District News

Your central hub for district news, events, resources and communication.

The Nipissing-Muskoka District website continues to evolve as a central source of information for Brethren across the district.

Over the past several weeks, a number of new features and resources have been added to make it easier to stay informed, plan ahead, and find the information you need—whether you’re a new Mason, a long-serving member, or a lodge officer.

Recent additions include:

• A growing District News section featuring announcements and updates.
• A comprehensive Events page highlighting activities across the district.
• A public District Calendar that can be subscribed to from most digital calendar applications.
• A shared Lodge Summons Library for participating lodges.
• District contact information and reference materials.

The website is intended to be more than a repository of documents. It is becoming the district’s communications hub—a place where members can discover what’s happening throughout Nipissing-Muskoka, access practical resources, and stay connected with one another.

The site will continue to grow throughout the year as additional features, resources and historical content are added.

Brethren are encouraged to bookmark the website and visit regularly. Better yet, if your lodge has an event, announcement, photograph or story to share, we’d be pleased to feature it and help tell the story of Freemasonry throughout Nipissing-Muskoka District.

District invites lodges to submit upcoming events for promotion across multiple communication channels.

There is no shortage of great things happening in Nipissing-Muskoka District—but members can only attend events they know about.

The District Events page continues to grow as a central source of information for Brethren looking to participate in lodge and district activities. To make it as useful as possible, the district is encouraging constituent lodges to submit their upcoming events for promotion.

Events received may be featured on:

• The District website Events page.
• The public District Calendar.
• The Round Table district newsletter, where publication timelines permit.
• Other district communication channels, as appropriate.

Lodges are invited to submit a wide range of activities, including:

• Degree work.
• Official and Fraternal Visits.
• Masonic education evenings.
• Ladies’ Nights.
• Charity and community events.
• Open houses.
• BBQs and social gatherings.
• Anniversary celebrations.
• Any other event that may be of interest to Brethren across the district.

When submitting an event, please include the event name, date and time, location, hosting lodge, a brief description, and any poster or promotional graphic if one is available.

Early notice is appreciated, as it provides the greatest opportunity to promote your event and helps Brethren plan their calendars.

One of the strengths of our district is the variety of activities taking place throughout the year. By sharing those events, we can encourage greater participation, strengthen relationships between lodges, and showcase the excellent work being done across Nipissing-Muskoka District.

If your lodge has an upcoming event, we’d be pleased to help spread the word.

New initiative aims to make it easier for Brethren to stay informed about Masonic activity across Nipissing-Muskoka District.

One of the challenges frequently shared by Brethren throughout the district is simply knowing what’s happening beyond their own lodge.

To help address that, Nipissing-Muskoka District is launching a shared online Lodge Summons Library.

As final summonses are received from constituent lodges, they will be uploaded to a central online repository where subscribed members can browse upcoming meetings, degree work, social events, educational presentations and other lodge activities from across the district.

The initiative is intended to complement each lodge’s existing communications—not replace them. Individual lodges will continue distributing their summonses to their own members as they always have. The District Library simply provides a convenient way for interested Brethren to stay informed about opportunities throughout Nipissing-Muskoka.

Lodge Secretaries can participate by adding the District Secretary to their existing summons distribution list. No additional formatting or reporting is required—the district will take care of the rest.

Members who would like access to the library are invited to contact the District Secretary.

By making lodge information more accessible, the district hopes to encourage greater fraternal visitation, stronger relationships between lodges, and increased participation in the many excellent events taking place throughout the year.

The more we know about one another’s work, the more opportunities we have to support one another.

Public calendar keeps Brethren up to date automatically across all their devices.

Keeping track of Masonic events just became easier.

Nipissing-Muskoka District now offers a public District Calendar that Brethren can subscribe to using their preferred digital calendar application. Once subscribed, district events will automatically appear alongside personal appointments and update whenever new events are added or existing events change.

The calendar is compatible with Google Calendar, Apple Calendar, Microsoft Outlook and most applications that support iCalendar subscriptions.

The District Calendar includes events such as:

• Official Visits
• Fraternal Visits
• District meetings
• Installations
• Masonic education events
• Special district functions
• Other significant district activities

Rather than manually entering dates from the Trestle Board, subscribers can enjoy a living calendar that stays current throughout the Masonic year.

The calendar complements—not replaces—the District Trestle Board. While the Trestle Board provides the annual schedule, the online calendar allows additions, corrections and new events to be communicated immediately.

Brethren are encouraged to subscribe and check the calendar regularly as additional lodge and district events are added throughout the year.

The District Calendar is available now.

Brethren are encouraged to plan ahead and take advantage of another active year across Nipissing-Muskoka District.

The Nipissing-Muskoka District Trestle Board for the 2026–2027 Masonic year is now available, providing Brethren with a comprehensive schedule of District meetings, Official Visits, Installations and other key events throughout the year.

Publishing the schedule early allows lodges and individual members to plan their calendars well in advance while encouraging greater participation in activities across the district.

Also available is the District Fraternal Visit Schedule, designed to promote intervisitation between lodges. Fraternal visits remain one of the best ways to experience the diversity of Masonry within our district, strengthen friendships, and support our neighbouring lodges in their work.

Brethren are encouraged to attend Official Visits whenever possible, participate in district meetings, and make a point of visiting lodges they may not have attended before. Every visit helps strengthen our district.

Both schedules are available for download from the District website and will be updated if changes become necessary during the year.

Members are also encouraged to subscribe to the District Calendar, which automatically synchronizes upcoming district events with most digital calendar applications, ensuring changes and additions are reflected without requiring manual updates.

Whether you’re planning your lodge’s year or your own Masonic travels, the District Trestle Board and Visit Schedule are the best place to begin.

Supporting our lodges through service, education and collaboration.

A successful district depends on more than the work of the District Deputy Grand Master. Behind every initiative is a team of dedicated Brethren who volunteer their time, experience and knowledge to support the lodges of Nipissing-Muskoka District.

Following the beginning of the 2026–2027 Masonic year, District Committee Chairmen have been appointed to lead a wide range of portfolios that support the work of our constituent lodges and advance the priorities of Grand Lodge.

Whether your lodge is looking for assistance with Masonic education, communications, mentoring, benevolence, membership, technology, special events or another area of district activity, these committees exist to help.

District committees are not intended to add another layer of administration. They are a resource—Brethren helping Brethren by sharing ideas, experience and practical support.

Likewise, if you have knowledge or experience that could benefit the district, consider volunteering your time. Strong committees are built on the willingness of Brethren to share their talents in service to the Craft.

The success of Nipissing-Muskoka District is a shared responsibility, and our committee structure reflects one of Freemasonry’s enduring principles: that we accomplish more by working together than we ever could alone.

District launches new term with renewed focus on communication, collaboration and support for constituent lodges.

NIPISSING-MUSKOKA DISTRICT — A new Masonic year is underway in Nipissing-Muskoka District following the Annual Communication of the Grand Lodge of A.F. & A.M. of Canada in the Province of Ontario.

R.W. Bro. Jack Chuba has been installed as District Deputy Grand Master and has begun assembling the team that will support the district throughout the 2026–2027 term, including the appointment of W. Bro. Thomas Brown as District Secretary.

While the installation of a new District Deputy Grand Master marks the beginning of each Masonic year, it also marks the beginning of planning for the year ahead. Over the past several weeks, work has been underway to expand the district’s communication tools, improve access to information, and provide additional support to constituent lodges.

Several new initiatives will be introduced over the coming weeks, including a public District Calendar, a shared online library of lodge summonses, expanded online resources for lodge officers, and projects focused on preserving the history and heritage of Freemasonry within Nipissing-Muskoka District.

These initiatives are intended to make it easier for Brethren to stay informed, participate in district activities, visit neighbouring lodges, and access practical resources throughout the year.

The district website will continue to grow as the central source for district news, events, resources and announcements. Brethren are encouraged to visit regularly as new services and information become available.

Further announcements highlighting these initiatives will be published throughout the coming weeks.

A longstanding tradition helps ensure leadership opportunities are shared throughout Nipissing-Muskoka District.

Every year, the installation of a new District Deputy Grand Master prompts the same question from newer Brethren: How is the next District Deputy Grand Master chosen?

Unlike an election, the office follows a long-established rotation among the constituent lodges of Nipissing-Muskoka District. This approach gives each lodge the opportunity, in turn, to provide leadership at the district level while encouraging long-term planning and succession within the lodges themselves.

The current rotation also reflects the amalgamation of North Bay Lodge No. 617 and Nipissing Lodge No. 420 into North Bay Nipissing Lodge No. 420. While both predecessor lodges participated in previous rotations, the amalgamated lodge now occupies a single place in the cycle, ensuring an equitable rotation among the district’s eight constituent lodges.

The rotation is intended to promote continuity, fairness and thoughtful succession planning while allowing each lodge time to identify, mentor and prepare future district leaders.

Understanding the rotation helps demystify one of the district’s longstanding traditions and highlights the collaborative nature of leadership within Nipissing-Muskoka District.

View the current rotation schedule

We’re excited to announce the launch of our brand-new Nipissing Muskoka District website — a refreshed digital space designed to better serve the Brethren, enhance visibility in our communities, and strengthen our presence across the jurisdiction.

This site was developed to provide a more accessible and informative experience for members and visitors alike. Whether you’re a long-time Mason, a new initiate, or simply curious about Freemasonry in our region, you’ll find valuable resources including:

• Lodge listings with updated meeting times and locations
• A calendar of upcoming events and district meetings
• Educational materials and news from across the District
• Updates from the District Deputy Grand Master
• Resources for Lodge Officers and new candidates

We invite you to explore the new site, share it with your lodge members, and check back often as we continue to add features and content throughout the year.

A sincere thank you goes out to the Brethren who contributed their time and talent to bring this project to life. This new platform reflects the ongoing commitment to communication, growth, and excellence that defines our District.