BY THE LIGHT OF THE MOON
The current building on 5th St was not the original Masonic Temple in the Comox Valley. Hiram Lodge No. 14 was constituted in 1891, making it one of BC/Yukon’s oldest Lodges. Originally, this group of Freemasons met at a building in what is now Lewis Park, then one on the Old Comox Road. A picture of the “abandoned” lodge building can be seen on this page. In the 1890’s,
there were very few, if any, streetlights in the Valley and so it was decreed that Hiram Lodge would meet on certain nights when there was a full moon denoting it a “moonlight Lodge”. This allowed Brethren to travel from places like Denman Island and Union (which is now Cumberland) with as much light for their journey as nature could provide. A PLACE FOR GATHERING AND FELLOWSHIP
In 1923, Hiram Lodge No. 14 moved into the current building on 5th St which was purpose built for them. The Courtenay Masonic Temple Association, who owns the building, is staffed by members of Hiram Lodge No. 14. In 1986, Comox Lodge No. 188 was formed and, after meeting for years in an old church they had purchased, decided to come back to the Courtenay Masonic Temple where they still meet to this day. This building is also home to many concordant bodies including but not limited to Royal Arch and Eastern Star.
