About us

EDL590

Edinburgh Defenders Lodge, No. 590  A.F. & A.M. G.R.C. a.k.a. "EDL590", was born on November 15, 2023, but stetches it's root back to 1922.  Two great lodges, both with military traditions, joined forces to offer Ottawa a truly vibrant and engaging experience.  We don't just practice masonry, we live the brotherhood by monthly social events, great food at meetings, good laughs, and true brotherhood.  We don't just say that, we put it into action. 

 

Browse our schedule of events, business, social, philanthropy and, a couple other items you need to be a member to understand on the "Trestle" page (which is how we say calendar).

 

We do our best to spread the bond of friendship to other lodges and pride ourselves on our goal of visiting all lodges in Ottawa Districts 1 and 2 every year.  

 

We take our military roots very seriously, but all are welcome who want to respect the Forces, have a crisp Masonic experience, take in some Scottish flavour, and see Masonry practiced by men from the age of 21 through 99.

 

Are you a Freemason?  Come on out and see us in action on the 1st Wednesday of the month, September through May.

 

Want to look into being a Freemason and we sound like the lodge for you?  Contact us. 

Defenders Lodge 590

In 1922, Ottawa was a booming centre of industry and government with a rapidly growing population and plenty of job opportunities for soldiers returning from Wold War I. Defenders was formed due to two driving forces coming together:

 

  • Active masons from other lodges throughout Canada finding jobs in Ottawa,
  • Returning solidiers who left the service looking for the fraternal camraderie of the forces once they switched careers.

 

The active Masons that had moved to Ottawa, finding themelves far from their original lodges, tried to affiliate with the existing lodges in the Ottawa District. Their applications, together with those of the new soldiers returning from the war, inundated the existing lodges, which led to several new lodges being formed, of which Defenders was one.

 

A proposal was made by a group of brethren, many of whom worked in the Department of Soldiers Civil Re-establishment, to establish a Craft Lodge in Ottawa, with membership to be restricted to returned servicemen. Defenders was born. Defenders Lodge was Constituted on October 23,1922.

As time marched on, membership was extended to both military and non-military alike. Defenders Lodge took great pride in its history and founding military members.

Edinburgh Lodge 736

In 1983, an idea was formed.  What if we were to get back to basics, and provide a home for all Canadian Regular Servicemen, Reserves, and members of other forces throughout the world who were stationed in Ottawa?

 

A large number of Freemasons banded together, many of whom were members of the Cameron Highlanders.  As the Colonel in Chief of that regiment is the Duke of Edinburgh, the name caught fire and Edinburgh Lodge was formed.  

 

The initial meetings were held in the Cartier Drill Hall, which features prominently in the Lodge Crest.

 

Edinburgh Lodge prided itself on it's military beginnings, styled it's meetings with a military theme, and took it's roots in Scotland very seriously.