The Carstairs ELK’s Lodge #556 was founded on November 14,1975 with forty-four (44) charter members. The lodge has donated approximately $950,000.00 and 45,000 volunteer hours in the 50 years that it has been involved in the community. The fund raising comes from various areas including casinos every 3 years, ELK’s Bonspiel, the yearly spring garage sale and Chase The Ace raffle.

The ELK’s have hosted the spring garage sale for the past thirty seven (37) years and the Curling Bonspiel for twenty eight (28) years. The brothers of the lodge get together every Christmas to put lights up on the senior’s manor to give it a more festive look for the residents and supplied a floor curling game to the senior lodge.

The lodge supplied a bus to the community providing transportation to local sports and senior groups, after thirty-five (35) years the bus was sold to a local charter company to continue the service.

The local campground cook house burnt down in 2016 and the brothers helped other service groups and local building contractors rebuild the cook house.

The Carstairs ELK’s and Co-op store partnered together to purchase a handicap grocery cart (Caroline’s Cart) for the store.

The lodge supplies funding to The ELK’s Purple Cross Fund for Children, Istar, STAR’s and sponsors two (5) trade and one (1) science scholarship to the Hugh Sutherland School every year.

The lodge has contributed to the following organizations over the years: food banks, minor hockey, soccer, minor ball, football, junior curling, Boy Scouts, Girl Guides and junior rodeo. The lodge has also helped with funding for the following local achievements: Columbarium, splash park, skate park, ball diamond and two (2) playgrounds.

At the beginning of 2026, there were 68 members in the lodge.