After calling Orillia home for more than a century, the historic Three Pillars Lodge 192 has moved to a new location in Ardtrea.
The Freemason fraternity, known for its charitable work, is now meeting at the former United Church on Menoke Beach Road in Severn Township.
The lodge, which has been a staple of the Orillia community since the 1800s, has seen its membership evolve over the years.
“William Tudhope was one of our deputy grandmasters in the early 1900s,” local president Bruce Topping said of one of Orillia’s founding fathers. “At our peak, we had over 600 members.”
Today, the membership stands at about 175, a number impacted by aging members and challenges from the COVID-19 pandemic.
While membership has declined, Topping emphasized the fraternity remains open to welcoming new members who meet its criteria.
“We don’t advertise for members, but if someone approaches us, and we find them to be true hearted and acceptable, we let them join,” he said. “Our goal is to make good men better.”
Topping clarified that while the Three Pillars Lodge is neither a religion nor a charity, its members come from diverse faiths and share a common belief in God.
“We have members who are Jewish, Muslim, Catholic, Protestant — different faiths — but we all believe in God,” he said. “It’s a brotherhood of man under the fatherhood of God.”
The recent decision to move from its longtime home at 24 James St. E. was primarily financial.
“The cost of overhead and running the facility wasn’t sustainable,” Topping said. “We used to have a lot of community rentals for weddings and events, but that’s diminished over the years.”
The lodge’s new space in Ardtrea has been a collaborative effort, shared with Karnak Lodge 492.
“We cleaned it up and made it useful for our purposes,” Topping said. “It’s looking wonderful, and we’re excited to hold our first meeting there this Thursday night.”
The relocation also represents an opportunity for growth and renewal, he says.
“We hope the new location will bring more members from the community and foster harmony between the two lodges.”
The sale of the James Street building is still being finalized, and Topping could not disclose details about its future use. However, he remains optimistic about the fraternity’s future and invites the community to visit the new facility.
Those interested in learning more or becoming involved can contact the lodge at [email protected].
