NORTH SURREY MASONIC HALL

The building at 14042 Grosvenor Road, in Surrey, did not start here, nor did the history of North Star Lodge.  What was to become the North Star lodge building, we have been told, began its life in the community of Port Mann, a now defunct railroad community in the railyards where the Port Mann bridge is now located. For many decades there was a thriving community of railroaders in the switchyards in Port Mann. The community needed a school, and being a resourceful community, they built one. Their materials were salvaged from rail cars and train wrecks. From these materials came a one room schoolhouse with no internal plumbing or central heating…but it got the job done. 

The railroad owners of the land where this community began, wanted to expand the switchyards, thus the village was dispersed. The schoolhouse was disposed of and new owners dragged it up the hill to the Grosvenor Road location where it was, for many years, a horticultural society hall. 

The building was purchased by the Lodge brethren to be a Masonic Hall. As the Lodge is not a legal entity able to own property, a Society was created for that purpose. It came into being on April 1, 1960. The Society members were the Brethren of North Star Lodge No.167. 

Somewhere in this period the building acquired two extensions, an enclosed front porch that functioned as the entrance and a kitchen on the other end. The original heat source, which was a 45-gallon oil barrel on its side used to burn wood. Heat was distributed by locating the barrel as far from the chimney as possible and using the connecting stovepipe as a heat radiator. This was upgraded after many years and a gas fired furnace took over. Water was brought in from the municipal source when it was installed on Grosvenor Road and, later, the original septic tank was by-passed with a connection to the sewer mains when installed. 

The building never met any building code except its own. It was supported by pier blocks on the dirt under the building. An annual ritual was to check the floor to see how far out of level it was and to have volunteers crawl under the building and, using a jack and cedar shims, re-level it for the coming year. Roof supports were not to any code either and snow loads always led to panic to get it off the roof and speculation as to whether it would survive or finally collapse. Replacing the building was discussed for many years but the roadblock was always money. Finally, the sway in the roof and the concern for it in the coming winter snows won the day. 

North Star Lodge No. 167 surveyed its members to determine a way forward. There were other concerns as well at the time. Also meeting at the building were the Eastern Star, Jobs Daughters, and another Masonic Lodge. North Star was very concerned that upcoming renovations had to work for the other groups as well. In addition, other Lodges approached the Society to ask to be included in the final decision. The Lodge considered selling the land and using the money as trust to pay rent from or using it as a down payment on another hall elsewhere. It also costed out rebuilding in this location. There were problems with each option but, in the end, rebuilding was the answer chosen by all. 

Rebuild we did. The effort was originally spearheaded by Right Worshipful Brother Larry Atkinson and Very Worshipful Brother Jim Lippert. They were joined by many others. Research was done and, in 2011, the contract was signed. Work began as a renovation project. The building was rebuilt on the original footprint and, later, the basement was developed and finished.

Our building also benefits the larger North Surrey community.  Several groups rent the facility and help support it, and those groups support the larger community with their services.  This includes the use of the building as a daycare centre, a martial arts training facility, a meeting place for a local recovery group, and two community churches.  The building also hosts many family events.