HISTORY OF THE GRAND LODGE OF ALBERTA

IN THE BEGINNING

 

Near the place where the village of Chauvin is now located, in September of 1754, Anthony Henday arrived in Alberta. He was the first Englishman to set foot in what is now this province. Henday was a fur trader and to the delight of the Hudson's Bay Company and the North West Company, he discovered a lucrative fur producing area. Following Henday fur traders poured into the West and few people considered it to be anything more than a source of valuable furs.

Henday traveled from Hudson's Bay to Rocky Mountain House. In July of 1789 Alexander McKenzie arrived at Fort Chippewayen and traveled north to the mouth of the McKenzie River. Three years later he navigated the Peace River and arrived at the Pacific Ocean. David Thompson, in 1798, was a pioneer surveyor. Thus the northern part of the province was well charted and the routes to be followed were well known. It was on October 5, 1795, that William Tomison set his men to work to build Edmonton House at the mouth of the Sturgeon River, the purpose, of course, was to establish a trading post for furs with the Hudson's Bay Company. James Hughes was commissioned by the North West Company in 1798 to build another fort, which he called the New Fort Augustus and it was likely built on the site of the present City of Edmonton.

Fort Edmonton was strategically located. It became the stopping place of fur traders, adventurers, missionaries and fortune hunters. The Hudson's Bay Company and the North West Company carried on rival businesses until their amalgamation in 1821. The huge expanse of Rupert's Land was left to be exploited until it was purchased by the Canadian Government in 1870. The North West Territories Act of 1875 established a government for the district with a Lieutenant Governor and five appointed counsellors. The population was approximately 1,000.

Meanwhile Fort Edmonton prospered and on December 6, 1880 the first issue of the Edmonton Bulletin appeared. It was to be published every Monday morning from December 1st to May 1st with a subscription price of $2.00 for the season. The issue is fascinating. The telegraph line had been extended to Edmonton but a break in the line at Hays Lake prevented up to date news in time for publication. However they expected a man to leave the next day and service should be restored in a week. Hay was worth $3.00 to $4.00 a load. Mr. James Price of Fort Saskatchewan received a legacy of $1,500.00 in the last mail. There was only three inches of snow on the ground but the temperature was 47 degrees below zero (F).

Buried in the middle of a huge variety of interesting information is the paragraph, "A Petition has been forwarded to the Grand Lodge A.F. and A.M. of Canada asking a Charter for a Lodge in Edmonton." Freemasonry was about to arrive in Alberta.

It was the Grand Lodge of Manitoba that granted a dispensation on January 13, 1882 for the establishment of the first Freemasons' Lodge outside the boundaries of Manitoba. Saskatchewan Lodge No. 17 G.R.M. was instituted on February 13, 1882 and consecrated on April 21, 1883. The Charter members numbered 13 among whom was one James Lauder, a baker.

Fort Edmonton had not changed its life style noticeably over the hundred years of its early history. Travellers passed through the settlement, some stayed for a little while and then moved on and

an increasing number became permanent residents. The shifting of the population was not conducive to the growth of a Masonic Lodge. Some activities were held. There is a record of a Masonic Ball in December 1881, held in McDougall Hall. Fifteen Masons were present for the event. Despite some devoted efforts Saskatchewan Lodge No. 17 found it increasingly difficult to operate. It fell behind in the payment of its Grand Lodge Dues but later paid them. For the Installation of Officers in March 1886 there were not enough Past Masters available to conduct the ceremony and the Grand Lodge of Manitoba issued a dispensation "empowering Brother Donald Ross, pending installation, to confer degrees and transact general business of this Lodge until he can secure the required number of Past Masters to perform the Installation Ceremony."

ln 1888 the Grand Secretary of the Grand Lodge of Manitoba reported that Brother Francis D. Wilson, Secretary of Saskatchewan Lodge No. 17, had written a letter dated January 11, 1888 saying "The Worshipful Master and Officers of Saskatchewan Lodge No. 17 have decided to return the Charter of this Lodge as they find it impossible to keep it up any longer."

The Proceedings of the Grand Lodge of Manitoba of 1889 report that Saskatchewan Lodge No. 17 had voluntarily surrendered its Charter and had returned to the Grand Lodge Office its records. The furniture of the Lodge had been stored subject to the direction of the Grand Lodge. Thus on February 13, 1889 after seven uncertain years the first Freemasons Lodge in what was to be the Province of Alberta ceased to exit. Very unfortunately the records and papers that were returned to Manitoba were destroyed by a disastrous fire in the Masonic Hall in Winnipeg on November 14, 1894. The Library of the Grand Lodge was completely demolished. Many valuable books and records were permanently lost.

The prairies, to the south, meanwhile, were merely a part of the huge unknown territory known as Rupert's Land. Rupert's Land was a vast area stretching West from Labrador to include the Watershed of the McKenzie River and practically all of what is now known as the Province of British Columbia. It went as far south as the present states of Idaho, Washington Oregon and California. The Treaty of Oregon gave to the United Slates of America all land south of the 49th parallel and the Hudson's Bay Company owned all of Canada west of Ontario. The Canadian Government was not particularly concerned with the Prairies but the British Government was. It did not wish the territory to fall by default into the hands of the land hungry American settlers who were pushing rapidly to the west. The War of Independence and the War of 1812-14 had left numerous men ready for adventure and the west called. Indeed it was not beyond the realm of possibility that the United States might use its army to take from Britain the territory west and north of Winnipeg. Thus it was that the British rather than the Canadian Government took decisive action about the Western Prairies.

In March of 1856 Captain John Palliser was commissioned to undertake a study of the Prairies to determine what resources lay in them. A little more than one hundred years had passed since Henday had viewed Alberta through the eyes of a fur trader. Now Palliser and his associates were to determine if the Prairies might be fit for agriculture. Dr. Hames Hector, one of the Palliser associates, wrote "The arid district, though there are many fertile spots throughout its extent, can never be of much advantage to us as a possession" and also that Alberta forests yielded "a very inferior quality of firewood". The Palliser Triangle, as the area was to be called, could, the report said,

be reasonably well suited for settlement. It called attention to the greatest of Alberta's resources, an almost unlimited number of square miles of arable land. Few paid attention to the Palliser report. Those who trickled into the land were in search of furs or of gold. In the fall of 1860 some American prospectors found what they thought to be a rich deposit of gold near Rocky Mountain House. The outbreak of the American Civil War in 1861 provided Canadians with a final opportunity to keep the American Government out of the Western Prairies. In 1865 when the Civil War ended the question was again raised as to what the Americans would do with its idle but huge armies.

On July 1, 1867 Confederation became a reality in Canada and John A. Macdonald rose to the zenith of his career as Canada's Prime Minister. As he said Canada "quietly annexed" its western flank as far as the Rocky Mountains by purchasing the land from the Hudson's Bay Company but leaving the company with some seven million acres. On May 12, 1870 the Province of Manitoba was created and west from Manitoba to the Rockies lay what was called the North West Territories.

Traders from Montana penetrated into Canadian territory in 1869 from Fort Benton and built the first Fort Whoop-Up near the present location of the city of Lethbridge. Later there followed the Spitzie Post on the Highwood River. The few settlers on the Prairies looked to the south. Even Father Lacombe and the Methodist McDougalls went to Fort Benton, Montana for supplies. From south to north and north to south the gold miners, the whisky pedlars, the traders and the evangelists came and went. North of the 49th Parallel there was no law. A dozen whisky posts grew up and the fur bearing animals, including the buffalo, faced extinction.

In 1872, Colonel P. Robertson-Ross wrote, "Americans from Fort Benton made their way to Edmonton where they openly sold whisky. There was no force to stop them. They could do as they pleased". The public was aroused and Prime Minister Macdonald announced on April 28, 1873 that he proposed to create a Police Force to bring the North West Territories under control. On July 8, 1874 under the command of Lt. Col. G. A. French and Major J. F. Macleod, two hundred and seventy-five men in scarlet uniforms forming a column two miles long, set out from Dufferin, Ontario to bring law and order to a near wilderness comprising some three hundred thousand square miles. One column of what was to be the North West Mounted Police was destined for Edmonton House. The other column headed south, picked up the pioneer settler Jerry Potts and on October 13, 1874 passed the now vacant Fort Whoop-Up and proceeded farther west to build Fort Macleod. By December of 1874 the police barracks in Fort Macleod were habitable and two years later the raw little village had become a bustling centre. Fort Macleod received supplies via the Missouri River and the Fort Macleod to Fort Edmonton trail had become the main axis in the district of Alberta. In 1882 the Macleod Gazette, published by C. E. D. Wood, became Alberta's second newspaper.

The Fort Edmonton-Fort Macleod axis had practically eliminated Rocky Mountain House as a necessary point of communication on that trail. Attention was now centred on the junction of the Bow and Elbow river. On April 10, 1875 the North West Mounted Police had instructions to establish a base there. Inspector Brisebois with a contingent of fifty men arrived in September to start the construction of a Fort to be named Calgary. The only inhabitants of the spot were a Roman Catholic Priest, Father Doucet and an Indian Boy. The detachment found severe devastation that had been wrought by the erstwhile traders and their Whisky Fort. It was not long before the McDougalls, who had arrived in Morley in

1873, built a log church near the new fort. The Hudson's Bay Company moved its building from Ghost River to the new settlement. In the year 1881 the population of Calgary numbered seventy-five.

This was just the beginning. Prime Minister Macdonald had promised that within ten years of Confederation there would be a transcontinental railroad binding British Columbia to the Canadian East. Surveying for the route had already begun. The first plan was to take the railroad from Winnipeg north to Edmonton and over the Yellowhead Pass to British Columbia. The members of the Palliser Commission convinced the government that a much less expensive route to follow was across the flat and unproductive prairies and through the much less treacherous Kicking Horse Pass. The route was changed in September 1881 to pass through Fort Calgary. Of equal importance in the decision was a desire to bring settlers into the Prairies to offset the influx of Americans into the area. In fact, as an enticement, one hundred and sixty acres of land was offered by the Dominion Land Act of 1872, to each settler who paid a filing fee of $10.00 and who resided on the land for three years. The settler, during that time, was required to build a domicile and to break at least fifteen acres of his land.

In July of 1881 the first Canadian Pacific Railway train rolled into Winnipeg and two years later the ribbon of steel had reached a town composed entirely of tents called Medicine Hat. On August 11, 1883 the first train pulled into Calgary. On hand to greet the train was George Murdoch, Calgary's first Mayor; James Lougheed, a lawyer; Major James Walker, Dr. Henderson, the first physician; T. B. Brandon, the first newspaper publisher and George Jacques, a businessman.

The C.P.R. had opened up the West. The age of railroad building had commenced. A narrow gauge railroad was built from Medicine Hat to Lethbridge by 1885. On August 1, 1891 the first train pulled into South Edmonton. In 1885 the population of the District of Alberta, N.W.T. was 6,800 white men and Metis. The southern part of the province had 60% of the population.

In May 1883, a few months before the arrival of the first C.P.R. train in Fort Calgary, a notice was posted requesting all Freemasons to meet in Bro. George Murdoch's store which was located on the East Bank of the Elbow River. Five Masons, Bros. George Murdoch, E. Nelson Brown, A. McNeil, George Monilaws and D. C. Robison responded to the call. Bros. James Walker and John A. Walker had indicated interest but were otherwise engaged. After a discussion it became obvious that there were not enough Masons to form a Lodge and that prospects for candidates were not bright. A few months later not only had the first C.P.R. train arrived but it was followed by a freight train carrying a printing press for the Calgary Herald. The first issue of the Calgary Herald published a notice requesting all Masons interested in forming a Freemason's Lodge to meet in George Murdoch's shack. This second attempt brought a large assembly including R.W. Bro. N. J. Lindsay who was at that time District Deputy Grand Master for District No. 1 in the Grand Lodge of Canada. This brother was elected Chairman of the meeting and R.W. Bro. George Murdoch the secretary. The Masons held regular meetings on Friday nights but were unable to do any Masonic Work because a dispensation had not yet been granted. In due course a petition for a dispensation was forwarded to the Grand Lodge of British Columbia but no reply was received. The Brethren then decided to write to the Grand Lodge of Manitoba. Practically at the same time favourable replies were received from both the Grand Lodge of British Columbia and the Grand Lodge of Manitoba.

The Calgary Brethren chose to continue correspondence with the Grand Lodge of Manitoba and on January 1, 1884 a dispensation was received to erect Bow River Lodge No. 28, G.R.M. with R.W. Bro. Dr. N. J. Lindsay as the first Worshipful Master. The first meeting of the new Lodge was held on January 6, 1884. Bro. Lindsay travelled to Winnipeg in February to attend the Annual Communication of the Grand Lodge of Manitoba. At that meeting a Charter was granted to Bow River Lodge No. 28 G.R.M. and Bro. Lindsay was elected Junior Grand Warden. The Grand Lodge of Manitoba now claimed jurisdiction over the North West Territories. Bow River Lodge No. 28, G.R.M. continued to function and became the first Masonic Lodge in the district of Alberta. It was very active and sponsored many of the new Lodges that were organized not only in the North West Territories but also in the Province of Alberta following its organization in 1905.

The tent city of Medicine Hat, after the arrival of the C.P.R., soon turned into a thriving little town. The Masonic Order had its representatives there very early. After a number of preliminary meetings the Brethren petitioned the Grand Lodge of Manitoba for a dispensation to organize a Masonic Lodge. The dispensation was granted on September 1, 1885 and was chartered on February 12, 1887. The Lodge was to be known as Medicine Hat No. 31 G.R.M. Being an important divisional point on the

Canadian Pacific Railway the town of Medicine Hat grew and prospered. So did the Masonic Lodge which has maintained a prominent place in Masonic history through all the years.

Further to the west, the N.W.M.P. post of Fort Macleod was growing in importance. It was the crossroads of the American traffic from the south and the Edmonton travellers from the north. The actual history of Freemasonry goes back to the year 1884 when a blacksmith by the name of Rufus Payne arrived wearing a pocket watch and a huge golden chain. The inscription on the watch declared that it had been given to him by the Masonic Lodge in Fort Benton, Montana. The news spread around the small settlement and Freemasons began to make themselves known to each other. They arranged a meeting and Duncan J. Campbell was directed to take the necessary steps to form a Lodge. He corresponded with the Grand Lodge of Canada and was referred to the United Grand Lodge of England who in turn suggested that he contact the Grand Lodge of Manitoba. Manitoba decided that Fort Macleod was much nearer to the Grand Lodge of British Columbia and suggested Bro. Campbell correspond with that body. British Columbia was not about to enter the field as a missionary with the unknowns across the mountains so sent the Macleod request back to the Grand Lodge of Manitoba. This time Manitoba agreed to grant a dispensation to form a Lodge.

Meanwhile the Dominion of Canada was experiencing some rough times. The Riel Rebellion broke out in 1885 and threw the N.W.M.P. into a state of frenzied activity. Officers and men were transferred without much notice to the troubled areas. Since many of them were Freemasons and were to be the real foundation of the lodge all activity was suspended.

When conditions settled down a little bit and the N.W.M.P. barracks again had a semi-permanent group, Bro. Duncan J. Campbell requested Bow River Lodge No. 28 G.R.M. to sponsor a Lodge in Fort Macleod. The result was that Alberta Lodge No. 37 G.R.M. was granted a dispensation on May 7, 1886. One of the Charter members was Robert Paterson, who was to have a long and distinguished career in Freemasonry and was to be a Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Alberta.

Although R.W. Bro. A. M. Morden of Pincher Creek, a Past District

Deputy Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Manitoba, was requested to institute the Lodge there is no record of this being done. Alberta No. 3 not noted, throughout its long history, as being a Lodge that allowed authority to stand in its way, apparently installed officers and proceeded to work. D. W. Davis was the first treasurer and the name Davis was to become inscribed not only on the Masonic Lodge but in the historical annals of the town. Bro. Davis was not a Charter member, there is no record of him affiliating with the Lodge nor of paying any dues until December 1888. His attendance at Lodge meetings was regular and his interest great. The first application for Initiation was presented by Captain John Cotton of the N.W.M.P. on August 3, 1886. He was initiated on August 30 at an Emergent Meeting because he was being transferred and received his other degrees in Battle Lodge. William Denny Antrobus was the first Worshipful Master and presided over the first meeting on August 3, 1886 but then was transferred to North Battleford. He was in the Master's chair just once. John Breadon was the first Senior Warden but in September he too was transferred. That left Duncan John Campbell, as Junior Warden, the senior officer. This condition existed for sixteen months and brought on much conflict and confusion in the Lodge. Peace and harmony did not prevail under Bro. Campbell.

The proceedings of the Grand Lodge of Manitoba in 1888 records a report from R.W. Bro. N. J. Lindsay, who was supposed to constitute Alberta No. 37 which says he did not go to Fort Macleod because he had not received his regalia. He says further - "I consider the action of Alberta Lodge No. 37 in obstinately proceeding with the ceremonies in so hasty a manner unwarranted from the circumstances of the case. " The Charter, nevertheless, was granted in May 1887.

Alberta Lodge No. 37 never in its history has lacked ability to voice its feelings, replied - "We note that R.W. Bro. Lindsay grossly violated the Constitution by taking upon himself the issuing of a dispensation, and for a questionable purpose of allowing Brethren of Bow River Lodge No. 28 to wear regalia at their Annual Ball. Such a gross display of ignorance of the requirements of the Constitution prompts us to recommend that the Grand Lodge take action. We regret very much that the D.D.G.M. did not carry out the arrangements made with the Brethren of Fort Macleod to constitute Alberta Lodge and install its officers on December 13. We voice the opinion of the Brethren of Alberta Lodge when we say that they would not have shown any less respect of R.W. Bro. Lindsay's high office, had he appeared with them in apparel not quite so gorgeous as that of King Solomon, in all his glory."

In 1889, Duncan J. Campbell, the first Junior Warden of Alberta No. 37, was elected Worshipful Master. When it became evident that W. Bro. Campbell would be appointed District Deputy Grand Master in 1890, Alberta Lodge objected strenuously and declared that an official visit by R.W. Bro. Campbell would result in the dissolution of Alberta Lodge No. 37. The Lodge wrote to the Grand Master asking him to direct R.W. Bro. Campbell not to visit the Lodge as "the Brethren of Alberta Lodge No. 37 cannot conscientiously receive W. Bro. Campbell as D.D.G. M." Finally it appears that cooler heads prevailed and on November fourth he was received in Alberta No. 37 with Grand Honours. Regrettably the peace was uncomfortable. Bro. Campbell, although he lived in Fort Macleod until his death in 1920, took a demit in 1897 and was never at a Lodge meeting again.

The independence of Alberta No. 37 surfaced again in October 1889 when the formation of the Grand Lodge of Alberta was proposed. This motion appears in the records - "This Lodge is of the

opinion that the formation of a Grand Lodge of Alberta is premature and that this Lodge, Alberta No. 37, would still continue its affiliation to the Grand Lodge of Manitoba and that a copy of this resolution be forwarded to North Star Lodge in Lethbridge." North Star agreed with the attitude of Alberta No. 37 but when the Province of Alberta was formed in 1905 both Lodges cooperated.

The enthusiasm of the Brethren in Fort Macleod for the basic fundamentals of Freemasonry undoubtedly motivated many of its difficulties for the early Freemasons protected zealously what they considered right and proper. During the years that followed, Masonry in Alberta was to be enriched by the determination of Alberta No. 37 to maintain inviolate our ancient customs and usages. It also contributed to the Grand Lodge of Alberta some most devout and dedicated Masons.

The old Whisky Post of Fort Whoop-Up which was vacant when the first detachment of N.W.M.P. passed through on the way to establish Fort Macleod assumed importance and a connecting link between Medicine Hat and Fort Macleod. For several years a paddle boat had been sailing between Medicine Hat and Lethbridge. As traffic increased a narrow gauge railroad was built between the two towns.

The engineer on the paddle steamer and the engineer on the first train to arrive in Lethbridge from Medicine Hat over the narrow gauge railway was a Freemason by the name of Thomas McPherson. In fact McPherson has a real place in Canadian History for during the Riel Rebellion of 1885 he was the engineer on the steamboat "Northcote" that was transporting troops and supplies from Swift Current to Prince Albert. The "Northcote" was shelled by the Riel Rebels causing what our late brother the Rt. Hon. John G. Diefenbaker once called "the last naval battle to be fought in Canada". Bro. McPherson survived all the dangers of naval warfare, the paddle steamer and the narrow gauge railroad and became the first Worshipful Master of North Star Lodge No. 41. Indeed when he was 79 years of age he travelled from Tacoma, Washington to Lethbridge to preside over the Fortieth Anniversary meeting of North Star Lodge. He passed away on September 8, 1940. North Star Lodge No. 41, G.R.M. was granted a dispensation by the Grand Lodge of Manitoba on April 16, 1888 and its Charter under that Grand Lodge is dated February 14, 1889.

The hamlet of Banff now enters the historical picture. Its natural and awesome beauty made the area important to the Canadian Pacific Railway not only as an important divisional point but also as an early tourist attraction. The natural flow of hot sulphur water added to the impetus for exploitation. Wherever there was activity it was inevitable that Freemasons would discover some of their Brethren. Thus as soon as Lord Strathcona had driven the last spike in the C.P.R. binding the East to the West there was a movement in the town of Banff to establish a Lodge there. In due course, with the approval of Bow River No. 28 G.R.M., the Grand Lodge of Manitoba granted a dispensation to Cascade Lodge No. 42 dated May 25, 1888. On February 14, 1889 the Charter was granted. Cascade Lodge became, and continues to be, the host of many Masonic meetings. In 1894 the Grand Lodge of Manitoba decided that it should hold its Annual Communication in Banff.

One of the early Whisky Forts in Southern Alberta was called "Spitzie" an old Indian term for "high bluff". This name was to be continued with a much more respectable connotation when the Brethren in the town of Pincher Creek decided to call their Masonic Lodge by that name. In January 1890 three Masons,

Inspector White-Fraser, R.N.W.M.P.; John Herron, a rancher and Ab McCullogh, a rancher, met together and decided that there were enough Freemasons in the area to form a Lodge. The dispensation was granted by the Grand Lodge of Manitoba on May 1, 1890. In the meantime Bro. McCullogh had died. W. Bro. John Herron was the first Worshipful Master. The Charter was granted to Spitzie Lodge No. 45 G.R.M. on June 12, 1891. The first meeting of Spitzie Lodge on May 2, 1890 as late in starting because the Brethren had been summoned to assist in extinguishing a prairie fire. One of the first petitions received was from John H. W. Kemmis who later became Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Alberta and Grand Secretary from 1928 to 1942. The Lodge, at its beginning was without a secretary and Mr. H. E. Hyde agreed to act in that capacity. To facilitate this an emergent meeting was called for May 10, his petition accepted and through a series of emergent meetings he received his three degrees and was elected to the office of Secretary in June. Spitzie Lodge held its regular meetings on the Friday on or before the full moon.

Spitzie Lodge grew with the town of Pincher Creek and could always be depended upon to assist in community enterprises. Before there was a hospital in the town it made an annual contribution to the hospital in Fort Macleod and later, through its support, a hospital opened in Pincher Creek. In the early years it permitted the primary classes of the Public School to be held in the Lodge Banquet Hall.

The Canadian Pacific Railway had decided that it was essential to connect Calgary and Edmonton by rail. Thus on July 25, 1890, the Lt. Govern of the North West Territories filled a wheelbarrow with dirt and it was emptied at the point where the Calgary to Edmonton railroad was to begin. It was a time of celebration and people gathered from miles around including a pioneer missionary from Red Deer, Rev. Leonard Gaetz, who gave an address. A 1,400 Pound steer was roasted and consumed together with a carload of beer in kegs. The line was completed the next year and ended in South Edmonton across the river from Edmonton. Towns were

were laid out along the new railroad and in due course Mason Lodges erected along the Calgary to Edmonton railroad.

At the same time and three years following the demise of Saskatchewan Lodge No. 17, on the evening of July 22, 1892, Ibbetson's Hall in Edmonton was the setting for a meeting where the Freemasons in Edmonton would consider, again, the possibility of having a Lodge in their town. Seven members of the defunct Saskatchewan Lodge, plus eleven more, brought the total to eighteen. The suggestion that the name "Saskatchewan" be revived did not meet with favour and the name "Edmonton" was selected. Bow River Lodge No. 28 G.R.M. was called on to sponsor yet another Masonic Lodge in the district of Alberta and the Grand Lodge of Manitoba granted a dispensation to Edmonton Lodge No. 53 on October 20, 1892 with  W.Bro.C.W. Sutter, formerly of Saskatchewan Lodge No. 17, as the first Worshipful Master. The Lodge decided to work in the Ancient York Rite following the tradition set by Medicine Hat, Lethbridge and Banff. The Charter was granted on June 16, 1893 with a membership of thirty-four. The fee for a Charter Member was $5.00, the initiation fee $35.00, the yearly dues were $3.00 and an affiliation fee was $5.00.

On April 21, 1893, Dr. E.A. Braithwaite, a pioneer physician, who come west with the N.W.M.P. presented a petition for Initiation. He had taken his discharge from the N.W.M.P. on May 6. 1892 and was now established in Edmonton as a physician and surgeon. He was raised to the sublime degree on September 1, 1893 and then began a long and distinguished Masonic career. In 1898 he became

the Worshipful Master of Edmonton Lodge No. 53 and then was appointed a Grand Stewart of the Grand Lodge of Manitoba. Continuing on in the Grand Lodge of Manitoba he was elevated to the rank of Grand Master in 1903.

Another prominent name in Alberta Freemasonry is that of J. B. Little, an Edmonton business man, who presented his petition for affiliation on April 30, 1894. His family has continued in the Masonic Tradition until the present time bringing great distinction to the Order.

The small town of Innisfail was to be the next location of a Masonic Lodge. Settlers were coming into the area very rapidly, attracted by some of the best farming land in the opening west. It was just about one hundred years since Anthony Henday had arrived at the high point of land between Innisfail and Red Deer that a few Masons gathered together in the little town to consider the possibilities of establishing a Lodge there. During this period the importance of the fur trade had receded and the richness of agriculture had taken over. Again the procedure followed by other Lodges took place and the Grand Lodge of Manitoba granted a dispensation. Innisfail Lodge No. 58 G.R.M. was instituted on June 21, 1894 and its Charter was granted one year later on July 14, 1895. The Lodge, from its very beginning, had a solid foundation and its history has been one of progress and dedicated work.

The scene of activity moved immediately back to Calgary where Perfection Lodge No. 60 G.R.M. had received a dispensation from the Grand Lodge of Manitoba on June 26, 1894, just a few days after Innisfail. The Lodge was constituted on August 7, 1895 and was composed of members preferring to work in the Ancient York Rite as distinct from the Canadian Rite used by Bow River Lodge. The first meetings were held in the same building on Eighth Avenue and Second Street East that Bow River Lodge was occupying. The Lodge had seventeen Charter members and its first Worshipful Master was R.W. Bro. I. S. G. VanWart. The first affiliate in Perfection Lodge was W. Bro. T. F. English, who later became the Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Alberta. Both Bow River and Perfection moved from their small building to larger quarters in the Victoria Block on Eighth Avenue in 1899 and that year the Secretary of Perfection Lodge was paid $25.00 for his work. That $25.00 became the basis of Perfection's Benevolent Fund for the Secretary, Bro. J. T. Macdonald donated it for that cause. Bro. Macdonald was another of several members of Perfection who progressed to occupy the Grand Master's Chair. At the end of 1895 Perfection faced a deficit in financing with only 31 members but at the end of 1901 it showed a bank balance of $1,511.00 and a membership of 108. Tunnel Mountain in Banff was the scene of a meeting of Perfection Lodge in 1901 when the Worshipful Master, W. Bro. Webster, presided over the conferring of a degree.

Perfection Lodge prospered as indicated by the fact that in 1907 the Lodge leased the two top floors of the Alexander Corner from Sir James Lougheed at a rental of $1,900.00 per year for ten years. By the time the new Lodge rooms were remodelled and furnished the expenditure was $16,143.00. This is an example of the strength of this Lodge that has throughout its history worked to live up to its name Perfection, in the type of ritual work carried on, in its charitable enterprises and in its contribution to Masonry at large.

Back up on the Calgary to Edmonton line the town of Lacombe was beginning to show signs of growth and Freemasonry was stirring. The Grand Lodge of Manitoba granted a dispensation and Eureka Lodge No. 65 G.R.M. was instituted on September 16, 1896 and

received its Charter on June 10, 1897. lt was a small but enthusiastic group of Masons that formed this Lodge. They rented a small lodge room in the centre of the village. It was very close quarters for work in the Ancient York Rite but the price was right at 53.00 per month. Later this building became a Chinese Laundry and was demolished only a few years ago to make room for an urban renewal program. At one point in its history Eureka suspended eleven members for non payment of dues. When some of the suspended Brethren applied for reinstatement their applications were refused. At an emergent meeting on February 18. 1897 Bro. W. F. Puffer was initiated and commenced an outstanding record of a family in Freemasonry that has continued down to the present. At this same meeting Candidates were passed and raised. It was Bro. Puffer who commenced the first Historical Register of Eureka Lodge and then ensued a space of thirty-two years in which there was no entry. Bro. Puffer took up the pen again and attempted to fill in the history of the missing years.

South Edmonton was increasing in size. In fact it was to cease to be a part of Edmonton and to become a separate municipality in 1899. It took the name of Strathcona. Previous to this historic event the Masons in South Edmonton had banded together with enough strength to petition the Grand Lodge of Manitoba for a dispensation which was issued on January 28, 1897 and the lodge was Chartered on June 10, 1897. The first Worshipful Master was a lawyer, A. C. Rutherford, who was to become the first Premier of Alberta and later the Chancellor of the new University of Alberta. He was followed by T.F. English, who later became Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Alberta.

Acadia almost failed to qualify for its Charter because, although the Lodge approved its By-Laws on May 27, 1897 and mailed them to the Grand Secretary of the Grand Lodge of Manitoba, the Post Office never did deliver them. A new set of by-laws had to be scribed out hastily but were not approved by Grand Lodge until 1899, some years after the Charter had been granted.

The fact that Acadia had received a Charter was a source of great pride to the members. The minutes record that in 1897 a "Charter Framing Committee" was appointed and for several months it reported progress. The final report of the committee was given in 1898 and the framed Charter was placed in the Lodge room.

The next year Acacia found that it was not located in South Edmonton but in a new village, on the same site, now called Strathcona. The seal of the Lodge had to be returned to Winnipeg so that Grand Lodge could make the appropriate adjustments.

Mail arrived in Strathcona on the second Thursday of each month which also happened to be the meeting night of Acacia Lodge. There were times when the coming of the mail overshadowed the importance of the Lodge meeting and there was no quorum for the meeting. Some discussions were held about changing the night of the meeting in order to avoid the conflict but there is no record of action being taken. We presume another solution was found for the dilemma.

There was a constant concern in Acacia Lodge about its Lodge Room located in Ross Hall and owned by one Brother Ross. Brother Ross put two proposals before Acacia Lodge. The first was that he would rent the hall for $7.00 per month and remain the landlord. The second was that Acacia Lodge would be both landlord and tenant for $11.00 per month. The second proposal was accepted. Acacia then rented the Hall to the Town of Strathcona for $6.00 per month. The I.O.O.F. and the Orangemen also used the premises. The Lodge as Landlord was obliged to pay the Janitor which cost

$1.25 per month. The Brethren decided this was an exorbitant wage and reduced the pay to $1.15 per month. Even with the use of the Hall by several organizations the finances of Acacia were precarious and both Bro. Ross and the janitor had a difficult time in collecting their money. January 1901 was very cold  and dissatisfaction was expressed both because the heating system was inadequate and also because Bro. Ross wished to raise the rent. However the matter was resolved when blinds were bought for the windows to ensure privacy. Discontent with the hall surfaced again in 1902 and it was proposed that the Lodge purchase a lot for its own building. A committee was formed to meet with the Oddfellows to investigate having the old hall lighted with electricity. It was a source of alarm to the Lodge when their share of the first light bill was forty cents, much more than kerosene lamps had cost.

On December 1, 1902 the Lodge did buy a lot for $150.00, one third down and the balance in two equal payments. The lot was on Whyte Avenue and because the Lodge now owned property it became incorporated in 1903 under the Masonic Act of the North West Territories.

In 1900 the minutes note that a Lodge meeting could not be held because of the lack of a quorum. The Brethren were at the train station bidding farewell to the "Volunteers for South Africa". One other interesting note is that on December 29, 1898, a brother Mason from England died in South Edmonton on his way to the Klondike. The Brethren of Acacia Lodge assembled to "show respect to Brother Allyne" and held a Masonic Funeral Service.

Both Edmonton Lodge No. 53 G.R.M. and Acacia Lodge No. 66 G.R.M. practised the Ancient York Rite. There were a number of Masons in the two bustling and growing towns of Edmonton and Strathcona who had not affiliated with these Lodges because they were not accustomed to this ritual. Such Brethren were invited to meet in the Bellamy and Co. Offices on July 10, 1900 to consider their future in Freemasonry. Ten Brethren assembled and passed a motion - "In the opinion of this meeting it is desirable, in the interests of Freemasonry, that a new Lodge under the Canadian Ritual be formed."

At a meeting of Edmonton Lodge No. 53 G.R.M. on July 19, 1900 it was agreed to recommend that a dispensation be granted to Jasper Lodge, the first Worshipful Master was to be W. Bro. J. J. Dunlop. D.D.G.M. R.W. Bro. John De Sousa of Calgary instituted the Lodge on October 5, 1900 and the officers of Jasper Lodge U.D. conferred a third degree. R.W. Bro. Dr. A. C. Braithwaite, then the Grand Registrar of the Grand Lodge of Manitoba, was present. The Lodge rented space in the Dyke Building at a rental of $3.00 per month. The Initiation fee was $35.00 and the yearly dues were $6.00.

It is reported that W. Bro. Thomas Bellamy held the position of Lodge Treasurer for twenty years. He is said to have been one of the best ritualists in the area. The reason for this, according to reports, is that his business required that he travel considerably by horse and buggy. Bro. Bellamy would recite the ritual aloud to the wide open spaces while driving. The horse became so used to the ritual that when Bro. Bellamy made an error the horse would come to a complete stop and refused to budge until the error was corrected. Thus Bellamy became word perfect in his ritual.

By June 1904 the membership of Jasper Lodge had increased to seventy-five. The following year, in February 1905 , W. Bro. Thomson of Acacia Lodge was a visitor, he rode horseback from

Strathcona to Edmonton to attend. At a later meeting on May 8th among those initiated was H. P. Reid who was later to become the Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Alberta.

Jasper Lodge met first in Hourston's Hall, later over Johnston-Walker's store on Jasper Avenue East. On December 14, 1903 it moved to the Masonic Hall on 102nd Street south of Jasper Avenue. The premises were owned by Edmonton Lodge No. 53 and that Lodge rented space to Jasper Lodge for $15.00 per month for 24 meetings per year. Any additional meetings brought an extra charge of $2.50 for each meeting.

It should be noted that in the Fall of 1902 the Low Level Bridge was completed and now the trains no longer completed their runs in Strathcona. They now travelled over the Low Level Bridge to the depot of the Yukon and Pacific Railway which was located at the foot of McDougall Hill.

Before Jasper Lodge No. 78 G.R.M. was formed the hamlet of Red Deer had been established in the year 1884 on the homestead of a pioneer missionary, Rev. Leonard Gaetz. At that time it was one hundred miles away from any railroad for it was not until 1890 that the C.P.R. passed through the hamlet on its way to Edmonton. The coming of the railroad, as usual, caused a growth in population and the hamlet became a village. Then in 1900 with a population of some 300 citizens it became the Town of Red Deer. Naturally with that number of people it was assumed that there were enough Masons residing there to form a Lodge. The Grand Lodge of Manitoba actually agreed to issue a dispensation and a meeting was held on June 23, 1894 to institute a Lodge. There were seven Masons present plus Elias Code. Since Elias Code refused to take the Tyler's Oath he was excluded from the meeting. This Lodge did initiate a Mr. Philisk Pidgeon. From the scanty records it must be concluded that the Lodge got off to a very shaky start. In fact the Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Manitoba suggested by letter on April 16, 1896 that there be a change in officers and that Brother C. P. Gee become Worshipful Master. Bro. Gee remained in this position until October 21, 1896 when the Lodge ceased to exist. It had never received a Charter.

History moved on, Red Deer grew, the railroad had arrived and the Masons were not to be vanquished. They met again in late 1898 and early in 1899. Eureka Lodge No. 65 G.R.M. sponsored a petition recommending a dispensation to establish a lodge in Red Deer. On July 27, 1899 a second dispensation was issued naming Bro. S. P. Fream as Worshipful Master with twelve Charter members to support him, among them was Bro. Philisk Pidgeon, Red Deer U.D., M.M..

While the Lodge was under dispensation and coincident with its institution on September 4, 1899 a special communication of the Grand Lodge of Manitoba was held for the purpose of laying the cornerstone of St. Luke's Episcopal Church in Red Deer with R.W. Bro. E. N. Brown, D.D.G.M. acting as Grand Master for both that ceremony and the institution of Red Deer Lodge, later to be numbered No. 73 G.R.M.

The cornerstone had deposited in it a scroll recording that it was laid in the "sixty-third year of the reign of our Most Gracious Sovereign, Victoria, Queen of Great Britain and Ireland and the colonies". His Excellency the Earl of Minto was Governor General; the Rt. Hon. Wilfred Laurier, Prime Minister; Hon. A. E. Forget, Lieutenant Governor of the North West Territories and Hon. F. W. G. Haultain, Premier of the North West Territories. It also contained a copy of the Constitution of the Grand Lodge of Manitoba and current issues of the Edmonton Bulletin, the Calgary Herald, the Calgary Tribune, the Manitoba Free Press and the

first issue of the Edmonton Post.

When the year 1899 came to a close the membership of Red Deer Lodge had increased from twelve to twenty-two. A Charter for Red Deer Lodge No. 73 was granted on June 14, 1900 with representation being present from most of the sister lodges in Alberta. Thus Masonry was firmly established in Red Deer. A very interesting note is that in the report of the D.D.G.M. in the year 1900 the early Red Deer Lodge is referred to as No. 59 although this appears to be the only mention of a number and the functioning Red Deer Lodge was numbered 73.

The northern part of the district of Alberta now took over. Fort Saskatchewan, a small town immediately east of Edmonton had assembled enough Masons to petition the Grand Lodge of Manitoba for a dispensation and Victoria Lodge was instituted on October 15, 1900. This was followed by a Charter dated June 20, 1901.

After many attempts to gather enough members to form a Lodge the Masons of Wetaskiwin finally succeeded. The difficulty was a common one on the developing Edmonton to Calgary route. Men moved into the district, stayed for a short while and then moved on. The permanent residents were a few professional men. The others were fur traders, guides and people searching for homesteads. A petition for permission to form a Lodge was submitted to the Grand Lodge of Manitoba and the dispensation was issued. The Lodge was instituted on October 4, 1902 and the Charter of Wetaskiwin Lodge No. 83 G.R.M. was granted on June 12, 1903. From that date on the lodge prospered and became one of the firmly based Lodges in the District of Alberta and continued to exercise its influence in later years. It contributed to the Grand Lodge of Alberta, M.W. Bro. Morley M. Merner, a Grand Master.

Farther south and nearer Calgary the area surrounding the town of Olds was quickly becoming one of the prime farming areas in the district. The Masons gathered together to discuss the possibility of forming a Lodge. One more petition was forwarded to the Grand Lodge of Manitoba and, in due course, the dispensation was granted. Mountain View Lodge was instituted on February 24, 1904 and the charter was subsequently approved on June 19, 1904. Once again a rural Lodge became a strong link in the Masonic chain that was being forged in the district of Alberta. In the year that this history is being written the Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Alberta is a member of the Lodge that commenced as Mountain View Lodge No. 86 G.R.M. He is M.W. Bro. W. E. Foster.

The activity in Masonic circles had been mainly on the Calgary to Edmonton line because it was in this stretch of fertile territory that the main stream of settlers was directed. The scene now shifts to the south of Calgary where the ranching interests were making themselves felt. For Masons the development centred on the small town of Nanton which was growing because of the large ranching lands to the west and the expanse of prairies to the east. After a number of the usual preliminary meetings it was recommended to the Grand Lodge of Manitoba that a dispensation be granted to the Brethren in Nanton to form a Lodge. The dispensation was granted and the Lodge was instituted on November 22, 1904. The Charter of Nanton Lodge No. 97 G.R.M. is dated June 15, 1905 and consecration ceremonies, attended by many visitors from sister Lodges in Calgary and Fort Macleod, followed.

The Masons in Ponoka had a difficult time getting their Lodge under way. They needed seven Charter members and were able to muster six, the bank manager, the Lumber merchant, a lawyer and several hunters and traders are included in their list. The problem was that the hunters and traders were itinerant and could

not be relied upon to remain in the town for any length of time. It was discovered that one resident of Ponoka was an Entered Apprentice Mason. The Brethren appealed to Eureka Lodge No. 65 G.R.M. to help them pass and raise the valuable Entered Apprentice. It was then that Eureka Lodge was able to sponsor the establishment of a lodge in Ponoka which was to be called Britannia. The dispensation arrived in due course and Britannia Lodge was instituted on December 31, 1904. While the Lodge was under dispensation a disastrous fire destroyed all the possessions of the Lodge. Such was the enthusiasm that it took but four days for the Ponoka Masons to find new quarters and recommence their preparations for consecration. The Charter for Britannia Lodge No. 98 G.R.M. was issued on June 15, 1905 by the Grand Lodge of Manitoba. Despite their need for new members the Brethren did not allow a desire to grow overshadow the quality required for Masonic initiation. An early record states that "the Brethren were very careful with the ballot."

Britannia Lodge occupied several locations in Ponoka until in 1949 it was decided that they needed a Lodge Room of their own. Their desire was assisted by a bequest that was made to the Lodge. They managed the accumulated funds very well and in 1974 were able to build their long desired Masonic Hall for the sum of $20,000.00 which was paid for by the cash they had on hand.

By the summer of 1905 the district of Alberta could boast that there were eighteen Masonic Lodges operating within its boundaries. Twelve of these were operating under the Ancient York Rite and six were using the Canadian Ritual. They covered the south from Medicine Hat on the East to Pincher Creek on the West and from Fort Macleod through Calgary and Banff north to Edmonton and Fort Saskatchewan. Certainly a monument to the hard working Masons and to the energy and vision of the Grand Lodge of Manitoba.

The influence of the Grand Lodge of Manitoba on Freemasonry in Alberta cannot be overemphasized. From the very beginning in the early days in Edmonton down to the present time there has been fraternal support. Prior to 1905 the members of the Grand Lodge of Manitoba faithfully visited the district of Alberta despite the difficulties of travel. The various Grand Masters came when at all possible and invariably delegated their powers to the District Deputies when it was possible. M.W.Bro.Dr.A.E.Braithwaite was elected GrandMaster when he was a resident of Edmonton. The Grand Lodge of Manitoba met in Banff in 1894, in Calgary in 1902 and in Edmonton in 1904. During the early years the Grand Lodge Officers were keen to see that Masonic practices and rituals were performed well. Annually the Manitoba Record of Proceedings carried reports from District Deputies of the progress of Lodges in the District of Alberta. It would be a sad occasion, even today, if the Grand Lodge of Alberta did not receive at its Annual Communication a delegation from its Mother Grand Lodge.

History roils on and political changes do come. It now became expedient to divide the huge North West Territories into smaller political sections. Thus the Government of Canada on the first day of September 1905 carved out two new provinces, Saskatchewan and Alberta. Alberta must now separate itself from the Grand Lodge of Manitoba.

There had been a feeling, even before 1905, that the Lodges in Alberta needed a central authority more accessible than the Winnipeg office of the Grand Lodge of Manitoba. Some Lodges, as has been noted already, resisted such a move and declared that their loyalty would remain with Manitoba. Yet before the Province

of Alberta was formally established Medicine Hat Lodge No. 31 G.R.M. on May 2, 1905 proposed to the senior Lodge, Bow River No. 28 G.R.M., that it call a convention comprised of representatives of all Lodges in the District of Alberta at which the formation of a Grand Lodge within Alberta be considered. Bow River issued the call and set the meeting for Calgary on May 24, 1905. Twenty-six delegates attended representing only nine of the eighteen Lodges. Another meeting was planned for July 6, 1905 and three Past Masters were commissioned to prepare a report on the procedure to be taken to form a Grand Lodge in Alberta. Information was required concerning:-

(1) The total Lodge membership in the Territory.

(2) The finances needed to establish and to operate a Grand Lodge.

(3) The methods by which the required funds could be raised.

As scheduled another convention was held on July 6, 1905 but only eight Lodges were represented and merely informal discussions were held. R.W. Bro. Hogbin, Worshipful Master of Bow River Lodge called another meeting for August 12 and set the date of October 12, 1905 for the founding meeting of the Grand Lodge of Alberta. The meeting was to be held in Calgary and the attendance of all Past Masters, Masters and Wardens from all eighteen Lodges was requested.

The fact that Alberta had been established as a Province of Canada in September 1905 had an influence on those Masons who continued to feel a loyalty to the Grand Lodge of Manitoba because at that meeting seventeen of the eighteen Lodges had representation. M.W. Bro. W. G. Scott, the Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Manitoba came west for the convocation. R.W. Bro. Hogbin presided and R.W. Bro. George Macdonald acted as Secretary. The convention agreed:

"(1) That we do proceed and do hereby constitute a Grand Lodge under the Ancient Charges and Constitution of Freemasonry in and for the Province of Alberta.

(2) That the title of the Grand Lodge be "The Grand Lodge of Alberta, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons".

(3) That the Constitution, Rules and Regulations of the Grand Lodge of Manitoba be adopted for the time being with such amendments as the change in jurisdiction might require.

(4) That R.W. Bro. George Macdonald be the Grand Master; R.W. Bro. H. C. Taylor the Deputy Grand Master; R.W. Bro. T. F. English, the Senior Grand Warden and R.W. Bro. O. W. Kealy the Junior Grand Warden; R.W. Bro. J.J. Dunlop the Grand Secretary and R.W. Bro. J. S. Chivers the Grand Chaplain.

(5) That the Grand Lodge of Alberta consist of three districts and that three District Deputy Grand Masters be elected."

The Grand Master of Manitoba, M.W. Bro. W. G. Scott, assisted by M.W. Bro. Dr. E. A. Braithwaite, P.G.M. installed the newly elected Grand Officers. After the Installation and after the Constitution of the Grand Lodge of Alberta, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, according to ancient usage, the following business was transacted:-

1. Several sections of the Constitution of the Grand Lodge of Manitoba were amended. A Board of General Purposes was established and directed to hold regular annual meetings the day before the Annual Communication of the Grand Lodge. It could be

convened at any time by order of the Grand Master or by the President of the Board who was the Deputy Grand Master.

2. The section in the Constitution dealing with the Board of General Purposes was to read, "The Board of General Purposes shall consist of the Grand Master, the Past Grand Masters, the Deputy Grand Master, the Grand Treasurer, the Grand Registrar and eight others elected by the Grand Lodge each year who must be either Masters or Past Masters of Private Lodges and members of Grand Lodge. Four elected members shall retire each year and shall not be eligible for re-election until the year following the year in which they retire.

3. A seal for the Grand Lodge of Alberta was to be similar to the Grand Lodge of Manitoba except that the Manitoba Buffalo in the lower left hand corner was to be replaced by three crowns.

4. A committee was appointed to revise the Constitution.

5. M.W. Bro. Dr. Braithwaite and M.W. Bro. Scott were elected Honourary Past Grand Masters of the Grand Lodge of Alberta.

6. The first Annual Communication of the Grand Lodge of Alberta was scheduled for the town of Medicine Hat on February 20, 1906. 7. The eighteen Lodges now operating within the jurisdiction of the Grand Lodge of Alberta were to be numbered -

Bow River No. 1,   Calgary          Canadian Rite

Medicine Hat No. 2                   Ancient York Rite

Alberta No. 3,     Fort Macleod     Canadian Rite

North Star No. 4,  Lethbridge       Ancient York Rite

Cascade No. 5,     Banff            Ancient York Rite

Spitzie No. 6,     Pincher Creek    Canadian Rite

Edmonton No. 7                       Ancient York Rite

Innisfail No. 8                      Ancient York Rite

Perfection No. 9,  Calgary          Ancient York Rite

Eureka No, 10,     Lacombe          Ancient York Rite

Acacia No. 11,     Strathcona       Canadian Rite

Red Deer No. 12                      Ancient York Rite

Victoria No. 13,   Fort Saskatchewan Canadian Rite

Jasper No. 14,     Edmonton         Canadian Rite

Wetaskiwin No. 15                    Ancient York Rite

Mountain View No. 16, Olds           Ancient York Rite

Nanton No. 17                        Ancient York Rite

Britannia No. 18,  Ponoka           Ancient York Rite

Five months following the Constitution of the Grand Lodge of Alberta the First Annual Communication was held in Medicine Hat on February 20, 1906. At this meeting R.W. Bro. Oswald Kealy was

elected and installed as Grand Master. A number of housekeeping matters were attended to making the Constitution more definite and its form more consistent with local situations. The Board of General Purposes established a number of committees. Constituent Lodges were to consider recommendations and submit them to the committees before they were brought to Grand Lodge. The committees of the Board of General Purposes were -

Jurisprudence

Grievances and Appeals

Condition of Masonry

Foreign Relations and Correspondence Finance Benevolence

Charters and New Lodges

Credentials and Reception

Fraternal Dead

The shaping of the Constitution was an exacting and a detailed task worked on for some time by the members of Grand Lodge. It was not until April 10, 1907 that the Constitution was finalized at a Special Communication of Grand Lodge held in Calgary on April 10, 1907 presided over by the Grand Master, M.W. Bro. H. C.

Taylor. After three full days of exhausting discussion the draft of the Constitution with amendments was adopted unanimously on April 12, 1907. Some changes included - (1) the appointment of the District Deputy Grand Masters to the Board of General Purposes; (2) The provision that the President and Vice-President of the Board be elected by ballot from the members of the Board and that the members of standing committees be elected by open vote and that each committee consist of five members; (3) All vacancies in committees were to be filled by a vote of the Board of General Purposes; (4) The duties of all committees were outlined in detail.

The Annual Communication in Edmonton on May 27, 1908 at which R.W. Bro. G. H. Hogbin was installed as Grand Master had a report from the Grand Librarian, an officer not listed in previous records. The number of districts was increased from three to six. M.W. Bro. Hogbin violated article 99 of the Constitution by appointing eight Grand Stewards whereas the Constitution said in Article 99 that there should be four. At the next Communication in Lethbridge on May 26, 1909, the newly installed Grand Master, M.W. Bro. J. T. Macdonald went further and appointed twelve Grand Stewards.

THE FIRST SEVEN YEARS 1906  - 1913

The first seven years of the existence of the Province of Alberta and of the Grand Lodge of Alberta A.F. and A.M. was a period of great expansion. Settlers were now rapidly moving into the province and a network of railroad lines were being constructed to service the far flung areas. During these years the Grand Lodge issued dispensations to sixty-three Lodges although some of them were not constituted until the year 1914. The number of Lodges grew from the original eighteen to eighty-one.

The town of High River has the distinction of being the first town to have a dispensation granted by the new Grand Lodge of Alberta. Following the granting of the dispensation the ceremony of Institution was conducted by the first Grand Master, M.W.Bro. George Macdonald assisted by a number of his Grand Lodge Officers. The Charter was granted at the First Communication of the Grand Lodge of Alberta and the ceremonies of Constitution and Consecration were held in High River on November 25, 1906. Then followed in rapid succession Carstairs Lodge No. 20 which was constituted on November 30, 1906, King Hiram No. 21 in Didsbury constituted on April 9, 1907 and Corinthian No. 22 in Okotoks constituted on April 12, 1907. Calgary was now large enough to commence a third Lodge which carried the name Calgary No. 23 and the constitution ceremonies were held on April 13, 1907.

Masonic activities soon moved away from the Fort Macleod ­Edmonton axis and the movement for a Lodge was begun in the town of Vermilion east of Edmonton. The first recorded meeting was in May 1906 when the Brethren requested Victoria Lodge No. 13 to sponsor a petition for a dispensation. This was granted by the Grand Master, M.W. Bro. Kealy. For the institution ceremonies on November 3, 1906, R.W. Bro. C. H. Steward-Wade, Grand Registrar was present with R.W. Bro. Baker, the Grand Director of Ceremonies at which W. Bro. J. A. Roseborough was installed as the first Worshipful Master. The Lodge first met above the Post Office in the building owned by the first Senior Warden, Bro. M. A. Brimacombe. The Brethren decided that they would make their own furniture so the pedestals, altar, wands, kneeling benches and Warden's columns were all hand made and first put into use at a meeting on January 29, 1907. The constitution ceremonies of Vermilion Lodge No. 24 were held on July 11, 1907. Eight meetings were held in 1906 and twenty-one in 1907 with degree work being

carried out at practically all the meetings. At the Annual Communication of Grand Lodge in 1909, W. Bro. M. A. Brimacombe was appointed a Grand Steward. This commenced a long series of Brethren from Vermilion who served Grand Lodge with distinction. Notable was S. C. Heckbert who became Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Alberta in 1955 and was also a long time editor of the Grand Lodge Bulletin.

On the same railroad line as Vermilion but some miles to the west was the thriving town of Vegreville. The first white settlers came to that district in 1881 and a small town was established in 1893. When the Canadian Northern Railway built a line through the area a new site on the railroad was located in 1905 where the modern town now stands. J. B. Holden, a homestead inspector arrived in Frank Morrison's blacksmith shop one day to have his horses shoed and they discovered both men were Masons. This resulted in a meeting in July in the store of Stanley Reid. There were five men present and they determined if they added Sam English and Cyrus Young from Beaver Lake there would be seven to form a Lodge. On Thursday, September 27, 1906, R.W. Bro. A.R. Dickson, D.D.G.M. of Wetaskiwin, assisted by R.W. Bro. C. H.Stewart-Wade, the Grand Registrar, instituted Wheat Sheaf Lodge at a meeting in the Presbyterian Church with W. Bro. A. G. Harlan the first Worshipful Master. The following meetings were held in the Queen's Hotel Sample Room. The Charter was granted on February 20, 1907 and the consecration ceremonies on July 10, 1907 in the Vegreville School room with M.W. Bro. H. C. Taylor, Grand Master, officiating. For some obscure reason the Lodge became St. John's Lodge No. 25. There were sixteen Charter members representing the cosmopolitan nature of St. John's Lodge. They had arrived there from Scotland, many Provinces in Eastern Canada and six States of the United States. The Lodge was very active and in one evening they initiated two candidates and raised two candidates. The Lodge meeting closed at 1:30 a.m. with no record of when the Brethren left for home.

St. John's Lodge remained active and strong. It had as a long time member one of the greatly loved Grand Masters of the Grand Lodge of Alberta in the person of M.W. Bro. S. H. Hardin.

The Crows Nest Pass, likely named after the Crow Tribe of Indians, was not considered seriously for settlement until the Canadian Pacific Railway built a line through the narrow pass in 1896 and discovered that there were sulphur springs at the place to be called Frank. About the same time the prospectors found rich seams of coal throughout the district. In September 1901 the first coal mining town was established in Frank but this had been preceded in 1896 by a log Hotel which was patronized as a health resort. At 4:10 a.m. on April 23, 1903 the spectacular Frank Slide occurred. In 100 seconds 100 million tons of limestone and shale broke away from the top of Turtle Mountain and hurtled 3,600 feet to the valley floor and some bounced for more than a mile. At least 76 people died. Numerous dwellings, two ranches and a coal plant were buried.

Three years after that tragedy, in the year 1906, there were a number of Masons residing in Frank and decided that they would like to organize a Frank Lodge. A request was presented to Spitzie Lodge No. 6 and that Lodge agreed to forward a petition for a dispensation. The name Frank caused considerable difficulty and the D.D.G.M. suggested another name be chosen because the new Lodge hoped to draw support from the surrounding towns. The name Sentinel was decided upon to indicate that the towns stood as sentinels guarding the entrance to Crows Nest Pass. The institution took place on December 21, 1906 with R.W. Bro. C. E. Smythe, D.D.G.M. of District 2 in charge and W. Bro. J.H. Bricker

formerly of Elk River Lodge No. 36 G.R.B.C. was installed as the first Worshipful Master. The consecration, with the Grand Master, M.W. Bro. G. H. Hogbin present, was held on July 23, 1908. Sentinel Lodge No. 26 moved from Frank to Hillcrest holding its first meeting there on April 16, 1913. G. E. Cruickshank, later a Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Alberta, was raised on September 24, 1911. It was on June 19, 1914 at 9:30 a.m. after 228 men had entered a mine above Hillcrest an enormous blast or series of blasts shattered the mine ruining the two large ventilator fans. The blast killed 189 men, the worst mining disaster in Canadian History. Eleven members of Sentinel Lodge were killed, one body, that of Bro. S. H. Bainbridge was never recovered. Sentinel Lodge held a funeral service near the spot where the body of the brother was thought to be located. The Grand Lodge started a relief fund and various Lodges throughout the province contributed over $2,000.00 for assistance to the families. The Hillcrest disaster was not the only tragedy in that mining district. On April 1, 1908 a wind of cyclonic proportions whipped into flame a smouldering fire near Fernie, B.C. and sent it roaring eastward down the Valley. The city of 6,000 was devastated and eight persons died. Several mines were closed following the disasters and unemployment became a problem. Through all of this Sentinel Lodge struggled on and created for itself a place in history.

Stettler, in the early years of the twentieth century, was a village east of Lacombe and prospered as the centre of a growing agricultural community. It was inevitable that Masons of the district should wish to have a Lodge of their own. A petition was submitted to Grand Lodge and the dispensation was issued. Apollo Lodge was instituted on February 7, 1907 with the consecration ceremonies for Apollo Lodge No. 27 being performed on November 27, 1908. This Lodge had a solid group of devoted Freemasons who were serious about their work in the Masonic tradition. The Lodge prospered and grew to be one of the outstanding Lodges in the eastern part of the Province.

Back in Calgary another Lodge was in the making. It was Ashlar Lodge No. 28 which was instituted on February 22, 1907 and consecrated on June 4, 1908. M.W. Bro. H. E. Howard who was initiated in Quarry Lodge No. 70, later affiliated with Ashlar Lodge No. 28, served as Grand Master 1951-52.

As time passed the town of Red Deer was growing and many Masons who were trained in the Canadian Ritual lived in or near the town. It was not surprising that this group wished to form a Lodge that worked in their own rite. Early in 1906 a group of these Brethren met with representatives of Red Deer Lodge No. 12 and convinced that Lodge that it should sponsor another Lodge in Red Deer. The petition was forwarded to Grand Lodge and a dispensation was granted on February 28, 1907. It was instituted on March 13, 1907 by the D.D.G.M. of District No. 1, R.W. Bro. J. Hinchcliffe. A Charter member and the first Junior Warden of Kenilworth Lodge No. 29 G.R.A. was W. J. Botterill, one of several members of Kenilworth Lodge who later became Grand Masters of the Grand Lodge of Alberta. During the time when the Lodge was under dispensation five candidates were initiated, passed and raised and the membership climbed to seventeen. The D.D.G.M. in his report in 1908 said, "The officers are zealous, the work splendid and the bright prospects which this Lodge had at its inauguration are being realized." The Charter was granted and Kenilworth Lodge No. 29 was constituted on May 29, 1908. The report of the D.D.G.M. was prophetic for Kenilworth Lodge has continued throughout the years to be a leader in the quality of its Masonic Work. The membership rose to 33 at the close of the year 1908.

 

The meetings of Kenilworth Lodge, in common with a number of Lodges in Alberta, were held on the Wednesday on or before the full moon. At first it shared a hall above a pool room with Red Deer Lodge No. 12 but there were a number of objections to this arrangement. In 1912 Red Deer Lodge No. 12 proposed that a Masonic Temple Association be organized to erect a building at a cost of $35,000.00. Some years were to pass before this dream could become a reality but the Lodges moved to the Michener Building where Kenilworth paid a rent of $25.00 per month with an additional $1.00 a meeting being paid to Mrs. McDougal for caretaking work. The Oddfellows were joint tenants with the Masonic Lodges. At one time it was discovered that the Oddfellows were renting out the banquet hall and collecting a fee. At the same time Kenilworth was paying a share of the electric light bill, a fact that did not create peace and harmony amongst the orders.

After Kenilworth got underway it ran into the financial problems that worried so many of the early Lodges. The reason was, and still continues to be, that the dues required by Grand Lodge were far too high. Indeed a question was raised about the salary paid to the Grand Secretary. It was considered to be excessive for the work he had to do. In July 1915 the inevitable happened and the yearly dues were raised from $6.00 to $8.00 per year.

Back, now, to the Crow's Nest Pass where the coal industry was becoming more and more important with the increasing of rail transportation and the growing number of inhabitants who relied on coal for heating purposes. The coal mines recovered from the disasters that had plagued them and the town of Coleman was a very active place. The Masons gathered together thinking that they would like a Lodge of their own despite the proximity of Sentinel Lodge. Thus it came about that a dispensation was granted and followed by the Institution of Summit Lodge No. 30 on April 3, 1907. The ceremony of constitution was duly solemnized on July 22, 1908.

Farther to the East of Crow's Nest Pass and on the railroad line that ran from Lethbridge to Medicine Hat was the small town of Taber. It was situated in the centre of a good farming area and settlers moved in from various areas, many of them coming from the United States. It was early in 1907 when the Masons began their meetings and ultimately petitioned for a dispensation. They chose to work in the Canadian Rite. The institution ceremonies took place on April 30, 1907 and the constitution on July 10, 1908. The maintenance of the Masonic Lodge in Taber was a continuing problem especially since the area experienced times of poor crops due to a lack of rainfall. Doric Lodge No. 31, as it was named, managed to survive all the vissicitudes. The early Masons were very discreet about discussing their Lodge in public. It is recorded that a number of citizens of the small town were not aware of the existence of a Masonic Lodge. If they were they regarded it as some mysterious gathering about which the less said the better. Nonetheless the Lodge grew slowly and only when a non-Mason approached a Mason with a request for more information. Even then the Investigation Committee was thorough in its work.

Cairo Lodge No. 32, Claresholm, was instituted on June 20, 1907, granted its Charter May 25, 1907 and later constituted on June 24, 1908. The first meeting to discuss forming a Lodge was held in Dr. Dunlop's office on February 1, 1907 with twelve Masons present. The affiliation fee was set at $5.00, initiation fee $50.00 and lodge dues at $5.00. The first meetings were held in the Odd Fellows Hall. Claresholm's history and Cairo Lodge are

very closely linked. The first Mayor of the town, Wm. Moffat, Sr., later a member of the Legislature, was a Charter member. Later Bro. C. T. Milnes, a prominent rancher and business man became a Mayor and following that a member of the Alberta Legislature. The Post master, Geo. W. Simpson, was a long time member of the School Board and a stalwart in Cairo Lodge. In later years other Masons became Mayor of the Town and H.O. Haslam an M.L.A. At the time of Church union the Lodge purchased the former Presbyterian Church as a Lodge Hall for $2,100.00 and spent $2,600.00 on renovations. The new hall was dedicated by M.W. Bro. Canon Middleton, the Grand Master.

Indicative of Cairo's association with the town, in the year 1909 a brick school was built in the town and the cornerstone was laid by the Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Alberta, M.W. Bro. J. T. MacDonald. When the school was razed several years ago to make room for a more modern structure it was discovered that the cavity in the stone contained a scroll signed by the Grand Secretary, M.W. Bro. George Macdonald containing a long list of dignitaries who were then governing the Dominion and the Province "in the eighth year of the reign of our Most Gracious Sovereign, Edward VII, King of Great Britain, Ireland and the colonies".

A very few miles north of Claresholm, the town of Stavely was coming to life and with it, the stirrings of the Masonic Order. In fact Stavely Lodge No. 33 was instituted the day following the Cairo ceremony on June 21, 1907 and the constitution ceremonies two days after Cairo on June 26, 1908. For Stavely Lodge their establishment and continuation was somewhat of a problem for the town did not grow as was anticipated. The lodge drew its strength mainly from the farmers and ranchers of the surrounding area. The members of this Lodge were known throughout the surrounding area for their dedication to their work, which is the Ancient York Rite and for their hearty welcome of visitors. Although their Lodge Room was small it was often crowded to capacity with members and visitors and meetings lasted into the small hours of the morning.

Also in the same week further to the north, the town of Leduc saw the institution of Star of the West Lodge No. 34 on June 25, 1907. The constitution meeting for this Lodge was on June 16, 1908.

Again down in the south, in the town of Medicine Hat, a second lodge was in the process of formation. The usual formalities were proceeded with in proper form and the result was that Mizpah Lodge No. 35 was instituted on August 22, 1907 and after being granted a Charter, was constituted on July 8, 1908.

Back up on the main C.P.R. line from Medicine Hat to Calgary was the town of Gleichen, bordering one of the large Indian Reservations. It was a booming community in view of the fact that a N.W.M.P. detachment was centred there. Nine Masons representing N.W.M.P., clergy, hotel men, C.P.R. employees and bankers formed the Charter membership that was granted a dispensation on October 19, 1907 and instituted on October 31 by the Deputy Grand Master, R.W. Bro. G. H. Hogbin with Rev. H. W. Gibbon Stocken as the first Worshipful Master. At the Communication of the Grand Lodge of Alberta in May 1908 the Charter was granted and M.W. Bro. G. H. Hogbin, now the Grand Master, presided over the consecration of Gleichen Lodge No. 36. There were twelve Charter members. Gleichen Lodge moved its location often, first it met in the old Telford Building which proved to be too cold, then in the Larkin Block which room became too expensive and then to a specially constructed room over Beach's Harness Shop. A big fire in Gleichen in 1916 destroyed the hall, all the furnishings and

records. Meetings returned again to the Larkin Building but later the Lodge bought its own building for $2,200,00 and used the upstairs as a Lodge room. The first floor was rented to the Federal Government for many years.

The first Worshipful Master of Camrose Lodge No. 37 was W. Bro. J. W. Scanlan who was installed at the institution of that Lodge on December 5, 1907 by the D.D.G.M., R.W. Bro. Dickson. The consecration of the Lodge as conducted by the D.D.G.M., R.W. Bro. N. E. Carruthers, on June 26, 1908. Camrose Lodge was not only active in the town of Camrose but it also took a great interest in the surrounding district and in the general progress of Freemasonry. It sponsored Lodges in the towns of Killam, Tofield and Bawlf.

On September 6, 1927 the Grand Master, M.W. Bro. G. E. Cruickshank officiated at the laying of a cornerstone for a new Lodge Hall in the town. In 1950 the building was renovated to accommodate the Bank of Montreal. The Masons very carefully removed the cornerstone and placed it in their Lodge room as a reminder of the early days. The contribution of Masons to the life of the town is indicated by the fact that R.W. Bro. R. H. Hume served as Mayor for eighteen consecutive years. When a new Composite High School was built in 1963 the Chairman of the School Board was Bro. J. L. Dodds and the principal was W. Bro. C. A. McCleary.

Located in between Vegreville and Vermilion, the town of Mannville petitioned for a dispensation. They chose the name of Hope for their Lodge which was instituted on January 21, 1908. The consecration followed the granting of a Charter when the Grand Lodge Communication met that year. Hope Lodge No. 38 was constituted on August 10, 1908.

Lethbridge was now in a position to open a Lodge that would work in the Canadian Rite. It was called Lethbridge No. 39 and was instituted on March 19, 1908 and constituted on July 9, 1908. Then followed the town of Grannum, growing prosperous with its wheat growing farms which started a Lodge called Joppa No. 40. The institution ceremonies were on March 18, 1909 and the constitution on June 17, 1909. Just west of Calgary, the town of Cochrane, nestled in the foothills with a growing ranching development, picked King Solomon No. 41 for its title. King Solomon Lodge No. 41 was instituted on December 4, 1908 and constituted on June 18, 1909. The town of Bowden called its Lodge, Bowden No. 42 and instituted a Lodge on March 3, 1909 with its constitution on June 23, 1909. Further north in the town of Killam, a little to the south-east of Camrose, called the new Lodge there Tuscan No. 43. The date of its institution was April 23, 1909 and on July 20, 1910 Tuscan Lodge No. 43 was duly constituted.

North and east of Killam the town of Wainwright located on the Grand Trunk Railway saw a spectacular growth and with it came the petition to erect a Lodge. This Lodge at its inception had some difficulty in deciding what rite it would adopt. Despite the fact that a number of Charter members were schooled in the Ancient York Rite, they chose to work in the Canadian Rite because the first Worshipful Master, W. Bro. N. S. Kenny, preferred it since he was familiar with that ritual. At the time the Lodge was being formed the Dominion Government had acquired a tract of land where a park would be established to preserve the buffalo and other native animals that faced extinction with the advance of civilization. The park was later to be known as Elk Island Park

although its first name was Wood Buffalo Park. The Indians had hunted buffalo for food, clothing, tents and utensils. The settlers valued the buffalo for the meat found in the great humps on their backs and their tongues. Many were killed just for sport. The Masons of Wainwright decided to enshrine the North American Bison in the name of their Lodge calling it Buffalo Park Lodge No. 44 which was granted a dispensation on April 7, 1909, instituted on April 27 and constituted on August 18, 1910.

Wainwright was preceded by the town of Denwood, two miles south. When the Grand Trunk Railway established a divisional point at Wainwright, the town of Denwood gradually moved to the new site. The hotel was moved to become the Wainwright Hotel. This same building now stands in Heritage Park, Calgary and is often the place for Masonic gatherings.

When the Lodge Secretary died in 1912 the Lodge found that it was necessary to pay $300.00 funeral expenses. There was an attempt to collect this amount from the deceased brother's estate but the Lodge withdrew its claim, despite the strain on lodge finances, in favour of the mother who lived in England. When the estate was finally settled some eleven years later the Lodge received $102.00. In 1929, July 21, Wainwright was ravaged by a serious fire which destroyed the town's business section. Many records were lost but, fortunately, the Historical Register, which had been faithfully kept was in the possession of a member of the Lodge. In 1916 the Grand Trunk Railway closed its offices in Wainwright and moved a large number of families to Edmonton resulting in serious problems for the Lodge.

East of the town of Lacombe the small community of Alix received a dispensation to erect a Lodge on April 16, 1909. The M.W. the Grand Master, J. J. Dunlop, constituted Ionic Lodge No. 45 on July 7, 1910. The institution ceremonies had been carried out on May 21, 1909. In the town of Tofield a little to the east of Edmonton and on the same railroad line as Wainwright, Palestine Lodge No. 46 was instituted on October 13, 1909 and constituted on August 19, 1910.

The scene now shifts from the area east of Edmonton down to the south west of Fort Macleod and Pincher Creek to the town of Cowley. They chose a very appropriate name for their Lodge to enshrine in history the variable winter weather caused by the famous chinooks. Chinook Lodge No. 47 was instituted on February 21, 1910 and constituted on June 30 of the same year. Following this Crossfield Lodge No. 48 was instituted on April 8, 1910 and its ceremonies of constitution came the next year on December 1, 1911. Carmangay, out on the prairies south of Calgary, decided that it was time when they were founding their Lodge, to honour one of the well known Masons of the world and the great Scottish Bard, Robert Burns. It was on April 26, 1910 that Robert Burns Lodge No. 49 was instituted and the constitution of the Lodge is dated October 9, 1911. Back up to the Camrose district and the town of Hardisty, the Brethren were impressed with the streaking of Halley's Comet across the skies in May of 1910. They decided to make this a part of Masonic History and their Lodge which was instituted on May 2, 1910 and constituted on November 17, 1911, was called Comet Lodge No. 50.

By this time the city of Edmonton was ready for another Lodge and on February 19, 1910 a number of Scottish Masons met in the Kilmuir Hotel on Kinistino (96 Street) Avenue to discuss the formation of a Scottish Masonic Lodge. Alberta was now engaged in the building of the new sandstone Legislative Building to house the fledgling Provincial Government. It required men who were skilled in the stone cutters art and, of course, attracted a

number of Free and Accepted Masons. In addition to laying a firm foundation for a beautiful architectural structure at the same time they laid the solid foundation of what was to be one of Alberta's most progressive Masonic Lodges. After much discussion of a name the group decided to place the emphasis on the basic principles of Free Masonry and named the Lodge "Unity" which was later to be known as Unity Lodge No. 51. The presiding officer at the initial meeting was W. Bro. James McMillan of Cathcart Lodge, Cathcart, Scotland. It was at a meeting on March 2, 1910 that it was decided to request a dispensation with the support of Edmonton Lodge No. 7 who offered Unity the use of their Lodge and regalia free of charge until the Lodge was instituted, They decided to use the Canadian Rite. Annual dues were $3.00, the initiation fee $35.00.

Thus it came about that on May 3, 1910 Unity Lodge was instituted by the Grand Master, M.W. Bro. J. T. MacDonald who placed W. Bro. David McIntosh in the chair of King Solomon. At the first regular meeting of this Lodge, while under dispensation, twenty petitions for initiation were read together with five for affiliation. The first Worshipful Master was an outstanding ritualist and insisted that his officers attain perfection in ritual approaching his. He is described as a "most kindly gentleman" but his enthusiasm for the work established in Unity Lodge No. 51 a tradition for excellence in the work that has continued to the present day. In the first eight months of its existence the Lodge received about sixty petitions for initiation although some had to be tabled because they did not meet the resident requirements.

The Masonic Lodge room in Edmonton was so active that at times two Lodges met on the same night. Unity Lodge No. 51 was constituted on September 5, 1911. From the outset Unity was conscious that Charity was the basis of all Masonic Work. On March 15, 1911 the Brethren decided to pay $11.40 for coal for the widow of a deceased brother and the members agreed to assist her in moving into more suitable quarters and to pay her rent for one month. Bro. Andrew Duncan offered his team of horses, free of charge, to move the furniture. Unity did run into some financial difficulties and had to negotiate, with the bank, an overdraft of $300.00. The Lodge grew, prospered and became strong.

In the same month that Unity Lodge No. 51 was instituted the small town of Langdon to the East of Calgary was granted a dispensation and was constituted in September, 1911. Langdon Lodge No. 52 had a brief and difficult history. It finally surrendered its Charter on June 9, 1920 and was the first Lodge to do this after the establishment of the Grand Lodge of Alberta. A neighbouring town a few miles to the east and north, Strathmore, had more success in its Masonic endeavour. It was instituted a little later than Langdon, on May 16, 1910 and constituted on September 4, 1911. Time had come now for another Lodge to be erected in Calgary. The name chosen was Mount Lebanon. After receiving its dispensation it was instituted on September 13, 1910 and constituted on October 25, 1911. Mount Lebanon Lodge No. 54 was followed by Bassano Lodge No. 55 in a town that is on the railroad some miles north of Medicine Hat. It was instituted on November 1, 1910 and constituted on August 2, 1911. Moving north again and east of Stettler the town of Castor next became active in Masonic work. Honouring another Canadian animal this Lodge was called Beaver. The institution was on November 29, 1910 and Beaver Lodge No. 56 was constituted almost a year later on November 24, 1911.

Between Medicine Hat and Lethbridge was the town of Grassy Lake. The Masonic Lodge in this town called Grassy Lake Lodge No. 57 was instituted on November 8, 1910 and constituted on October 12,

1911. Grassy Lake Lodge No. 57 experienced considerable difficulty in its early years and suffered a great shock when on October 2, 1910 the town was engulfed in a devastating fire. Other Lodges rallied to the support of Grassy Lake Lodge No. 57. Grand Lodge helped with the donation of a filing cabinet and Medicine Hat Lodge No. 2 donated an altar and the officers' collars. The Masons in Nemiskam had been struggling to form a Lodge but had failed in their attempts. In the hope of having a Lodge in their town they had begun assembling materials needed in the Lodge Room. Now that Grassy Lake was in sore straits they exercised the works of charity and gave to Grassy Lake Lodge No. 57 the materials that they had collected.

South of Lethbridge, in the town of Cardston, which was destined to become the hub of the Church of the Latter Day Saints, a few Masons gathered in late 1910 to discuss the probability of a Lodge in that town. Chief Mountain Lodge No. 58 was the first Lodge to be instituted by the Grand Lodge of Alberta in 1911 when the ceremony of institution was performed on January 6, 1911. Following the granting of a Charter at the Grand Lodge Communication that year Chief Mountain Lodge No. 58 was constituted on July 26, 1911.

Following immediately after the institution of Chief Mountain Lodge No. 58 came the institution of a Lodge in Calgary that was to exercise a great influence not only in that city but throughout the jurisdiction of Alberta. This was King George Lodge No. 59 named after the reigning Sovereign of the day. King George Lodge No. 59 was instituted on January 13, 1911 and constituted on October 25, 1911. Throughout the years it has met on the north side of the Bow River and has maintained the King George Masonic Temple.

Acme Lodge No. 60 instituted on March 2, 1911 and constituted on November 7, 1911 was the work of a few Masons living in the town and on farms in the rich farming area east of the Edmonton-Calgary railroad. This Lodge was never large but was representative of those who were a part of the early history of the town.

The scene now shifts back up to the north and east which had seen so much Masonic movement in the years immediately following the organization of the Grand Lodge of Alberta. As early as May 1909 the Masons of Provost had been working towards the day when they could form a Lodge. Not only did they lack in numbers but also in a suitable place to meet. Some of the early meetings were held in an unheated warehouse with the Masons seated on boxes and nail kegs. Persistence paid off and although the population of Provost was only 100 the dispensation was granted on March 1, 1911 and instituted on March 29 with W. Bro. John Wilson as the Worshipful Master. During the first year the Lodge initiated eight members, received two affiliations and rejected two candidates. The constitution meeting of Provost Lodge No. 61 was on January 24, 1912. In 1915 the Grand Master, M.W. Bro. S. Y. Taylor, visited Provost for the purpose of laying the cornerstone of the new school. Later when the old school was torn down the Lodge recovered the cornerstone and placed it in their Lodge Room. A record shows that one Installation meeting of this Lodge consisted mainly of a 500 card tournament that lasted well into the hours of the morning.

On April 26, 1911 the Lodge called Coal Lodge No. 62 in the small town of Bawlf was instituted and the constitution took place on November 27, 1912.

Empire Lodge No. 63 in Edmonton is the next Lodge on the list. It

came into being because of a desire on the part of a number of Edmonton Brethren to recover an opportunity to get to know other members of their Lodge. The founders of Empire asserted that Lodges were getting too big and, consequently, impersonal. Emphasis was placed on "Refreshment and Harmony" and one of the first purchases was a piano. Empire Lodge actually had some difficulty in getting started. It was over a year after planning first started until Edmonton and Jasper Lodges sponsored the petition and Grand Lodge issued the dispensation. The institution ceremonies were performed on May 27, 1911. This ceremony was marked by a declaration that Empire Lodge would carefully select candidates who would be a credit to the Craft and it was not concerned about building up a large membership. R.W. Bro. R. W. Ibbotson, D.D.G.M. , constituted Empire Lodge No. 63 on November 4, 1912 and W. Bro. E. H. Cope was the first Worshipful Master.

In common with the other Lodges meeting in Edmonton accommodation was a growing problem. The Lodge had difficulty in procuring nights for emergent meetings. It complained too, that the room was not properly heated, a problem that was shared by the other three Lodges that met there. Empire Lodge was honoured to have one of its early Worshipful Masters, W. Bro. John Martland, later elected Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Alberta. He presented to Empire Lodge a "Breeches Bible" which is a very valuable edition of the Bible. The name is derived from the fact that Genesis 3, verse 7, reads "breeches" instead of the usual translation "aprons". Hence the name of the Bible and also its value.

Bow Island Lodge No. 64 was instituted on July 11, 1911 and constituted on August 2, 1912 thus adding another Lodge along the Medicine Hat, Lethbridge route. Nearer to Lethbridge on its west side the town of Diamond City was prospering because of a booming coal mine there. Diamond City Lodge No. 65 was instituted on March 22, 1912 and constituted on September 27, 1912. Although Diamond City had a few faithful Masons its population was subject to the uncertain whims of the coal industry and did not grow to any great strength. When the mine closed down the Lodge found itself in deep trouble.

St. Andrew's Lodge No. 66 is located in Trochu, a town east of Didsbury. Trochu grew quickly as settlers moved in from all parts of the world to take up the many square miles of farm land that was available. In December 1911 a few Masons met to consider establishing a Lodge because it was diff