Our Founding
Instituted on March 31st, and constituted on October 23rd, 1925, the Prince of Wales lodge brought together a preponderance of physicians, dentists, bankers, locomotive engineers and teachers that lived primarily in the area known today as “The Junction”. At the time of the lodge’s formation, Toronto proper was still a distant city that required train travel to reach. Owing to the distance, the Toronto West Masonic Temple was constructed in 1909 to house lodges that were formed in the Western satellite communities. It was in this building that Prince of Wales lodge found a home until 2019 when the Prince of Wales Lodge moved to Weston Masonic Temple.
Our Name
Lodges are often named after characters, events, and history within Freemasonry. Occasionally, an important member of society or royalty may have their name adopted in recognition of their achievements. During the period of our founding, a strong alliance to the British Empire still existed, and a request was made to the then Prince of Wales for permission to incorporate his name and Coat of Arms in our lodge crest.
Unfortunately, the Prince was unable to endorse the lodge with his official seal, due to the high volume of such requests in that era. Yet without any discouragement, Prince of Wales Lodge maintained their name and developed our own insignia which is used to this day.
Our Crest and Seal
Our crest features the historical "black knight" riding a white horse before his ancestral home. This crest is featured on our official jewels and pins.
Our seal was designed by a member of our lodge during the early days of our founding. It too features a horsebound knight, and it appears on our official correspondence. The banner he carries reads "Ich Dien", which is our motto: "I Serve".
Today...
Throughout the last 85-plus years, our lodge has seen many changes. Today we are vibrant, enthusiastic, diverse and welcoming. Our membership reflects the diversity of our city; multiple cultures, languages, and beliefs, but all dedicated to Masonry as a fraternity and philosophy.
Our Temple
Prince of Wales meets in the beautiful Weston Masonic Temple.
2040 Weston Rd, York, ON M9N 1X4
We are accessible via TTC: ******
