GRAND LODGE A.F. & A.M. of Canada in the Province of Ontario

ALGOMA EAST DISTRICT

The present Algoma East District is about 25 years old. In fact, none of the present lodges were insti­tuted under the name Algoma East District. A short sum­mary of its his­tory fol­lows begin­ning with the devel­op­ment of the var­i­ous names of the District.

1885: The first Lodge (Keystone No. 412) is insti­tuted in a dis­trict called GEORGIAN DISTRICT NUMBER 9

1886: The Lodge becomes part of ALGOMA DISTRICT NUMBER 17. Under this name, Dyment Lodge N0. 442 is instituted.

1903: ALGOMA DISTRICT NUMBER 17 is divided and the lodges are in NIPISSING DISTRICT No. 18. Under this name, Algoma Lodge No. 469 and Penewobikong Lodge No. 487 are instituted.

1924: Grand Lodge once again renames the dis­tricts and the lodges become part of NIPISSING DISTRICT. Both Lorne Lodge No. 622 and Hatherly Lodge No. 625 are insti­tuted under this name.

1935: NIPISSING DISTRICT proves to be too large and is divided. The lodges then come under the name of NIPPISSING WEST. The remain­ing two lodges, Woodland Lodge No. 680 and Elliot Lake Lodge No. 698 are insti­tuted under this name.

1979: NIPPISSING WEST DISTRICT is once again divided due to its great area and the lodges are then all listed together under the name of ALGOMA EAST DISTRICT. No new lodges are formed under this name.

The dis­trict con­tin­ues to be one that cov­ers many miles and the mem­bers have their own par­tic­u­lar prob­lems try­ing to co-ordinate efforts and to share in such things as vis­it­ing each other and sup­port­ing the growth of Masonry in the dis­trict. It rep­re­sents a good mix­ture of rural and urban lodges and con­tin­ues to deal with the prob­lem of the con­tin­ual shift­ing of pop­u­la­tion. All lodges are sub­ject to indus­trial suc­cesses or fail­ures and endured great expan­sion and great reduc­tion at var­i­ous times through­out our his­tory. Our strength is that our mem­bers are able to sup­port each other over the many miles mostly by visiting.

The con­cept of sup­port is not unique to the present dis­trict. Our his­tory is full of unof­fi­cial pair­ings of lodges to make masonry strong. From the early sup­port of Keystone Lodge for the effort to insti­tute Dyment Lodge in Thessalon, to the sup­port of Penewobikong Lodge for the new lodge in Elliot Lake, to the spe­cial rela­tion­ship between Lorne Lodge in Chapleau and Woodland Lodge in Wawa, the brethren con­tinue to make the dis­trict work and grow in spite of the many miles that divide us.

Algoma East District proudly boasts of the mem­ber­ship of two of the past Grand Masters of the Grand Lodge of Canada in the Province of Ontario. Most Worshipful Brother W.L. Wright was ini­ti­ated in Hatherly Lodge No. 625 in Sault Ste. Marie and W.R. Pellow was ini­ti­ated in Lorne Lodge No. 622 in Chapleau.

We hope you have a chance to enjoy our dis­trict both by vis­it­ing this web­site and by drop­ping in on us some­time. The cof­fee is always on.