W. W. MacPhee
W. W. MacPhee
Past County Master, Was Founder of L.O.L.2996
William Wallace MacPhee was born in Prince Edward Island in 1888 and came to Toronto in 1918. MacPhee gained employ as a reported with the “Sentinel” and became one of the most widely known members in Toronto’s Orange circles. After several years he went on to write for both the Toronto Globe and the Mail and Empire. He joined the staff of the Toronto Telegram in 1927 and was in their employ until his retirement in 1947. MacPhee specialized in the coverage of the activities of Toronto’s various fraternal organizations.
On December the 1st, 1925 W. W. MacPhee was granted the warrant for Toronto’s John Knox L.O.L.2996 and served as the first Master of that lodge in the years 1926 and 1927. This lodge remained in operation until 1968 when it amalgamated with Joshua L.O.L.154.
In 1936 MacPhee was elected to be the County Master of the County Orange Lodge of Toronto. That July saw a record breaking heat wave, with the temperature climbing to 103.7F on Friday July 10th, and with a reported 22 deaths in Southern Ontario due to the heat. When asked by the Star if the weather conditions would affect the holding of Toronto’s Annual Parade, MacPhee replied that “no matter how hot it gets, the parade will go according to schedule, and remarked that our motto was “No Surrender” and every committed Orangeman would be expected to walk”. A devout Presbyterian and Public School supporter his words following the parade noted that “today the Orange Order stood for the things that men had fought for and won and this included political and religious freedom and the Public School System.”
W. W. MacPhee passed away on April 24th, 1951 leaving a wife and six children. His funeral service was from Riverdale Presbyterian Church.
Submitted by John Wells – County Secretary – September 15th, 2011
Sources: The Sentinel, July 16/1936, May 3/1951
The Star, July 10/1936
The Story of Orangeism, Saunders (1941)
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