Odd Fellows in St. Catharines, Canada, mark 165 years : Order pre-dates City of St. Catharines
It’s a club that’s older than the city it resides in. The Independent Order of Odd Fellows formed in St. Catharines in 1846, a year after the settlement became a town. St. Catharines wasn’t incorporated as a city until 30 years later in 1876. Last week, members of Lodge 16 gathered to celebrate its 165th anniversary, making it the oldest working Odd Fellows Lodge in the province. “We’ve been here a long time and have a lot of history in this city,” said Lodge 16’s Nobel Grand Ron Stecyk. The Independent Order of Odd Fellows is a fraternal organization with the mission of helping others in the community. Throughout the years, the Lodge has sponsored many local sports teams for youth, provided scholarship funding, and helped with fundraising initiatives. They’ve also been active with the provincial organization’s pet project - Camp Trillium, a camp for children with cancer. In fact, a few years ago when the island that Camp Trillium leases land on went up for ...