Kitimat Lodge No. 169

Our History

Kitimat Lodge, as an assembly, began as a Fellowship Club started by Freemasons who worked in the construction of the aluminum smelter in Kitimat. In spring of 1952, seven members met in the key men's quarters at the construction camp. Nothing really came of this meeting other than some discussion of having a party (which did not happen). The Club however was growing as workers from all over were coming to the camp to work. In the spring of 1953, some 22 members gathered in the back room of Helen's Cafe in the Recreation hall. It was then that a picnic was planned at Clio Bay for later that summer. Shortly after this outing about 12 members of the Fellowship Club met and sent a letter to the Grand Lodge to see what had to be done to form a Lodge in Kitimat.

In due course, a letter was received cautioning against hurry and recommending consideration of the transient nature of the population within the community. They still managed to plan another social for the members and their Ladies, which was held in Helen's Cafe in the fall or early winter of 1953.

By the time the group met again in the spring of 1954, the Treasurer had left town and a new custodian of funds was named. A secretary was also chosen. This was the beginnings of a properly organized Club and monthly meetings were started in the School (at Smeltersite). After a few meetings there, the group moved to the room above Sheardown's Store.

At the March 1955 meeting at this location, elections were held and a letter once again sent to Grand Lodge formally asking permission to start a Lodge. The result of this letter was that a Lodge of Instruction (named Mount Elizabeth Lodge for a short time) was opened under the supervision of Kitselas Lodge #123 of Terrace. The First Meeting of this Lodge was held in the Rod and Gun Clubhouse with 32 Brethren present. The Rod and Gun Clubhouse then became the regular meeting place until the Anderson Hill Hall was obtained for the purpose.

The Anderson Hill Hall was our home when the Lodge of Instruction was instituted as Kitimat Lodge UD (Under Dispensation), under the warrant of Kitselas Lodge #123 on July 20^th 1957. There were 55 members from 12 Grand Jurisdictions. This location was also used for 4 Regular Meetings and 2 Emergent Communications after being Constituted Kitimat Lodge #169, but since conditions were not the best, the Cormorant School Auditorium was obtained for all Communications beginning with the December 13^th 1958 Installation of Officers.

This was not quite the way it worked out, however. That Installation actually occurred in the Nechako School Auditorium as the plumbing at Cormorant School had frozen. The Cormorant location became the Lodge home on Jan 14^th 1959. Kitimat Lodge #169 was Constituted and Consecrated by the Grand Lodge here 5 months earlier on August 9^th 1958. We held 35 Regular Communications and 25 Emergent Communications here.

The 23^rd of May 1962 marked the beginning of a long relationship with the Presbyterian Church. The first of 277 Emergent and 390 Regular Communications was held. We stayed for 39 years. That was 39 years of moving pews, covering windows, arranging and disarranging the Lodge Ornaments for every communication.

On Sept 12^th 2001, we held the 431^st Regular Communication of the Lodge in our latest long-term location, in the basement of Christ Church Anglican. This location was made possible only after countless hours of volunteer work and over $40,000 invested.

Finally, the Lodge had a meeting place that could be left set up at all times.

This lease was great while it lasted. In May 2019, the Diocese decided to not renew our lease.

          At this point we moved into the basement of The Chalet Restaurant, beginning with our September 2019 meeting. The arrangement at the Chalet lasted until January 2021 when there was a significant flood in the space and by May of the same year, we were advised that the owner ready to begin renovations and unfortunately we had to leave.

A few Board of General Purpose meetings were held at the Riverlodge Recreation Center as we were in the process of securing meeting space at the Royal Canadian Legion, but that had not been finalized as yet. On July 15^th, it was announced that we had a deal with the Legion and we could move in for our September 2021 meeting.

Due to the Provincial Regulations at that time, we still could not meet, but we did get our stuff moved in. Our first meeting at this location was on December 8^th, 2021. As of this day of writing, January 4^th, 2023, The Legion has been our home.

To date our Lodge has had 7 different regular meeting locations. This is in addition to 3 locations as a Fellowship Club. This makes a total of 10.

Fellowship Club

1 – Helen’s Café in Recreation Center at Smelter site – Destroyed as services in town site were made available.

2 – Sheardown’s Store – Became Shop-Easy in Nechako Center and is still standing although currently derelict.

3 – Smelter Site School - Destroyed as services in town site were made available.

Kitimat Lodge of Instruction

4 – Rod and Gun Clubhouse – This building was used for a short time, sometime between April 1955 and July 1957. I have been unable to find reference to this building being on the Smelter site, so it must be assumed that the Clubhouse was the original building at the river. Since that building was built in 1956, our use of that building was after that date. The original building burned down in the 1990’s and has been replaced.

Kitimat Lodge #169

5 – Anderson Hill Hall – Here there is some discrepancy. Some individuals recall that the building was moved into town and eventually became the Elks Hall on Konigus Street. However, according to the Kitimat Archives, the building was destroyed in 1959 and the floor from it laid in the Presbyterian Church by Bryan Quinlan. It is possible that both occurred and the hardwood floor did not accompany the building.

6 – Cormorant Elementary School Auditorium – The school is currently being used as the alternative high school, Kitimat City High, and previously also housed a daycare center. The School District had closed this school a number of years ago as a cost cutting measure and due to lower enrollments.

Photo #6 – Cormorant Elementary School

7 – Presbyterian Church – This building is still standing and being used by the congregation.

8 – Christ Church Anglican – Remains in Service to God. The first service was conducted by Rev. Graham Tucker and was the Easter service of 1956, even though the building was not finished until April 1957. It was designed by architect Russell Baxter.

9 – Chalet Restaurant – The building was a modular panabode which was supposed to be the clubhouse for the golf course that had been started down at the tidewater flats by the Old Anderson Farm right close to where the Eurocan (now LNG Canada) causeway was later to be located. It was dismantled at that site and ‘smuggled’ across the Haisla bridge one night in 1964 or 1965. The gentleman that bought the property and moved the building was a Freemason named Ted Drabik.

Photo # 9 – Chalet Restaurant (basement entrance circled)

10 – Royal Canadian Legion BR #250 – Opened its doors December 13^th, 1958 and has been in continuous operation since. It was built over three years of planning and volunteer labor. We meet in the upstairs hall.