1922 - 2010
Birch Cliff Lodge was founded in 1922 as a daughter Lodge of Wilson Lodge No. 86, which was located in Toronto. This Lodge was named for William Mercer Wilson, the first Grand Master of The Grand Lodge of Canada in The Province of Ontario. At that time, the City of Toronto was growing rapidly, and Freemasonry's growth matched its pace.
A number of Masons of Wilson Lodge were Toronto Hydro employees, and with the rapid growth of Toronto's Eastern suburbs, in the post World War I period , a number of them moved out to what was then a near wilderness, to found The Scarborough Hydro
Electric Commission.
It was a significant distance to travel to the Yonge Street Masonic Temple in those
days, and these Masons began to desire a Lodge closer to their new homes.
With this plan in mind, on March 23rd, 1922, some 99 Masons of skill and learning met at the hardware store of W. Bro. John Taylor, a Past Master of Wilson Lodge No. 86, to discuss the creation of a new Lodge. This store was located on Balsam Avenue, at Kingston Rd., Scarborough. Ultimately, There were 84 brethren who signed a petiton to The Grand Lodge seeking a Charter for a new Lodge.
One of their number was W. Bro. John A. Carveth, who was chosen to become the first Master of the new Lodge. The name "Birch Cliff" as the neighbourhood was known, was adopted as the name of the new Lodge.
It soon received dispensation from Grand Lodge, and was denominated No. 612 on the
register of Grand Lodge.
Birch Cliff Lodge No. 612, G.R.C. held its first meeting "Under Dispensation" on September 8th, 1922, in a renovated house on Birchcliff Ave. at Kingston Road, Scarborough. The Lodge was consecrated by The Grand Master, M.W. Bro. William J. Drope, on November 23rd, 1923. The Birchcliff Ave. building would be the home of the Lodge until it was tragically destroyed by a fire in 1954.
The new Lodge prospered and grew very quickly. W. Bro. J.A. Carveth would preside as Master until December of 1923, and during his term of office 27 new Masons were initiated, and 13 were affiliated.
For his great service to the Lodge, he was granted the first Honourary Life Membership in the history of the Lodge.
Until 2006, he was the only Master to serve more than one full term in office.
It is fitting that his great-grandson, V.W.Bro. R.G. Carveth, was elected as the Worshipful Master of Birch Cliff Lodge to mark the millenium year of 2000. In due course W.Bro. John Taylor's son, W.Bro. E.R.B. Taylor (1948) and grandson, W. Bro. F.R.L. Taylor (1978) would ultimately become Masters of the Lodge.
In 1961 the Lodge, along with a number of others from the Scarborough area, moved to the new Scarborough Masonic Temple, located at what
was then a dirt road intersection at Ellesmere and Markham Roads. The first Regular Meeting of Birch Cliff Lodge in the new building was held on February 10th, 1961.
In the years that followed, Birch Cliff Lodge grew to become one of the
largest Lodges in Ontario, with some 385 members at one point, and has always been at the forefront of Masonry in the Eastern Toronto area since its formation in 1922.
In 1967, it was decided that, the Lodge having grown to such an extent, the creation of a new daughter Lodge was appropriate. Dispensation for such a Lodge was sought and granted from The Grand Lodge as a Centennial project. To mark the Centennial Year of Canada, the new Lodge was called Confederation Lodge and was numbered 720 on the Register of Grand Lodge.
In July of 2006 the Districts of Toronto were reorganized into East, West, Central and North Districts, with Birch Cliff Lodge becoming part of the Toronto East District. We are now in our 88th year of operation.
Our current Master is W.Bro. P.J. Sialtsis, our 86th Master, who has presided since December of 2008.
In July of 2010 the Scarborough Masonic Temple was sold , and plans were announced for a new Masonic Building to be built in Scarborough. Birch Cliff Lodge and all other Lodges meeting in the old building found it necessary to seek temporary quarters. Birch Cliff Lodge chose to move to a temporary home at Pickering Masonic Temple, until such time as the new building is completed.
