Hawkesbury Lodge No. 450

 A Short History of Hawkesbury Lodge No. 450

Hawkesbury Lodge No. 210 , Grand Lodge of Ireland , which preceded Hawkesbury Lodge No. 450 was formed 1869 after a division in St. John’s Lodge No. 159. St. John’s Lodge No. 159 would eventually become St. John’s No. 21A after giving up it’s Irish Warrant. It is believed that Hawkesbury Lodge No. 210 held their meetings in the Ross’ Creek area of West Hawkesbury. This Lodge surrendered its Charter to the Grand Lodge of Canada in the Province of Ontario in 1888 Hawkesbury Lodge No. 450 was instituted on Thursday , May 16^th , 1901.The Grand Master who signed the Charter in 1902 was John Ellery Harding of Lindsay Ontario.

In 1902 an offer was received from the Catholic Order of Foresters to rent the lodge the second story of a hall they were building on Regent Street. This offer was accepted and the new lodge rooms were consecrated on January 9^th, 1903. This agreeable arrangement continued beyond 1912. Records between 1913 and 1923 are lost. In 1923 the lodge was renting rooms above Lighthall’s Garage on McGill Street . June 17^th , 1965 saw the last meeting held at this location and in September of 1965 Hawkesbury Lodge held their first meeting above the Bank of Nova Scotia in Vankleek Hill. This arrangement has continued till the present time.
 

Hawkesbury Lodge celebrated it’s 100^th Anniversary October 27^th , 2001 and continues to support community endeavors and institutions in an expression of Masonic Principals.