FORT STEELE LODGE HALL

This building, constructed in 1897, was the original home of the Fort Steele Opera House, which occupied the main floor.  North Star Masonic Lodge No.30, shared the upper floor with the Kootenay Club.  In 1900, the Kootenay Club built their own accommodations, leaving the Freemasons as sole occupants of the second floor. 

Fort Steele Opera House and North Star Lodge (c.1938)

In 1944, with most Fort Steele residents leaving the area, North Star Lodge No.30 was amalgamated with nearby Cranbrook Lodge No.34 and ceased to exist as a constituted Lodge of the Grand Lodge of British Columbia.  Fort Steele became a ghost town.  In 1961 the Fort Steele Restoration Society took ownership of the former town, restoring this building to its present condition, an effort for which the Grand Lodge of British Columbia and Yukon is eternally grateful. 

Coventry Opera House and North Star Lodge No.30 today

The Fort Steele Historic Society graciously allows Freemasons of this jurisdiction to occupy the former Lodge room for special occasions and ceremonies.