Highland Creek Loyal Orange Lodge No. 2934
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Scarborough, Ontario, Canada
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This lodge, situated in the former village of Highland Creek, on the eastern edge of Toronto received its warrant in 1924, signed by the Grand Master of Canada, W.D. McPherson M.P. The original charter members were: Clarence Pooler, J.R. Crowe, George Camps, Francis Camps, John Brooks, Andrew Brooks, W.T.H. Carson, William Crowe, Wellington Reid and E.F. Yates.
By the end of the year the lodge boasted a membership of forty-two members with twenty-five of them listing their occupation as farmers. The lodge grew steadily during the 1920's and reached a membership high in 1928 when sixty-four members were listed. It declined in the following years throughout the depression when many of the members either left the area in search of work or were unable to pay their dues.
The lodge met in Morrish Hall and a young boy was paid 25 cents to clean the hall after each meeting. That young boy later became a Metro Toronto councillor, Ken Morrish. One of the signs of the times was the fact that "Unemployed" was added to the order of busing entitled Sick and Distress. In 1937 Bert Spillsbury transferred into the lodge from Oakland Loyal Orange Lodge. Spillsbury was to later hold the lodge together during the war years and is the longest serving master in the history of the lodge having served from 1939 to 1950. Due to the number of members enlisting in the armed forces and those employed in the defence industry the first meeting of 1941 was held in June and the following motion was made:
Resolved: "That this lodge be closed for the duration of the war. All members to be notified accordingly. During this period all members will keep in touch with each other as far as this is possible".
The lodge however held its July meeting each year for the duration of the war.
By the end of the year the lodge boasted a membership of forty-two members with twenty-five of them listing their occupation as farmers. The lodge grew steadily during the 1920's and reached a membership high in 1928 when sixty-four members were listed. It declined in the following years throughout the depression when many of the members either left the area in search of work or were unable to pay their dues.
The lodge met in Morrish Hall and a young boy was paid 25 cents to clean the hall after each meeting. That young boy later became a Metro Toronto councillor, Ken Morrish. One of the signs of the times was the fact that "Unemployed" was added to the order of busing entitled Sick and Distress. In 1937 Bert Spillsbury transferred into the lodge from Oakland Loyal Orange Lodge. Spillsbury was to later hold the lodge together during the war years and is the longest serving master in the history of the lodge having served from 1939 to 1950. Due to the number of members enlisting in the armed forces and those employed in the defence industry the first meeting of 1941 was held in June and the following motion was made:
Resolved: "That this lodge be closed for the duration of the war. All members to be notified accordingly. During this period all members will keep in touch with each other as far as this is possible".
The lodge however held its July meeting each year for the duration of the war.
One of Bert Spillsbury's favourite stories was that of playing hide and seek with Grand Lodge officers during World War II. The lodge was not meeting regularly and was not able to pay its Grand Lodge dues and the Grand Lodge of Ontario West requested that the warrant be turned in. Spillsbury was always conveniently not at home when they called. He almost single-handedly kept the lodge together for a period of five years until it was able to reorganize and get back on its feet. And so Highland Creek avoided the fate that met many other Canadian lodges which never recovered from the loss of members due to the war.
In 1946 the lodge reorganized and began meeting in St. Simons Anglican Church in the village. It sent a circular to all former members that any suspended member would be reinstated on payment of $3.00. In April of that year Harold Hodgson was initiated. He had applied to join in 1941 but had joined the armed forces and been sent overseas. In the latter half of the sixties and early seventies, Highland Creek's membership rose steadily and it became a strong voice in the Orange Order. It was during these years that the lodge became involved in the annual Scarborough Canada Day Parade and the Remembrance Day services, both of which are still attended annually.
In 1971 the lodge again changed meeting places, this time to Christ Anglican Church and in 1978 the lodge again moved to Melville Presbyterian Church. On January 1st, 1979, with Ken Dafoe in the Master's chair Highland Creek joined the Metro Toronto County Orange Lodge, ending a fifty-five year association with the County Orange Lodge of East York.
Source: Written material sourced from toronto-orange.ca
In 1946 the lodge reorganized and began meeting in St. Simons Anglican Church in the village. It sent a circular to all former members that any suspended member would be reinstated on payment of $3.00. In April of that year Harold Hodgson was initiated. He had applied to join in 1941 but had joined the armed forces and been sent overseas. In the latter half of the sixties and early seventies, Highland Creek's membership rose steadily and it became a strong voice in the Orange Order. It was during these years that the lodge became involved in the annual Scarborough Canada Day Parade and the Remembrance Day services, both of which are still attended annually.
In 1971 the lodge again changed meeting places, this time to Christ Anglican Church and in 1978 the lodge again moved to Melville Presbyterian Church. On January 1st, 1979, with Ken Dafoe in the Master's chair Highland Creek joined the Metro Toronto County Orange Lodge, ending a fifty-five year association with the County Orange Lodge of East York.
Source: Written material sourced from toronto-orange.ca
Members of Highland Creek Loyal Orange Lodge No. 2934 in 1979. Back Row:L-R: Russell Morrisey, Geoff Dundee, Sam McMinn, Frank Wise, Jim Stevenson, Stewart Dundee, Lee Murphy, Harry Verner, Wes Mulhall. Front Row: L-R: Albert Bell, John Thompson, Alex Rough, Don Wilson, Ken Dafoe, Tom Barr, Lou Coe
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