Memorable Manitobans: Thomas “Tom” Lamb (1898-1969)

Aviator, businessman.

Born at Grand Rapids in 1898, he was educated by his father, an English ex-Guardsman. He was a mechanic on flying boats in 1921-1922, and he hauled the first whitefish from Manitoba to market by air in 1932. Sometimes called “Mr. North,” he became Manitoba’s first flying trapper and the founder of Lamb Air. He received a Manitoba Golden Boy Award (1962) and an honorary law degree from the University of Manitoba (1968).

He and wife Jenny (?-?) had nine children, including Thomas Gregory “Greg” Lamb (1930-2023) and John Armstrong “Jack” Lamb.

He died in December 1969, while on vacation in Hawaii, and his cremains were scattered on Moose Lake. His “Reminiscences of Grand Rapids and The Pas, 1892-1967,” as well as his papers, are in the Archives of Manitoba. He is commemorated by the Tom Lamb Wildlife Management Area.

See also:

Historic Sites of Manitoba: Skippy L (Devon Park, The Pas)

Sources:

“Manitoba’s pioneer bush pilot, Tom Lamb, dies,” Winnipeg Tribune, 29 December 1969.

“Service for Lamb Saturday,” Winnipeg Tribune, 31 December 1969.

Dictionary of Manitoba Biography by John M. “Jack” Bumsted, Winnipeg: University of Manitoba Press, 1999.

Obituary [Greg Lamb], Gilbart Funeral Home.

We thank Ralph McLean and Lindsey Bylo for providing additional information used here.

This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.

Page revised: 3 November 2023

Memorable Manitobans

Memorable Manitobans

This is a collection of noteworthy Manitobans from the past, compiled by the Manitoba Historical Society. We acknowledge that the collection contains both reputable and disreputable people. All are worth remembering as a lesson to future generations.

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