I certainly can't speak for other Canadian Masonic lodges out there but based on what's going on with my lodge (Doric Lodge No. 316 in Toronto), I'd say that there is a resurgence in Freemasonry here in Canada.
As a local artist and craftsman, this is good for our livelihood. In a time when everyone with internet access can get into the dropship business, the Freemason consumer is getting wary of buying Masonic products online. More attention is going back to original artist and creators who actually spend time honing their craft.
Sure our creations are not as cheap and mass produced as what can be bought from Alibaba or Amazon or that shameless "Masonic" store BricksMasons (they're IP thieves, not to mention that they dropship directly from China to you)—what we lack in quantity, we make up for the time and passion that we put in our work.
As the WM of my lodge, this is good for our lodge. For years (even before the pandemic), we suffered from dwindling membership. Forming a lodge was a struggle as we couldn't even form a quorum. The lockdown that followed made things more depressing but looking back now, it seems that the pandemic may have been the best thing that ever happened to us.
The extra time in our hands forced us to remain connected online by chat groups and we have gotten to know each other better. From the talks that we had, a new passion emerged and so we implemented many changes—from changing our almost 150yr old logo all the way to the way we run our banquet (see photo below).
We learned that setting up the banquet in such a cinematic way (thanks WB Stefano) really brings people in. Once more, this is good for local businesses because dressing up the banquet as such requires certain products and resources that can be provided by artists, chefs, and businesses within our own district.
Talking about local business and Masonic merchandise, one of the things that Rechelle and I are proud to announce is the reintroduction of our stickers product line beginning with this nice 2"x2" holographic permanent stickers that is designed by us and made right here in Toronto by local hands. The design is inspired by the iconic Square and Compasses on the Canadian red maple leaf symbol that is used all throughout Canada for decades. A specific version of this design, as of last year, is also now the official logo of the Ontario Masons.
Unlike the cheap stickers from offshore, these stickers are made in compliance with Canadian manufacturing standards. The result is a high-quality product that is joy to look at. We took several photos of it from various angles to show how the colours shift depending on how the light hits the surface.
Where to buy the Canadian Masonic Stickers?
We produce in limited batches only but as of this writing we have quite a few of them. They are currently available in pack-of-seven (free-shipping). Click this link to access the product page.
