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ORANGE LODGES OF NOVA SCOTIA A Brief History of the Loyal Orange Association in Nova Scotia, Canada By Brian McConnell Introduction It is difficult to find reading material about Orange Lodges in Nova Scotia. The historical geography of Canadian Orange Lodges by Cecil J. Houston and William J. Smyth entitled “The Sash Canada Wore” deals with all of Canada and therefore contains only a few details about Nova Scotia. There are some social and other studies which include material on Orange Lodges but they focus largely on Ontario or New Brunswick. The purpose of this article is to present an overview of the history of the Loyal Orange Association of Nova Scotia. It uses for its sources a number of Orange Lodge publications that are cited at the end of the article but the main one has been the annual reports of the Association that were published each year. These contain not only the business affairs of the Association but also information about the leaders and membership. For assistance in research and in motivation to prepare this article thanks are given to Jim Worthylake, Past Grand Master of the Grand Orange Lodge of Nova Scotia in 1978, and Attendee at many meetings of the Grand Orange Lodge of Canada as well as the Orange Council of the World. He was born in Truro, N.S and a member of the Orange Association for 77 years up to his death in 2004. Jim Worthylake - 77 years an Orangeman At end of Article are Appendices A, B, C, and D listing Past Grand Masters and Mistresses of Nova Scotia and names and locations of Orange Lodges in Nova Scotia . Page 2 Membership There are no active Orange Lodges now left in Nova Scotia. In the early 1900's there were well over 100 active lodges however most ceased operations by the turn of the twenty-first century. As a consequence some may ask what was the Loyal Orange Association in Nova Scotia ? On May 9, 1956 in Westville, Nova Scotia, Joseph Dawe, Grand Master of the Grand Orange Lodge of Nova Scotia said: “ We need to stress more and more in our lodge meetings the history of our association, the why and wherefore, in a word we need to re-educate ourselves in all this great society requires of us. Let us then in loyalty and in union go forward and make this orange association all that it should be, to the glory of God and honor to ourselves.” Joseph Dawe, Grand Master Membership in the Orange Lodge in Nova Scotia was open to all Protestant adult males who took an oath of allegiance to the Crown and to maintain the link with Great Britain. Its origins were traced back to Ireland where the first Orange Lodges had opened and taken their name from William, Prince of Orange, and King of Great Britain and Ireland from 1689 - 1702 who had defeated a Catholic King, James II at the Battle of the Boyne in 1690. Page 3 The first Orange Lodge was brought to Nova Scotia by British soldiers and the first meeting was a military one in Halifax in 1799. A non - military lodge was established in the province in Halifax in 1845 called Roden Lodge. The Grand Orange Lodge of Nova Scotia was established in 1849 and by 1850 there were eight lodges in the province. The Order experienced steady growth and by 1862 there were 21 lodges including one in Bermuda which at that time was under the jurisdiction of Nova Scotia. In 1892 there six county, five district, and 53 primary lodges in Nova Scotia with a total of 1973 members. This continued to increase and in 1914 there were 10 county, seven district, and 127 primary lodges with 4303 members. In addition to the men’s lodges, there were as well in later years lodges for women and for youth. Lodges varied in size from 30 members to some with as many as 200. Each year a large parade was held in a different town on July 12th in celebration of the Battle of the Boyne. Members were outfitted in sashes and regalia. A special religious service also marked the occasion. Twelfth of July Parade in Stellarton in 1891 Page 4 In July 1903 the Orange Parade in Truro was reported at the time to have been the largest in the province’s history. The celebration was organized by Derry Loyal Orange Lodge 25 a lodge founded in 1866 in Truro. The parade extended for a mile and attracted 6000 visitors to the town. The 1916 parade in New Glasgow was said to have been attended by double that number. Some lodges also celebrated “Guy Fawkes Day” ( November 5). Orange Lodges were concentrated in five regions of the province of Nova Scotia. These were the mining areas of Pictou County including New Glasgow and Westville; central Cumberland County, northern Cape Breton Island, particularly the towns of North Sydney and Glace Bay, and around Cobequid Bay, and two smaller concentrations were found in Lunenburg and Guysborough Counties. In Kings County, the Annapolis Valley, and western Cape Breton there were only a handful of Lodges which were isolated in locations like Margaretsville and Orangeville Station. The arrival of the railway in 1891 stimulated coal mining and the iron and steel industry on Cape Breton Island. In the industrialized areas lodges were formed including some right at the mines such as Reserve Mines # 1, L.O.L. 3029, Dominion # 6, L.O.L. 2840, and Acadian Iron Mines L.O.L. 1421. In 1900, Atlantic L.O.L. 1648 in Musquodoboit Harbour with 63 members was the largest isolated lodge in the province. Orange Hall at Denver, N.S. Page 5 The rise of the Loyal Orange Lodge in Truro came with its developing importance as a major industrial centre. It became known as the “Hub of Nova Scotia” as the main roads and rail lines all connected at it. As well it is interesting to note that the nearby area of Cobequid Bay was settled by Ulster Scots in the 1760s. This area was one of the few in the province which received a concentration of Protestant Irish immigrants. There were other areas such as around Windsor, in the Annapolis Valley, and Antrim, outside Halifax, but the numbers were not as large. Most Orange Halls constructed by Lodges in the province were two storey wooden structures. On the first floor there was usually a Hall and upstairs storage or office space. If there was a basement it might contain a kitchen and later washroom facilities. Through the years Orange Halls were used for various activities in addition to Lodge ones including as polling stations during elections and for community meetings. Inside Orange Hall with flags of Canada, Great Britain and N. Ireland, and Nova Scotia Page 6 Acadia Loyal Orange Lodge (L.O.L.) No. 45 One of the most active Orange Lodges in Nova Scotia was Acadia No. 45 founded in Westville, Pictou County in 1867, the same year as the confederation of the Dominion of Canada. The Lodge was one of the first Lodges formed in the province. Loyalist No. 14 at Chester, Lunenburg County was the oldest. Its charter was granted in 1853, Derry No. 25 at Truro, Colchester County came next, then Chosen Few No. 42 at Stellarton, Pictou County, Acadia No. 45, Ark No. 72 at Lattie’s Brook, Hants County, Prentice Boys No. 76 at Thorburn, Pictou County and Wentworth Refuge No. 86 at Wentworth, Cumberland County. The cornerstone of the Orange Hall in Westville was laid on the 12th of July in 1888. In addition to being the home of Acadia L.O.L. it was a meeting place for the youth lodge of the Orange Young Britons, called Johnston O.Y. B. No. 26, as well as the Loyal True Blue Association Lodge, Lady Princess May Lodge No. 53, the Ladies Lodge, Acadia Sisters L.O.B.A. No. 609, and a Girl’s Juvenile Lodge, J.O.L. No. 363. The lower hall of the Orange Hall was for many years known as the Empire Theatre and many noteable actors and actresses of vaudeville, from the U.S.A. and Canada appeared on its stage. It was also the first Theatre in the Town of Westville to show the silent moving pictures. In more recent years before the Orange Hall closed it was used for public meetings, church and school plays. George E. Munro, a life long member of Acadia L.O.L. was chosen as the first Mayor of Westville when it was incorporated in 1896. There were Orange members serving as Councillors on the Town Council for many years. Members of Acadia L.O.L. also attained high offices within the Grand Lodge of Nova Scotia. William J. MacIntosh was elected Grand Master for three years, 1928 - 1930 and Alfred L. Matheson held the office for two years, 1951 and 1952. Robert F. Kerr served as Grand Treasurer for 23 years from 1910 - 1933. In the 1890's Orangemen in the Town of Westville were so active that they were able to publish their own weekly newspaper. A Brass Band was sponsored by Acadia L.O.L. for many years and during World War I many of its members joined the famous 85th Band. In World War I Westville had the highest voluntary enlistment of any town its size in Canada. This was demonstrated by the fact that the youth membership was just about wiped out. The Lodge was revived after the War but again cleaned out by enlistment in the Second World War.

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