Masonry in toronto.

I am trying to compile a collection of photos and info about masonic buildings in toronto and hopefully the states. I'm trying to make a book about it.

But anyways, thats besides the point i'm trying to make. Theres an old masonic temple at young and and pretty sure bloor. Thats like the core of toronto. Interesting that its right in the middle.

My freind who's grandfather was a mason actually, he says to me today, i'm pretty sure the masons control the entertainment industry and it got me thinking. The old masonic building at that intersection is now an MTV, MTV being an american company, and a main source of music and youth propaghanda. I never made this connection, but I find this very interesting, especially since its not even in the states. The building before it was actually MTV, my buddy said it was city tv I think. Thats also interesting, i havent put much thought into city tv but its one of the like 2 free channels everyone gets even without cable in the GTA. So both City TV and MTV had to have bought this building from the masons at one point or another, is there a connection? I see lots of flyers for shows on the internet where bands play at places called "the massonic temple", just furtheres the idea of masonry in the entertainment industry.

I dont want to say next what I heard from a freind, but it has to do with alot of human bones. Anything I learn about masonry in toronto I willl share but not if its from a freind.

For the record I work right downtown as a window washer so i get a good view of the city and theres still a LOT of old buildings right down town. I've been looking for the symbolism in all of them. As soon as i get myself a good camera I will share with you what I find.

I noticed the MTV building as well and thought about the connections with the media as well. Toronto has a lot of symbolic structures. City hall is quite the interesting building itself.

www.infiltration.org...

And for an interesting read on underground bases, check the one for Toronto here. ( I don't know if any of it is real, but want definitely want to look further into it.)
www.ufos-aliens.co.uk...

Lemme know if you find anything interesting!

We've been at it a lot longer than that...

Ever notice where the Academy Awards are held?

All your base are belong to us...



Oscar Monkeys, not just for walking the red carpet anymore...

Originally posted by CavemanDD
I am trying to compile a collection of photos and info about masonic buildings in toronto and hopefully the states. I'm trying to make a book about it.

But anyways, thats besides the point i'm trying to make. Theres an old masonic temple at young and and pretty sure bloor. Thats like the core of toronto. Interesting that its right in the middle.

It's actually north of there on the northwest corner of Davenport and Yonge. I've never heard anybody refer to Davenport and Yonge as the middle of much.

Google Map link

Originally posted by CavemanDD
The old masonic building at that intersection is now an MTV, MTV being an american company, and a main source of music and youth propaghanda. I never made this connection, but I find this very interesting, especially since its not even in the states.

Actually, to split hairs, it's MTV Canada which is owned by CTV (Canadian Television Network) which is owned in turn by BellGlobeMedia. Because we north of the border are so smitten with all things with the U.S. imprimateur, they figured it'd be easier starting a channel leveraging the MTV brand from the States than going to all the trouble of creating something new of their own. If you'd been flipping around the cable channels, you'll also find HGTV Canada, Food Network Canada, Discovery Canada, BBC Canada, et al. Bit of a bad habit we have that way.

Originally posted by CavemanDD
The building before it was actually MTV, my buddy said it was city tv I think.

Buddy's wrong. CITY's never had anything to do with the building (except maybe taping a concert or two there; I don't know). Prior to it being the home of MTV Canada, CTV tried to use it as a studio facility for another series of talking-heads shows whose titles elude me just now. Never CHUM group though.

ETA: The talking head show was "Open Mike with Mike Bullard".

Originally posted by CavemanDD
Thats also interesting, i havent put much thought into city tv but its one of the like 2 free channels everyone gets even without cable in the GTA.

You've never tried out the rabbit ears on your TV, have you? You can get TVOntario (provincial equivalent to PBS for the Yanks on the list), Global (not great reception but it's there), OMNI, CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation;Canada's equivalent to the BBC), CITY, CFTO (CTV affilliate in Toronto). CHCH Hamilton (Global-owned affiliate), CBC French, SunTV, OMNI 2, the Buffalo affiliates of the U.S. big 4. And that's just going off the top of my head.

Your post is looking like it's pretty lacking on the fact department.

Originally posted by CavemanDD
So both City TV and MTV had to have bought this building from the masons at one point or another, is there a connection?

Not so as I pointed out earlier.

Originally posted by CavemanDD
I see lots of flyers for shows on the internet where bands play at places called "the massonic temple", just furtheres the idea of masonry in the entertainment industry.

I taped a boxing match there in the '80's. Does that mean Masonry's involved in pugilism? They had a decent space with an OK stage and an second-level surround balcony at the time. Masonry has to pay its bills and renting out the non-lodge room space is fair game.

Originally posted by CavemanDD
I dont want to say next what I heard from a freind, but it has to do with alot of human bones. Anything I learn about masonry in toronto I willl share but not if its from a freind.

Hopefully this isn't the same friend that told you CITY had ever owned the building. Check out the Masonic Temple on Annette Street west of Keele. Another nice building. In the mean time, do try to get your facts straight

[edit on 15-1-200

[edit on 15-1-2007 by Fitzgibbon]

[edit on 30-1-2007 by Nygdan]

thanks man, i'll be hitting up both these buildings, and yes it was CTV he was talking about, i got it wrong.

None the less there are some crazy buildings downtown that I think would be interesting to take a good look at it. Looking at some stone carvings on this building the other day I noticed it depicted some guy I think holding a beehive in his hand and something else in the other. Honey being an ancient symbol of wealth, it was such a luxury to have apparently.

All these old buildings are right around the core of the banking/insurance area, like bay, king and all around there. I could see them having such stone carvings to point out that they are a bank. But still, there could be more to it.

Theres a building my company services, the security freaks out if you walk 2 feet past their desk without signing in. Anyway, this building is really old, pretty crappy looking, 6-7 floors i think, very small. I never see anyone even go in that building, it just kinda sit theres, as the small ugly building, and contract workers arent allowed anywhere near the 6th floor because they trade diamonds there. I noticed a funny look from security when I was talking about the diamonds to a work buddy of mine.

Its just very strange. You'd think big diamond trades would go down in a much larger secure building, not this little thing. Unless they were uncut and stolen .

God, I should ask my other buddy if I can tell his story about the masons because it was good. But again, i wouldnt feel right telling it, he wasnt supposed to know, and his supervisor at the time wasnt really supposed to know either.

I will check out this buildings thanks. And thanks for the corrections. I cant wait to see these again when I get my new camera.

Enjoy the hunt; there's lots of great masonry work done on some of the older buildings in the city. Swing by Toronto Street and check out Conrad Black's old hang-out. The old TSE (the Design Exchange, I think it is now) is another classic building.

ETA: About the diamond building, being innocuous like that's probably the cheapest form of insurance. No doubt there's more to security than meets the eye but who's going to suspect major money in diamonds in a crappy-looking building? Smart

[edit on 16-1-2007 by Fitzgibbon]

i read that thing about city hall, pretty interesting. In my experience with big buildings, their basements and roofs arent exactly like that. But I'm no egineer. Blue boxes? could just be random un-important files. But still, theres a lot of strange stuff about toronto, no'one talks about it, or no'one asks about it.


And I still think there is a connection with MTV. Whether its canadian or not. There clearly are canadian masons, what hand they have in the entertainment/music industry to me is uncertain. I can only draw speculations at this point as I've just started to really take a close look at toronto. But i'm sure it has its secrets, I plan on getting my camera tommorow, if i do, i will try and share some pictures of odd buildings at the end of the week.

And yeah those underground bases intrigue me, i never checked your link but i've read a great deal about underground bases, it wouldnt suprise me the least to find out that theres one under toronto.

Thanks for your contribution guys.

Originally posted by CavemanDD
And I still think there is a connection with MTV. Whether its canadian or not. There clearly are canadian masons, what hand they have in the entertainment/music industry to me is uncertain.

Addressing your second point first, you're conversing with a Canadian Mason in the television industry. Doesn't really mean anything in the great scheme of things though. And really, MTV Canada is strictly a branding thing that CTV did because an ETalk channel just wouldn't have had the same profile. I mean, most people would think it's Ben Mulroney 24/7 and avoid it like the plague.

As I said in my earlier post, it's the longstanding Canadian tradition of 'if it's Canadian, it's crap! If it comes from the States, well then...it must be good!' Hence Food Canada, HGTV Canada, Discovery Canada, Fox Canada (whoops, that's Global ). Stupid really because so many talented Canadians go south to get exposure and then we gobble it up once they make their break in the States. Screwed-up values IMHO.

/rant

yeah I know It makes me sick too. If it were up to me, i'd pay 10 bucks for cable, and I'd have a the discovery channel, a weather channel, and well, thats all I really need. I wouldnt even need the news because well, hearing that from tv is pretty silly anyway.

I just bought a camera today, SLR, Canon Rebel XTI. I will be taking pictures of these buildings. I'll try to have something to show as soon as possible.

And thanks again for your contributions.

ANOTHER work buddy of mine says theres some wierd building at "the kfc at main and danforth". I havent seen it yet, but I wouldn't be suprised if it was nothing, Dan doesnt know these things.

But does anyone know of any buildings around there?

Originally posted by CavemanDD
ANOTHER work buddy of mine says theres some wierd building at "the kfc at main and danforth". I havent seen it yet, but I wouldn't be suprised if it was nothing, Dan doesnt know these things.

But does anyone know of any buildings around there?

Caveman,

Didn't know of that building prior to your post but was in the area last Friday (oh, such lovely driving weather ). Your friend is referring to the East Toronto Temple on Chisholm Avenue, 1 block west of Main and Danforth and just north of the KFC. Didn't get a look at the building itself as I was trying to avoid plowing into parked cars in the aforementioned lovely driving weather. The link is a Google map of the location, FWIW.

/26z8a4

Enjoy

What members of the MTV board are masons?

Which people in that building are masons currently?

Or is it just a building that was for sale and that MTV bought, no?

If you are writting a book about masonry, why not join?

Nygdan,

It's an ex-Masonic building although I'd expect it'll be known for some time to come as the Masonic Temple (or some variation on that; it was called the Sonic Temple for a time). It isn't MTV per se but rather a Canadian talk-TV specialty channel using the MTV brand. Perhaps the more appropriate question would be who on the board of CTVGlobeMedia (the new owners) are Masons (which I couldn't answer). I'd actually be surprised if there's a Mason on the board, FWIW.


Here are a couple of decent links on the building's history.
en.wikipedia.org...(Toronto)
webhome.idirect.com...
www.doorsopen.org...

HTH

I know of one south of lawrence on weston. Its in plain sight next door to the canada post building.

This one?

belkin.ca...

If so, that's the Weston Temple at 2040 Weston Road which is north of Lawrence, not south.

This site has a listing of all temples in the Toronto area
www.gtamasons.ca...

Originally posted by Fitzgibbon
This one?

belkin.ca...

If so, that's the Weston Temple at 2040 Weston Road which is north of Lawrence, not south.

This site has a listing of all temples in the Toronto area
www.gtamasons.ca...

Yep thats the one, got the direction mixed up.

There is a Aztlan Masons building in my current town.



I can try to get a photo of it for you.

I believe its attached to a bank which is interesting to say the least.

There are few pictures at this site that may interest you

Insight
Breaking T.O.’s Masonic code
www.nowtoronto.com...

Is it a coincidence that the Royal York is the same height as the Great Pyramid at Giza? Legend has it that the hotel's design was changed - original plans show a flat roof - at the behest of influential local Masons to give it its distinctive triangle shape, the pyramid being a major Masonic symbol. And what are we to make of the goat heads looking down from their stony perches? The goat, long a symbol of man's striving to reach God through the building of temples, is also a near-anagram for the Grand Architect of the Universe (GAOTU) worshiped by Masons. Ooh, scary.

William Jarvis, former secretary of state of Upper Canada, is remembered in stained glass in St. James' Cathedral with the iconic square and compass of the Masons. The pentagram denotes his position of Grand Master of Ancient Masons.

~~

Sources: Local historian Bruce Bell (brucebelletours.com); Brent Morris’s Guide to Freemasonry; The Everything Freemason’s Book; Liber Capricornus, The Symbolism of the Goat, by Eugene W. Plawiuk, Master Mason; Mason Resource Centre; Heritage Toronto; torontomasons.com; scottishritemasons-can.org; freemasonrywatch.org; altreligion.com

[edit on 21/6/2007 by Sauron]

anyone remember the 'Scarborough Rapist' aka Paul Bernardo?

He was a member of the Ontario Lodge and there's speculation that the reason he was able to go on killing for so long is that Chief McCormick at the time was a brother of the same lodge, as well as other Toronto Police officers.

In regards to the 'Masonic Temple' at Yonge / Davenport... I've been in the building about 7 or 8 times for music related events. It's a grand building but not as nice as the worlds largest Masonic Temple in Detroit, MI., which I've also been in for a music related event.

We've got tonnes of books on Freemasonry if you want to come by and browse... we're at queen/roncesvalles.

Originally posted by fattyp
anyone remember the 'Scarborough Rapist' aka Paul Bernardo?

He was a member of the Ontario Lodge and there's speculation that the reason he was able to go on killing for so long is that Chief McCormick at the time was a brother of the same lodge, as well as other Toronto Police officers.

Wasn't it McCormick who made the arrest?

I'm not very familiar with this story, so bear with me here: has it been shown that Bernardo was in fact a Mason, or is this just a rumor? If he was a Mason, which Lodge did he belong to, and which one does McCormick belong to?

Thats awesome stuff man. Those are some direct masonry symbols, i've just been able to find obscure stuff. Thanks for that. I got that book marked and saved.