Victoria's loss might become Maple Ridge's gain, as local Orangemen look to amalgamate with the branch in the province's capital.

The Haney branch of the Orange Order has been in existence since the 1930s, when they built the Orange Hall on Dewdney Trunk Road, currently the site of Pioneer Village.

The Orange Hall in Victoria, which was most recently used by about 20 community groups and St. Mark's Traditional Anglican Church, was closed and was sold to family that plans to convert it into home.

If the Victoria branch of the Orange Order amalgamates with the Haney branch, it means more money can stay locally to help local organizations, explained Maple Ridge resident and member of the Haney branch George Ferguson, and his son.

The Victoria branch only had six members left. Ferguson and his son presided over the sale.

The roughly 20 other community groups rented space in the Victoria hall on a regular basis for $25 per hour.

"We didn't think we wanted to put it any higher," said Ferguson, who is premier loyal Orange Lodge secretary and who said in a letter to renters that it was his "sad duty" to tell them it was no longer available. "Our time was up, basically, in that location."

The local Orange Order has donated money to the Ridge Meadows Hospital since its construction in the 1950s.

Currently, it has a trust fund that allows the hospital to pay about $7,000 to $8,000 per year for staff training.

The Haney Orange Order is only one of two in the Lower Mainland. It has about 20 members who come from all over the Lower Mainland.

The Orange Order is a Protestant fraternal organization that was established in England in the late 1700s.

mrantanen@mrtimes.com