Kenilworth Lodge #29 AF&AM
Freemasonry, Our guide for living

About Kenilworth Lodge

In May 1908, Kenilworth Lodge No. 29 of the Freemasons was chartered.

It was an indication of the growth not only of the freemasonry in Red Deer and area, but also the great growth and development of the community as a whole

in June 1894 — three years after the townsite of Red Deer was first established —eight Masons met in the old school room, above Burch’s Store on the corner of Gaetz Avenue and Ross Street. It was agreed that the time had come to pursue the formation of a lodge in the fledgling hamlet.

While all of those present were Masons, they had diverse backgrounds. One was a veterinarian and the village overseer (reeve), another was Red Deer’s first lawyer, two were merchants, one was the local school principal, two were local farmers and the eighth man owned the local brickyard.

With this promising indication of interest, Red Deer Lodge No. 59 was instituted under a dispensation granted by the Grand Lodge of Manitoba. Almost immediately, two more members were proposed.

One was a local merchant who had acted as the community’s first postmaster. The other was the local CPR station agent.

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Additional Resources

Link To Original Article:
Red Deer Masons active for more than century - Michael Dawe, Red Deer MAG

Current Lodge Officers 2012-2013

 Unfortunately, despite the promising start, the initiative floundered. Ten members were not enough to have a viable lodge. There was a problem in securing enough officers to open the lodge. Meetings became increasingly infrequent. As a result, the dispensation for the lodge was lost.

In 1901, when Red Deer was incorporated as a town, the mayor and almost all of the town councillors were Masons

Over the next few years, Red Deer began to grow even more rapidly. The community was soon large enough to allow the creation of a second Masonic Lodge, Kenilworth, with this second lodge following the Canadian freemasonry rite instead of the York rite.

One of the key members in the formation of the Kenilworth Lodge was the highly respected William Botterill.

In 1910, he became the master of the lodge. In 1919, he was elected Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Alberta. In 1920, he was honoured with the first life membership in the Kenilworth Lodge.

The Masonic Lodge remain a vital part of the community. Red Deer has greatly benefited from the presence and activities of freemasonry.