HISTORY OF BAYPORT LODGE #249
Caledonian Lodge No. 249 Instituted at Angus, July 13th, 1871
Moved to Midland, January 1883.
Victoria Lodge No. 470 Instituted at Victoria Harbour, July 7th, 1904.
Consecrated on October 12th, 1905.
Formed by Amalgamation November 16th, 2007 - 229 Albert Street, Victoria Harbour
The Victoria Harbour Lumber Company built its sawmills on Hog Bay to take advantage of the railway that terminated in Midland, as well as being able to ship lumber by water. Originally Victoria Harbour was a railway station and post office located in Tay Township. 229 Albert Street, a two storey cinder block building with a brick fi'ont, was built as the Municipal Building for Tay Township with the Municipal Offices, including a lock up on the ground level and the Council Chambers on the second floor. Of interest is that the only access to the second floor was by an outside stairway.
In 1911, Victoria Harbour was incorporated as a village and shared office space in the front of the Municipal Building. The Tay Municipal Telephone Company was also located at the front of the building, where its switchboard was operated 24 hours a day.
In 1949, Tay Township built an office on Park Street, and the Village of Victoria Harbour moved their office to the fonner library at the comer of William and Albert Street. A new building was built for the telephone Exchange next door.
The same year, a fire destroyed a building block on Richard Street, where the Victoria Masonic Lodge had rented space. Lodge members then purchased 229 Albert Street and relocated the Lodge room to the second floor. At the same time the, O.P.P. consolidated their Midland, Waubaushene and Port McNicoll Detachments and relocated to the ground floor at 229 Albert Street, as the Victoria Harbour Detachment.
When the O.P.P. moved their Detachment to Midland, the first floor was renovated and became a banquet room. In 1983 an addition was constructed on the west side of the building with an enclosed stairway to the second floor, a kitchen on the first floor and washrooms in the basement.
In 2007, Caledonian Lodge No. 249 sold their building on Fuller Avenue Midland and amalgamated with Victoria Lodge No. 470, fonning Bayport Lodge Noo 249 at 229 Albert Street. Following the amalgamation, the building was renovated both on the exterior and on the second floor.
The name Bayport had over the years been used by the Masonic Grand Lodge to describe the group of five Lodges in this area, and was therefore adopted by the amalgamating lodges as a fitting tribute to our past. We look forward to the future of Bayport Lodge No. 249, at 229 Albert Street Victoria Harbour.