATION, Vol.1<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The Masonic student, as well as the youngest Mason in this gathering, might reasonably ask, “When did Freemasonry first make its appearance in organized form in the West?” We take… Read more »<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":7,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-10","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/P9xgMu-a","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ivanhoe142.ca\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/10","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ivanhoe142.ca\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ivanhoe142.ca\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ivanhoe142.ca\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ivanhoe142.ca\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/ivanhoe142.ca\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/10\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":34,"href":"https:\/\/ivanhoe142.ca\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/10\/revisions\/34"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ivanhoe142.ca\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/7"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ivanhoe142.ca\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}