Prince of Wales Lodge No. 18
In September 1980 the Government offered a settlement of $10,000. The Lodge accepted in October and immediately applied for a Federal Winter Works Project to tear down the old Hall. A salvage operation was carried out on November 15 and furnishings were stored at W. Bro. Leith Andrews’ pending an auction at W. Bro. Borden Bagnall’s in June 1982.
A nine-member Relocation Committee became active as consideration of a site on which to build a new Lodge building gained appeal. The rental agreement at Wheatley River was extended until September 1982. The lot at Hunter River was sold in 1982 for $300. On September 5, 1983 M.W.Bro. Reagh Bagnall PGM reported for the Relocation Committee that the idea of building a new lodge was being shelved because “possibly down the road there would be a central lodge and we could be part of it.” In the meantime the Committee recommended that Wheatley River Hall become the new quarters.
The Worshipful Masters of Prince of Wales Lodge during those challenging years were:Willard Nicholson (1978), Leith Dickieson (1979), Elbert Orr (1980), Everett MacLellan (1981), Roderick MacPherson (1982), Reginald MacFadyen (1983), Lloyd Pound (1984) and George Hill (1985).
The Lodge met upstairs in the Wheatley River Hall until 1985 when approval from the Hall Company was given for a major renovation to provide a Lodge Room in the basement of the Hall. The Lodge borrowed $5000 to carry out the work. W.Bro. Stewart MacRae outlined a plan for the new quarters. It was approved by a vote of 13 : 3 on February 5, 1985. The first meeting in the new Lodge Room was held on September 3, 1985.
Some new furniture was added and some existing items were refinished. W. Bro. Allison Coles built a new Altar and refinished the Wardens’ Stations and Master’s Station for $778. Ten new arm chairs for the Officers and twenty stacking chairs all with blue upholstery were added. Some members purchased individual chairs at a cost of $45 as a donation. Carpet was added in the East and around the Wardens’ Stations. V.W.Bro. Huntley Dingwell, Secretary, and, W.Bro. Elbert Orr, Treasurer. donated the Secretary’s Table and Treasurer’s Table respectively. A Masonic Mat to hang in the South was ‘loaned’ by Bro. Dingwell on October 1, 1985.