A brief history of the Masonic Temple at Yonge and Davenport (888 Yonge Street), Toronto and its glorious alternate at 16 Spadina Road Toronto

The cornerstone of the new Masonic Temple, Yonge and Davenport, was laid on Saturday afternoon, November 17^th, 1917. Before proceeding with this tale an overview of the events leading up to this auspicious date would be in order.

Between 1867 and 1917, Freemasons of the City of Toronto met in numerous locations. Often, Lodges who shared the same facility formed common committees to oversee the facility's administration. The largest of these committees was the "Masonic Hall Board of Trustees". At one time ten Lodges comprised the Masonic Hall Trust. John Ross Robertson (M. W. Bro Robertson was Grand Master, commencing 1890, for two years) headed up the "Trust" for many years, until shortly before his death in 1918.

Other Lodges and bodies such as Ashlar Lodge, Scottish Rite and Royal Arch Masons were quite independent entities and rented their own facilities. Ashlar Lodge's home was at 801Yonge Street. At the turn of the century, by coincidence, the leases on several properties used by Freemasons were running out. New leases could be obtained but in some cases at very large rent increases. For example, rising for one body from $3,000.00 per year to $8,000.00.

Ashlar Lodge's situation appears to have been the most critical and in 1906 they amended their bylaws to permit their Trustees to sell assets in order to raise capital. Their aim was to purchase land for the erection of a Temple building. They also gave permission to their Trustees to form a company to administer the task and raise the necessary capital. Things moved very rapidly. Letters Patent to form a new company to be known as the "Masonic Temple Company" (The Company), was issued on 28th May 1906. The shareholders of the new company were Ashlar Lodge No. 247, St Paul's Chapter No. 65 and Scottish Rite. Principal officers of The Company were: Benjamin Allen (M. W. Bro. Allen was Grand Master commencing 1904, for one year), Lewis F. Riggs, John McKnight, Thomas Read, Aubrey White and Secretary, W. H. Best. Capital was set at $50,000.00, made up of $50.00 x 1000 shares.

At the formation of The Company a property had already been selected and agreement reached between Benjamin Allen and the property owner, Senator J. K. Kerr ( M. W. Bro. James Kilpatrick Kerr a Past Master of Ionic Lodge #25, was Grand Master commencing 1875 for two and one half years he also served as Speaker of the Senate of Canada for a period of years commencing 1909). The property was situated on the northwest corner of Yonge Street and Davenport Road. The lot was irregularly shaped and its longest dimensions were 138 ft. by 81 ft. The amount paid was $12,000. Senator Kerr elected to take back shares in the new company in the amount of $1,500.00, Ashlar Lodge paid $6,000.00 in cash and the Senator’s Wife took back a mortgage of $4,500.00. Ashlar Lodge Trustees also purchased, for $350, the near derelict Primitive Methodist Church, which stood on the property. Scottish Rite bought $2,000.00 of stock in the new company and St Paul's Chapter $1000.00.

The original park lot, on the second concession from the Bay, includes the land on which the Temple was to be built. In March of 1798 the Crown granted this park lot to the Hon. David W. Smith, the Surveyor- General of Lands for Upper Canada. He, in turn, granted the entire lot to Hon. John Elmsley in July 1799, and since that date it has been divided at different times and owned by various persons, until 1906, when the Masonic Temple Company acquired the section. There is no record of a building of any kind on the between the years 1794 and 1857. A frame building, used as a butcher shop, kept by William Booth and Thomas Tasker, was erected in 1857 and stood until it was demolished in 1867 to make room for the Primitive Methodist Church.

The Masonic Temple Company with the help and assistance of many leading Toronto Masons set about raising capital through share subscriptions. The Company engaged an architect to design a suitable building, which would accommodate the interests of the principal Lodges, at a cost not to exceed $50,000. However, raising money through share subscriptions did not meet expectation fast enough and the directors of The Company felt it not prudent to commence building until The Company had sufficient funds. By 1911 no start had been made on building the "Masonic Hall". And The Company had only managed to raise about $36,000 in subscriptions.

In 1897 the Masonic Hall Trust on behalf of St. Andrews Lodge #16, King Solomon’s Lodge #22, Ionic Lodge #25, Rehoboam Lodge #64, St. Johns Lodge # 75, Wilson Lodge # 86, Stevenson Lodge # 218, Doric Lodge # 316, Zetland Lodge # 326 and Harmony Lodge # 438 signed a 20 year lease with the Independent Order of Foresters (I. O. F.) for two floors of space to be used for lodge and banquet rooms in the Temple Building situated at the northwest corner of Bay and Richmond in Toronto.

By 1912 the members of the Masonic Lodges meeting in the Temple Building were aware that the lease would be expiring at a comparatively early date and could not be renewed on acceptable terms. It was therefore crucial that another suitable Masonic home be found. Efforts had been made, at various times, to procure another downtown site, but the great increase in the value of downtown property was always a formidable difficulty. With the rapid movement of the City's population northward, it was desirable that the new Masonic home be situated not far from Bloor Street.   

In effort to resolve their respective situations, an agreement was reached and signed on May 31^st1912 between The Masonic Temple Company, The lodges comprising the Masonic Hall Trust, Ashlar Lodge # 247, Georgina Lodge # 345, Corinthian Lodge # 481, St, Andrews and St. John’s Chapter RAM, King Solomon’s Chapter RAM, St. Paul’s Chapter RAM, Antiquity Chapter RAM, St. Patrick’s Chapter RAM, Geoffrey de St. Aldermar Preceptory, Toronto Lodge of Perfection and Rose Croix Chapter. This agreement in short resolved that Toronto Freemasonry should pool their resources through the creation of a new Company to be known as the Masonic Temple Corporation (The Corporation) with authorized capital of $350,000 comprised of 14,000 shares at $25 each.

The Masonic Temple Corporation was to acquire assets of the Masonic Temple Company including land and cash for shares. The Hall Trust was to provide $60,000 in share subscriptions by October 15^th 1912. The Charter for the Corporation was granted on November 23^rd 1912 and the first meeting of its Directors was held at the residence of Mr. H. A. Taylor 22 Grenville Street on December 16, 1912. The principal officers of The Corporation would be amongst others W. D. McPherson (President), Henry A. Taylor and several Directors of the Masonic Temple Company. John Ross Robertson was approached to head up the new Corporation but declined. Nonetheless, he gave the project his blessing and did much through his newspaper to promote the sale of shares and bonds.

Property values were increasing rapidly, at the time, and it was felt that the location previously purchased by the former company on Yonge Street was not a suitable location or of adequate size. It was unanimously resolved at a large and representative meeting of Ruling Officers of the various Lodges interested, that the first requirement was to find a site in the neighbourhood of Bloor Street, but considerably west of Yonge Street. The directors of The Corporation were requested to immediately purchase, what in their judgment would be, a suitable location.

The directors set about acquiring land for a facility, that would be much larger than that previously envisaged. The "new" building would be capable of catering to the needs of all Toronto Masonic bodies and would be the foremost of it's kind in North America. During the first few months of 1913 a number of sites were considered. On March 28^th 1913 a written offer was received from Sheriff Mowatt to sell his residence at 16 Spadina Road for $30,000. The size of the property was 100 ft frontage with a depth of 198 ft. Sheriff Mowat accepted an offer made by The Corporation for $28,000. The Corporation’s solicitor advised that there were no building restrictions that would prevent the construction of a Masonic Temple. On March 28^th the directors approved listing the property at Yonge and Davenport for sale. An offer for $60,000 for this property was received on June 2^nd 1913 but was declined, as the terms and price were not considered satisfactory. At a subsequent meeting held on Feb 14^th 1914 a value of $85,000 was placed on this property.

The Masonic Temple Company wound up operations with the hand-over of its assets to a Trustee, prior to all of their assets in common going to The Masonic Temple Corporation, on May 2nd 1913. As far as the other partners in the new Corporation are concerned (The Masonic Hall Trust under John Ross Robertson) remained an active entity by continuing their lease at Temple Building, Bay Street until February 7th 1918, one month after the opening of the new Temple at 888 Yonge Street.

The Proposed Temple at 16 Spadina Road, Toronto

It was decided to arrange for a competition for the design of the New Temple at 16 Spadina Road and an architect was hired to consult with The Corporation during the selection process. The terms of the competition were approved on September 16^th 1913 and appropriate advertisements were placed. The competitors were expected to design a building that would cost about $250,000. An assembly room for 1,500 persons and a banquet/supper room for 500 persons for revenue purposes along with a main lodge room to accommodate 500 Masons were part of the suggested plans.

By February 1914 forty-one submissions had been received. These were opened on February 14^th. Architects from across Canada were represented and three submissions came from architects in the United States. Four prizes were awarded as follows: 1^st $1,000 to H. P. Knowles, New York, U.S.A.; 2^nd $750 to John Lyle, 14 Leader Lane, Toronto; 3^rd $500 to Hutchison Wood and Miller, Montreal and 4^th $250 to Warren Gould And A.E. Harvey, Vancouver, B.C. All the submissions were subsequently put on display for two weeks in the Main Branch of the Toronto Public Library.

Including the assets thus taken over from The Masonic Temple Company, together with new subscriptions of over $60,000.00, The Corporation had resources estimated to amount to not less than $150,000.00 to proceed with the new and enlarged undertaking however additional funding was needed.

Fund raising to finance construction by way of subscription for shares of The Corporation was an on going concern for the directors. Shares were sold on an installment basis of 25% down and the balance payable over the period of about one year. Most subscriptions from Masons were for lots of between 1 to 4 shares at $25 per share. While several campaigns were conducted and a steady stream of share sales resulted, the total subscribed was always short of what was required. Additionally, each month several subscribers asked to be relieved of their commitment for the purchase of shares. These applications were usually declined.

On September 12^th 1914 the Corporation’s solicitor reported "the plans filed by The Corporation’s Architect are satisfactory as far as the structure of the building is concerned and comply with civic requirements except for minor items". He went on to report "the City Architect’s hands were tied (from issuing a building permit) by a letter he received on May 6^th from the Board of Control directing him not to issue the permit. The grounds being the proposed building would violate By-law #86 passed on April 1^st 1914 to prohibit the location of Exhibitions held for gain or hire, Theatres, Music Halls, Bowling Alleys, Moving Picture Shows and other places of amusement on any land abutting on Walmer Road and Spadina Road between Bloor Street and Dupont Street". The solicitor was of the opinion the By-law could not be construed to apply to the proposed Temple and that a "mandamus" could be obtained directing the City Architect to issue the permit. Before taking this step he suggested contacting the Board of Control and pointing out their error.

By November 7^th 1914 the City Architect had approved the plans for the Temple and affixed his stamp to the same. The Board of Control however remained adamant in their position and legal action was commenced. A number of meetings took place with the City to resolve the issue and the action also continued in the courts. Finally at the end of March 1915 Justice Middleton issued an order to the City to issue the building permit forthwith.

In the meantime tenders for construction of the Temple were issued. Seventeen tenders were received from contractors however these were extended to permit the resolution of legal matter mentioned above. Tenders for construction ranged from $365,500 to $437,846 with most being in the area of $400,000. A committee was formed to determine the ways and means to finance construction and or reduce the cost. It was proposed to reduce the Temple in size by one complete floor. It was determined that construction cost represented an amount of $50 for each member of the Lodges involved. It was proposed that this amount, less that already collected from the various Lodges, be assessed on a pro-rate basis amongst all lodges involved and leave them responsible for the fund raising. This proposal was quickly discarded.

Reduced tenders were received however the cost was still too high. Several contractors offered to assist by extending loans but the project became stalled. By November 1915 it was decided to advise John Ross Robertson, Chairman of the Masonic Hall Trust, that due to circumstances some time may elapse before contracts for construction could be let and that he should take steps to renew the lease with the I.O.F. As of December 30^th 1915 M. W. Bro. Robertson had still not been able to renew the lease.

A Change in Plans

In the early spring of 1916 John Ross Robertson in conjunction with a local architect, W. J. Sparling, conceived a plan for an alternate Temple to be constructed at the Yonge and Davenport site. A committee of the directors of The Corporation met with the Architect in John Ross Robertson’s office and the plans were reviewed which included the use of reinforced concrete, a new concept, which would reduce construction costs. On May 15^th 1915 the Directors formally approved the Yonge and Davenport site as the location for the New Temple. The site at 16 Spadina Road was sold in June of 1918 for $17,000.

During June and July of 1916 a settlement with Mr. Knowles, the architect for the original Temple at 16 Spadina Road was reached. A contract with Mr. Sparling was subsequently negotiated and signed. Plans were reviewed and approved. The cost of the building was estimated at $175,000.

On October 6, 1916 a proposed operating budget was presented to the directors of The Corporation. Proposed expenses totaled $18,070 and Income $19,000. A paid staff of nine was included in the plan and interest on a loan of $75,000 was also contemplated. Masonic rentals were expected to contribute $14,000 and $5,000 from the rental of the Auditorium, from no-Masonic rentals.

A campaign to raise $125,000 for the construction was set in motion during October 1916. This was to be different from previous attempts as the construction of the Temple was going to parallel the fund raising effort. John Ross Robertson was to act as General Chairman of the fund raising campaign. Representatives, acting as team captains, from all prospective tenant Masonic bodies that included 15 Lodges, 6 chapters, 2 Preceptories, Rameses Temple, The Lodge of Perfection and Rose Croix Chapter, were appointed to assist him. John Ross Robertson, the publisher of The Evening Telegram, committed advertising space in his paper, without cost and all his time, to ensure the campaign was a success.

A fund raising campaign expert, Mr. E. J. Hockenbury of Harrisburg Pennsylvania, was engaged. His view was that a properly organized campaign operating in a systematic manner would be successful. His fee was 2% of the funds pledged plus expenses.

One of the highlights of the campaign was a series of receptions held in the Temple Building at Bay and Richmond from December 11^th to 14^th inclusive. The affair was catered at a cost of 50 cents per head. The terms of the stock subscription were 20% by January 1^st 1917 and 20% every 3 months with the last payment due January 1^st 1918. The campaign was successful to the extent an office had to be rented and a person hired to look after the great volume of paperwork. A large part of the success was due to the efforts of John Ross Robertson who worked tirelessly during the campaign.

The contract for the tearing down of the existing church, excavation and shoring was approved and signed on November 2nd, 1916

Construction moved ahead during 1917. A number of problems had to be dealt with. These included a lawsuit concerning the design of the reinforced concrete, rising construction costs, and changes in materials from original specifications. There was a preference for Canadian sourced material. Effort was made to have contactors complete work early in their shops where, possible, to "fast track" construction. By July of 1917 it became apparent there would be a shortfall of cash to pay for construction and it was decided to apply for a bank loan of $75,000. While many subscribers of stock made their payments on time there was a substantial portion in arrears.

By November 1917 the Temple was nearing completion and it was decided to hold a ceremony to lay the cornerstone on. The auditorium was rushed to completion for the holding of a special meeting of Grand Lodge on November 17^th at 3pm for this purpose. William R. Edwards, a member of Acacia Lodge, made the cornerstone. A cavity was created within the stone and in it were placed Canadian coins of the value of 1¢, 5¢, 10¢, 25¢, 50¢, and a $5 gold piece along with Toronto Newspapers of the date.

The cornerstone of the new Masonic Temple, Yonge and Davenport, was laid on Saturday afternoon, November 17^th, 1917. All the Masters of the Toronto Districts and about three hundred of the brethren of the Toronto Lodges were present. Grand Lodge was opened, in the Ground Floor Auditorium, in ample form at three o’clock by M. W. the Grand Master, Bro. William Wardrope. The Grand Master announced the purpose of the special communication of Grand Lodge. Grand Lodge was then called off and a procession was formed under the direction of the Grand Director of Ceremonies and marched to a site, in the prescribed order and took up their positions at the northeast corner of the building where the cornerstone was to be laid.

The Grand Master consecrated the stone with corn, wine and oil, and pronounced it well made, truly laid, well proved, true and trusty. The procession was then re-formed and the brethren returned to the Auditorium, where Grand Lodge was closed. After Grand Lodge had closed the brethren remained in the Auditorium, and listened to several speeches that were delivered by prominent members of Grand Lodge.

The following is quote from M. W. Bro. William Wardrope’s Speech.

"And we have laid the cornerstone this afternoon according to ancient usages and customs. The stone has been placed in position. Those of you who were there will have noticed that it was placed in a different position from that in which stones are usually laid. The corner-stone of a building when I was a young man was one of the first laid in connection with a building, but builders have made such progress now that the corner-stone is the last stone to be put in. The roof is on your building, and instead of placing a stone on which the structure is to rest, the building is erected and a place prepared for the repose of the stone".

The following is quote from M.W. Bro. John Ross Robertson’s Speech.

While some interior finishing was still underway, the first Lodge meeting was held on January 1^st 1918 by Ionic Lodge #25, the first Installation took place on January 3^rd by Rehoboam Lodge # 65 and the first initiation by Georgina Lodge #343 on January 5^th when Russell C. Foy was admitted.

The Masonic Temple at 888 Yonge Street is designed in the Italian Renaissance style. The lower storeys, cornices, window framing are in grey Indiana stone. The brickwork is Don Valley rug or tapestry brick, laid with wide raked out joints in Flemish bond. A notable feature of the building is the manner in which it is designed in reinforced concrete. The entire framing is carried out in a manner never before attempted. The auditorium is spanned by one large reinforced concrete truss, 78 ft. long, carrying two other trusses, 67 feet long. These trusses carry the greater portion of the building above the ground floor level and also the walls of the Lodge rooms above.

The basement includes a large banquet room, caretaker’s apartments, pantries, kitchens, coatrooms and lavatories. The large banquet room is so arranged that it may be divided into two banquet rooms.

The ground floor is devoted to a main auditorium, ladies retiring room and coatroom and men’s smoking room and coatroom. The auditorium is designed for public concerts, dances and banquets, having a large clear space of 67 ft x 78 ft., free of columns. It is equipped with a stage, dressing room and pantry. The auditorium is intended for rental purposes and is separate from the Masonic quarters.

The ground floor mezzanine takes care of the auditorium gallery, Masonic Board room, office rooms and locker rooms.

On the first floor are a large and also a medium-sized Blue Lodge room and a large Chapter room, with accommodation in each for a choir. The members have a large foyer or lounge room outside of the Lodge rooms.

The first floor mezzanine contains a large storeroom.

The second, or top floor is for the use of the Scottish Rite and Preceptory bodies. This comprises two large lodge rooms with anterooms, lounging rooms, banquet room and pantry.

The second floor mezzanine takes care of choir accommodation to the lodge rooms, robing room, and locker rooms etc.

The roof, which is designed for drilling purposes, is covered with Welsh promenade tile.

The opening of 1918 saw The Corporation short of Funds. Material and construction costs had risen due to delays in awarding contracts as a result of major alterations to the original plans. The need to have the building available for meetings in January also added to the cost. Payments to the contractor during 1917 totaled $185,794.17 while $108,147.50 was received in payment of stock subscriptions. The sum remaining to be paid in by shareholders was $94,495. The auditorium had been completed by January and was already booked for a variety of social events. This was a very fine hall for the time and it was expected that it would be in high demand for high-class entertainment, Balls, etc. Thirteen Craft Lodges, four Chapters and one Preceptory were tenants as of February 1918. The two Scottish Rite Bodies were still negotiating arrangements for their tenancy.

To cover the shortfall a Bank loan of $70,000 was arranged. A further campaign for funds was required. It was decided to raise $75,000 by way of a Debentures secured by the Temple Building. The sales campaign was to commence in mid May and again Mr. E. J. Hockenbury was engaged to direct the sales campaign. The campaign was a complete success being oversubscribed.

By September it was determined that the final construction cost of the building was $220,864, an overrun of about $45,000.

Year-end financial statements for 1918 recorded a loss $12,959. Notwithstanding this loss, the rental outlook for the future was excellent. In is interesting to note that a worldwide flu epidemic occurred in 1918, which affected the rental of the auditorium. Of concern was the debt situation. The Corporation was carrying net liabilities of $58,589 that needed to be paid. There were some $48,494 in unpaid stock subscriptions and these were proving hard to collect. A further Campaign to sell stock was approved for November of 1919. The authorized capital of The Corporation was increased to $500,000 to accommodate. The campaign was successful.

By the end of 1920 The Corporation was finally in good financial condition. All debts except the Bond issue had been retired and this had been reduced. The Temple was the home to 18 craft Lodges, 5 Chapters, 2 Preceptories and the 2 Scottish Rite bodies.

The Temple enjoyed a strong financial position at the end of 1921. Operating profit, for 1921, was substantial and the number of tenant lodges increased to 22. Arrears on stock subscriptions remained. However, several lodges made good the amounts owed by their delinquent members and acquired the forfeited shares in their own names.

By the end of 1925 the Temple had as tenants 27 Craft Lodges, 6 Chapters, 2 Preceptories 2 Scottish Rite Bodies and Adoniram Council. No debt was carried except for the Bond issue, $53,750. This amount was offset by investments totaling almost $40,000. The investments were purchased from the profits generated from operations. The bonds were paid in full on their due date on April 1^st 1928.

The Corporation operated profitably and without incurring debt throughout the depression. Most of its income came from tenant Masonic Bodies. Hall rentals were a minor source of income during this period.

The Corporation operated in a fiscally responsible manner until approximately the mid 1960s the Masonic. The auditorium had lost some of its appeal as a public venue and needed updating. With the growth of the city and construction of Temples closer to their membership, Masonic tenants relocated, creating further reductions in operating income.

In the early 70s the auditorium was leased out to a company known as "The Rockpile". Sufficient income was generated to cover current expenses from this source and from Masonic tenants. Nothing much was done to keep the building in good order. In the late 70s the "Rockpile" ceased operations.

By the late 1970s, due to the ravages of time and the lack of ongoing maintenance, the building required substantial renovation and upgrading of systems. A "New Manager" was appointed in 1979 and he agreed to obtain Non-Masonic tenants for the auditorium for a commission and to operate the building. He had some success in obtaining new tenants but, after mortgage interest etc., the building continued to generate losses.

At the time the "New Manager" took over (1979/80) renovations and upgrades to the building were made as a result of building code violations, safety concerns and appearance. The cost at that time was about $300,000. Initially the cost was covered by a loan from the Scottish Rite however this loan was quickly repaid from the proceeds of a private mortgage at high rates of interest, ranging to 17.5%. (The first debt on the building since the bond issue was repaid in 1928).

Income was not sufficient to cover operating expenses, repairs, taxes and mortgage interest. The "New Manager" with director’s approval, covered the deficits by adding the ongoing shortfalls to the mortgage debt. For the years 1980 to 1993 annual losses ranged from a low of $30 thousand to a high of $217 thousand. The largest losses occurred between 1987 and 1989.

In 1988 Management and Directors were replaced by a group of dedicated Masons. R. W. Bro. Ted Burton replaced the "New Manager". Mr. Burton was able to increase rental income from non-Masonic tenants. However interest on the debt from the past continued to produce losses.

In May 1989 the directors were able arrange a loan/mortgage from the Toronto Dominion Bank (The Bank) at reasonable rates. They planned to a raise funds through a variety of campaigns and repay the Bank. They launched a number of initiatives but were generally unsuccessful in raising any meaningful amount.

By 1993 operating losses, including interest, from 1980 to 1993 totaled $1,582,935. This amount plus the original debt of $300,000 roughly equated to the outstanding bank loan of $1,828,000. It is recognized that depreciation, a non-cash item, is included in the loss but this amount was exceeded by capital expenditures.

By June of 1993 The Corporation was in such poor financial condition that not only could it not pay interest on its bank loan but also property taxes amounting to about $90,000 per year were more than two years in arrears. With no hope in site The Bank announced its intention to "Demand Payment" of its loan. At this time the author of this paper was requested to join the Board of Directors and was subsequently elected President of The Corporation.

On July 9 1993, just after the election of Board of Directors, the Corporation received a letter from the Toronto Dominion Bank formally demanding payment of loans. The Directors were successful in negotiating with The Bank to withhold any action pending an effort by the new board to resolve the situation.

In September 1993 a review of financial conditions indicated that bank debt was $1,828,000.00 and unpaid taxes $213,358.00, and the income shortfall for the 1st six months of 1993, $88,000.

The directors met frequently in an effort to find a solution to the problem. A number of committees were established and many Masons were approached for ideas and assistance. After examining the many options an effort was made to realize on three concepts, which had been developed as follows:

Conversion of the auditorium and part of the basement area to a full time Bingo Hall and snack bar and restaurant. For several reasons this did not prove practical.

Redevelopment of part of the building into "Loft Condominiums". This project initially showed considerable promise. However during due diligence costs rose, the need for project equity became essential and market acceptance of the units was questionable. The project was dropped.

Fund Raising. A campaign to solicit funds from Masons to repay debt was developed. It became apparent that to be successful tax receipts would have to be issued and the project would have to have the blessing of various governing Masonic bodies. This project was dropped when it became apparent that The Corporation could not obtain a charitable designation in time.

In November 1993, at the request of The Bank, the building was listed for sale under a modified proposal call with the closing date for tenders being February 16, 1994. Only one offer, which was unacceptable, was received.

In late March 1994 an unsolicited offer for $2.2 million was received. This offer contained terms that would have permitted the existing Masonic Tenants to remain in the building for at least 10 more years with reasonable rental rates. The buyer wanted to use the basement area and concert hall for non-Masonic purposes. This offer was accepted by the directors but declined by The Bank as insufficient since they still would have to write-off a portion of the interest on their loan.

With no solution in sight the Masonic tenants were notified and began an orderly removal of their assets during June of 1994. Masonic assets not belonging to any particular lodge and not the property of the Masonic Temple Corporation were also removed at this time. The most valuable Masonic items, including the paintings of the Grand Masters, were transferred to Grand Lodge in Hamilton.

Many of the paintings have since been placed in various Temples. The painting of M. W. Bro. William Mercer Wilson, our first Grand Master, is suitably located in Simcoe Ontario. The members of Norfolk Lodge #10 raised a considerable amount of funds to refurbish the painting and to have it properly displayed. It is well worth the trip for any Mason to visit this Lodge and see the painting for himself. Other paintings can be found in York Masonic Temple, Toronto, Scarborough Temple, Pickering Temple and Stouffville Temple (Richardson Lodge), London Masonic Temple and Huntsville, Ontario (Unity Lodge).

The remaining paintings in storage at Grand Lodge still need a home and any interested group should contact the Grand Secretary to make the necessary arrangements.

Conclusion

Every building, temples included, requires ongoing maintenance and upgrading of systems. The lesson here is, it is essential that temple directors and managers ensure these expenses are part of their budget and a reserve is maintained to cover the costs when they are incurred. Borrowing is not a suitable option.

When the Temple at 888 Yonge St. was built it was situated to be convenient to the members of the tenant Lodges. The "downtown" Lodge rooms, at Bay and Richmond, were thought to be too expensive and inconvenient. By the late 1980s Masonic tenants at 888 Yonge St. consisted of 14 Lodges, the 2 Scottish Rite bodies, 1 Chapter and the Adonirum Council. These numbers represent a drop of 50% in Masonic Tenants. This points out the fact that the Temple had begun to lose its relevance to many Masons who now met elsewhere. Those that left cannot be faulted as the city had expanded and the Temple was no longer convenient. The loss of Masonic tenants, in the end, would have eventually led to the Temples demise as far as Masonry is concerned.

A building, however lovingly regarded, does not make a Mason. Masons have met and still do in all kinds of places. While the loss of 888 Yonge is regrettable it did have the benefit of increasing the viability of other Temples in the Toronto area. Those who have fond memories of this fine old structure and the events, in which they participated, will carry these memories until time shall be no more.

Bibliography

Minute Book of The Masonic Temple Corporation

Annual Reports of The Masonic Temple Corporation

Conditions for Competition, September 12^th 1913

Prospectus, Masonic Temple Corporation, May 8^, 1914 and December 1, 1916

Report of the Laying of the Cornerstone, November 17, 1917

History of Ashlar Lodge #247

History of Ionic Lodge # 25

A History of the Grand Lodge 1855 – 1955

Personal Files and Recollections Paul Skazin

Report of The Asset Disposition Committee, 1994