Cameron's Orange Hall
In 1690, a war was raging between Prince William of Orange (Holland) and James II, whom he had deposed as King of England. James was both William’s uncle (by James’ older sister Mary) and father-in-law (by James’ daughter, also named Mary). The Protestant William defeated the Catholic James at the Battle of the Boyne, near Drogheda, Ireland, on July 12, 1690, ensuring that the English Crown would remain Protestant. A century later, the Orange Order was created in Ulster, Ireland as a fraternal organization that was loyal to the British monarchy, Protestant, and revered the traditions of Great Britain. It was at the centre of the controversies between Catholic and Protestant rivals in Ireland.
By the early nineteenth century, the Orange Order was active in British North America, and became popular throughout Ontario—it was not just for Irish Protestants. The largest event of the year was the celebration of the Protestant victory of 1690, even some Catholics took part in the celebrations—which revelled in the glory of the British Empire. For the rest of the year, the Orange Order functioned as a community betterment organization.
In 1854, Cameron was a small crossroads settlement when the Orange Lodge was organized, initially operating out of Joseph McNabb’s home on Lot 9, Concession 6 of Fenelon Township. For the first few years, the organization met in members homes and the community’s schoolhouse until an Orange Hall was built on the south east corner where the 6th Concession meets Highway 35 (just south of the General Store). It was used for lodge ceremonies and social gatherings—in practicality, it was the community hall.
In 1923, the lodge created a building fund to erect a new and larger hall. Construction began on February 28, 1928 and it was dedicated on July 3, 1929. The organization took on a mortgage to finance the project, which it managed to pay off through donations, fowl suppers and fundraising entertainment by 1948. It was upgraded with electrical service in 1932—before many neighbouring farms had this convenience. It received an oil furnace in 1955, then washrooms were installed and the kitchen upgraded four years later. It hosted the regional July 12 parades in 1932, 1937 and 1948. After the Cambray Orange Hall burned in 1969, Fenelon Falls and Cambray’s organizations amalgamated into Cameron’s.
Over the years, the Orange Order held numerous fundraisers for charitable causes, including supporting local residents who had lost their homes to fire. The Orange Hall hosted many community events including musical and dramatic presentations, private celebrations like birthdays and anniversaries, euchre games, dances, and Halloween Parties. But as the twentieth century wore on, families started to drive to larger centres to attend social events, as July 12 parades were becoming an increasingly distant memory. The glory of the British Empire and the importance of the Protestant Succession were no longer values that brought people together in an age of decolonization and secularism. By the early twenty-first century, it had fallen into disuse, and today it is privately owned.
