The history of Freemasonry in the Bay of Quinte region is inextricably linked to the founding of Belleville, dating back to 1801 when the settlement was still known as Meyers’ Creek. The craft took root under the leadership of Captain John Walter Meyers, the Loyalist pioneer who served as the lodge’s first Worshipful Master.
As Belleville flourished into a Victorian industrial and rail center, Freemasonry grew into a cornerstone of civic life. Local Masons led cornerstone-laying ceremonies for churches, schools, and civic buildings throughout Hastings and Prince Edward counties — among them Col. William Nisbet Ponton, Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Canada in the Province of Ontario from 1921 to 1923.
The Belleville Masonic Temple at 132 Foster Avenue was built in 1950. In 2007, Belleville Lodge No. 123 amalgamated with Temple Lodge No. 666; a decade later this combined body merged with Moira Lodge No. 11, uniting centuries of local lineage into Belleville Moira Lodge No. 11.
Today the lodge stands as a vibrant brotherhood within the Prince Edward District under the Grand Lodge of A.F. & A.M. of Canada in the Province of Ontario — honoring over two centuries of heritage while engaging in philanthropy, character building, and community support.
