Bytown Lodge in Ottawa

After a lovely drive across highways through sunny weather, my wife and I arrived at the Holiday Inn in Kanata in the late afternoon, and soon thereafter departed along with the GJW and his wife to Bytown Lodge No 721 in Westboro. Along with the Grand Master, we were to participate, sitting in our respective chairs, in a Rededication and Recommitment ceremony, as the lodge was celebrating its 50th anniversary. Bytown Lodge, a proud Cornerstone lodge, is very active in Ottawa District 2, and after the ceremony they'd also planned a very special 6-course dinner. It was sold out.
Bytown Lodge was formed in the late 60s primarily by former servicemen retiring from the Armed Forces, led by WBro Joe Johnston and RWBro Jim Heffel, with the help of Acacia Lodge who sponsored their application at Grand Lodge, and was constituted in October 11, 1969. A year later, in 1970, the Ottawa District, having grown to 30 lodges, soon was split into two: Ottawa 1 and Ottawa 2, as it remains today.

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