In December of 1863, the Grand Orange Lodge of British America issued a warrant to Alexander D. MacCrimmon of Dunvegan to form Glengarry Loyal Orange Lodge No. 1158. On Sunday, January 3rd, 1864, the Lodge held its inaugural meeting, with Mr. MacCrimmon as its first Worshipful Master and over 25 active members.
I was surprised to learn that the Orange Order is not a Scottish organization. It’s Irish, having begun in County Armagh, Ireland, in 1795. The Order’s name is a tribute to the Dutch-born Protestant king William of Orange, who, in the late 17thcentury, deposed king James II, a Catholic, in the Williamite–Jacobite War. While the Order has been the root of some of the sectarian violence in the north of Ireland, in Canada, it has chiefly been a social institution that has focused on community and benevolent activities. Like other fraternal organizations, many Orangemen joined for the mutual aid and helpful contacts membership offered.
From the late 1867 until 1919, the Dunvegan Lodge’s home was a two-storey square log structure located directly across the road from the present day DRA Hall. Fortunately, the original L.O.L. building is still with us. It was moved to the museum grounds in 2005 where it was repurposed as the Glengarry Pioneer Museum’s visitor centre and administration building.
Sometime in 1918, or perhaps earlier, members of L.O.L. No. 1158 voted to erect a modern (for the time) cement-block hall and they set about acquiring the land and establishing a building fund. They must of had some success because, on Friday, June 27th, 1919, Orangemen came from near and far to witness the official laying of the building’s cornerstone.
If you’d like to learn more about the rich history behind this beloved community hall, I suggest you attend the Dunvegan Recreation’s Annual General Meeting and candle-lit potluck supper. In keeping with tradition, when it’s not an election year, the DRA invites a guest speaker. As I couldn’t come up with an excuse quickly enough, this year I’m it. I’ve been tasked with giving members, guests (and hopefully you) a brief overview of the hall’s history. Let’s kick off the celebration of this building’s centennial year together.
The AGM & Potluck will be held this coming Friday, January 18thstarting at 6:00 PM. I hope you’ll join Terry and me. And please invite a few people from your circle who you think might enjoy the evening. Admission is free. All the DRA asks is that you bring a main dish, salad or dessert. Hot coffee, cold water, soft drinks and juice will be provided free of charge.
Angus Grant’s Hall?
While researching the genesis of the 1919 L.O.L. hall in the Glengarry News archives, I came across a number of references to another public gathering place in Dunvegan known as the Angus Grant Hall. The earliest mention was in the Dunvegan column of April 4, 1919. “On the evening of -the 4,th March,there was a large and representativegathering of residents of Dunveganand vicinity in Angus, Grant’s Hall,to welcome home a valiant soldier inthe person of Pte. Fred Barnard… Pte. Barnard, who was deeply touched at their tangible expressions of appreciation, assured one and all that he would never forget old Glengarry and especially Dunvegan and the many friends it had been his good fortune to make… Taken all together the evening was one of the most enjoyable spent in Grant’s Hall for some time.”
The most recent reference I found was nine years later, in a front-page article in the September 7th, 1928 documenting a football (soccer) match between Dunvegan and Ottawa. “For the second time this season, the Ottawa Scottish Football team and a large number of followers motored to Dunvegan, on Labor Day, to engage the local team in an exhibition football game and to enjoy the hospitality of the Dunvegan people… That night, the Ottawa team were the guests (sic) of the local club at an old time dance held at Mr. Angus Grant’s hall, Fletcher’s Orchestra supplying the music. A very large crowd was in attendance and a real happy time was spent by all.”
If you have any information on the Angus Grant Hall — where it was located, when it was built, or any other facts and figures — please call or e-mail me.
Flick is still “Devine”
For a while there, it looked like organizers would have to find a replacement for the DRA’s “Saturday Night at the Movies” offering. The SD&G library’s Waking Ned DevineDVD was “out for repair.” And the search for another copy was coming up dry. Luckily, though, Monica Ahrens (she lives in Tootsie McRae’s old house) had the title in her collection and was willing to loan it, so the event can proceed as advertised.
Director Kirk Jones originally conceived of Waking Ned Devine as a short film, but then expanded it into a full-length script. However, financing the production proved to be a challenge. Luckily, the cast and crew agreed to work for reduced fees. “When the film was finished,” Jones told one interviewer, “we put it in the boot of a car and drove to Cannes where we screened it and sold it to Fox Searchlight in the US, where it was released later that year.”
If you’re looking for a fun way to spend a few hours on Saturday night, join us down at the hall. Don’t forget to bring a comfy cushion or folding chair… along with your favourite beverage. The DRA will supply popcorn, cookies and candy. There’s no admission, but donations are always welcome.
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