Prepared by
W. Bro. Stanley Clute
Bow River Lodge No.1
The Grand Lodge of Alberta of A.F. & A.M.

On January 28, 1884, after months of discussion and preparation and under dispensation from the Grand Lodge of Manitoba, the inaugural meeting of Bow River cabin east of the Elbow River. R.W. Bro. N. J. Lindsay was named as the Worshipful Master. Bro. Fred L. Newman as Senior Warden and Bro. George Murdoch as Junior Warden. The Regular Communications were fixed for “the Monday on or before the full moon of every month.” A petition for a Charter was submitted at the ensuing Grand Lodge Communication held at Winnipeg on February 13, 1884, but in the meantime the Grand secretary advised that a Charter would not be granted until the Lodge has been at work for a longer period of time under dispensation. R.W. Bro. Lindsay attended Grand Lodge and fought to procure a Charter. After considerable debate Grand Lodge issued a Charter assigning the number 28 to the Lodge. As a compliment to the Lodge, R.W. Bro. Lindsay was elected Junior Grand Warden and he had the unique distinction of signing the Charter as Junior G.W. At an Emergent Communication held on March 17, 1884, Thomas H. Lake of the N.W.M.P. John L. Bowen, and J.D. Moulton were initiated in due and ancient form and became the first Masons made in Calgary. Bro. Lake was soon after transferred to Regina and received his third degree at Wascana Lodge. Bro. Bowen went on to become Worshipful Master of Bow River Lodge in 1887.

While the foregoing events were happening in the winter of 1884, the ramshackle community that was Calgary was migrating across the Elbow River to settle on the new Canadian Pacific Railway townsite on the west side. Very soon the new Lodge was renting meeting space on the upstairs floor of the McKelvie & Graves store on the new townsite and by the summer, two lots on the townsite had been secured for the construction of a Masonic Hall, which was duly erected. Over the following decades the Lodge met in a number of successive buildings: on 8th Avenue just east of 2nd Street SE prior to 1893; in the Barber Block at 128 8th Avenue SE (where the Telus Convention Centre North building now stands) from 1893 to 1899; in the Victoria Block (on 9th Avenue SE in the same block as the current Museum – Convention Centre complex) from 1899 until 1908; on the upper floor of Alexander Corner (which building was situated on 8th Avenue SW where the south half of the Hudson’s Bay department store now stands) from 1908 to 1921; on the upper floor of the Oddfellows Temple on the NW corner of 6 Avenue and Centre Street (now the Calgary Chamber of Commerce Building) from 1921 to 1926; Alexander Corner from 1916 to 1928.

On June 14, 1893, Bro. I. A. Simmonds succumbed to an attack of Typhoid Fever and an Emergent Communication was held on the 17th of that month to attend the funeral of our late Brother. This was the first Lodge of Sorrow since the institution of the Lodge. In May, 1896, the Master W. Bro. C. L. Soper, was called to the Grand Lodge Above and was buried with full Masonic Honours.

At a time when there were but five Lodges in the District of Alberta, steps were taken to form a Grand Lodge of Alberta and $500 was set aside for that purpose. From time to time action was continued with that end in view; but it was not until after the formation of the province of Alberta in September, 1905 that it came to fruition. At the instigation of Bow River Lodge, under the firm direction of its Master, R.W. Bro. Ven. Archdeacon G. H. Hogbin, the Grand Lodge of Alberta was founded on October 12, 1905. Bow River Lodge received the designation of No. 1 in the new jurisdiction. R.W. Bro. George MacDonald, a Past Master of Bow River Lodge, was elected the first Grand Master and served in that capacity until the first Annual Communication of the Grand Lodge of Alberta oil February 20, 1906. R.W. Bro. G. I-I. Hogbin, who as W.M. of Bow River Lodge, had taken a leading role in the forming of the new Grand Lodge, became in 1908 its fourth Grand Master.

Membership steadily increased and the Lodge activities progressed, but later on several members withdrew and new Lodges were formed in Calgary. Bow River Lodge sponsored seven new Lodges over the years, one of which was Ashlar Lodge, founded in 1906. Although, entitled to a lower number on the register of the Grand Lodge of Alberta, the new lodge chose to be known as Ashlar Lodge No. 28 as a sympathetic memory of the original number assigned to Bow River Lodge when constituted under the Grand Lodge of Manitoba.

When World War I broke out in 1914, the brethren of Bow River Lodge patriotically answered the call of “King and Country” and over seventy members joined the Canadian Expeditionary Force, several of whom made the Supreme Sacrifice. Their names are inscribed on the Roll of Honour, which was designed by one of our own members and presented by W.Bro. Angus McRae, the Worshipful Master in 1917.

On May 12, 1928 the first sod was turned for the construction of a new Masonic Temple (Freemason Hall) at 330 12th Avenue SE., of which Bow River Lodge was one of the owner lodges. The lodge vacated Alexander Corner, which would soon be torn down to allow for the expansion of the Hudson’s Bay store and, in 1928, moved into the new temple, where we have been meeting ever since. Regular Communications are now held on the first Wednesday of the month and Emergent Communications on the third Wednesday.

The Great Depression of the 1930s saw the Lodge struggle to maintain itself in the face of many members’ difficulty meeting their annual dues; but the Lodge managed to survive due to wise management. A highlight of the decade occurred on May 26, 1939 when King George VI and Queen Elizabeth visited Calgary during their Royal Visit to Canada. The Royal route led past the Calgary Masonic Temple, “where many of our brothers paid homage to their Sovereigns.”

The outbreak of Word War II later that year plunged the world into another great fight for freedom, and many brethren of Bow River Lodge enlisted. After the War ended many of the returning soldiers joined Freemasonry. The 1950s proved to be a period of growth for Bow River Lodge. Though the rate of increase slowed somewhat, Bow River Lodge has continued to prosper through the 1960s to present day. Three Bow River Masons, R.W. Bro. Les Jeater, W. Bro. Charles Tuckey, and W. Bro. George Davidson were among the twenty or so Masons who worked on the creation of the Heritage Park Masonic Lodge Room circa 1967, W. Bro. Davidson being the Chief Architect of the project.

Bow River Lodge celebrated its 100th anniversary in 1984. Some ten years later Bro. Emory (Mort) Morter was presented with his 70 year bar by the Grand Master, M.W. Bro. Myron Lusk. A dinner was held that evening to celebrate Bro. Morter’s 99th birthday. Bro. Morter passed to the Grand Lodge Above on     April 9, 1995, a mere forty-one days short of his 100th birthday.

Bow River Lodge celebrated its 125th anniversary on January 28, 2009, with dinner followed by the Installation and Investiture of officers for the year. On April 21, 2010, following a celebratory dinner, long service awards were presented to three brothers by the Grand Master, M.W. Bro. Brian Shimmons, Bro. Ed Gardener received his 25 year pin, while W. Bro. John R. Thomson had flown to Calgary from Ontario to be present at the event. A Life Membership in Bow River Lodge was also presented to M.W. Bro. Shimmons.

Bow River Lodge continues to be very active and highly respected in the Masonic community in Calgary, often leading the way in new approaches and endeavors. The Lodge has been very fortunate in being served by many faithful and devoted Masters, several of whom received Grand Lodge Honours, and also having a loyal and devoted membership, all of whom have worked together in harmony to maintain the high standards and principles of our institution.