MERRITT MASONIC HALL

The Formation of Nicola Lodge No. 53

The original Lodge was founded “at the terminus of the Spences Bridge-Nicola branch of the Canadian Pacific Railway, 47 miles from Spences Bridge and the centre of the cattle ranching district, in the little village on Nicola Lake called 'Nicola" after "N'kua-la", the great chief of the local Indian tribe about a century before.” 

The District Deputy Grand Master visited Nicola on August 6, 1908 and instituted the Lodge, and on July 26, 1909 the Lodge was duly constituted. As the chief promoter (M. L. Grimmett) hailed from the Kootenay mining areas, Nicola Lodge adopted the American “ritual” of his former Lodge.

The Lodge was moved to Merritt, where the first meeting of the Lodge in Merritt was held on March 13, 1911 and where it still prospers in the same building today.

Nicola Lodge supports various organizations including the Nicola Food Bank with an annual donation each year, a one time donation of $5,000.00 was made to Nicola Hospital to help build the new Emergency Ward. As well, the Lodge and Temple Association provide two $1,000.00 bursary awards to two students at the Merritt High School each year.

In 2009 Nicola Lodge celebrated its 100th year as a Lodge in the Nicola Valley.  In 2015 a fire destroyed most of the building, but thankfully, it was insured and was rebuilt a year later.