Eric Werge (Tammy) Hamber – Born April 21, 1879 in Winnipeg, Manitoba – Died January 10, 1960 in Vancouver, British Columbia was a rowing, polo, tennis, rugby, football,
Hockey player, and a Canadian businessman. Hamber was named the 15th Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia in 1936.
Hamber was educated at the Anglican St. John’s College for Boys in Winnipeg, where his father was headmaster.
Hamber was possibly the best Canadian all-round athlete of his time. At St. John’s College, he was captain of the rugby team, which he led to a Western Canadian championship in 1901. He became associated with the Toronto Argonauts in their glory years from 1902-06, and was captain of all three of their teams — Hockey, football and rowing. He rowed for the Argos at Henley in 1902.
Hamber played Hockey for St. John’s College in Winnipeg from 1896 to 1901 and 1904, winning the Manitoba Inter-Collegiate Hockey Championship in 1898.
Hamber then played for the Winnipeg Hockey Club and the Dominion Bank Hockey team, winning the Winnipeg Bankers Hockey League in 1900 and 1901.
Hamber also played for the Dominion Bank Hockey team in Toronto, Ontario, where he was team captain from 1902 to 1903 in the Toronto Bank League.
Hamber also played for the Toronto Argonauts in 1902-03 where he captained the team. Hamber rejoined the Argonauts late in 1904, helping them to the OHA championship final, and also was with them for one final season in 1905.
Hamber was captain of the Princes Ice Hockey Club, at the Prince’s Skating Club in London, England in 1911. The British Ice Hockey Association was founded at the rink in 1914.
Tammy’s biggest Hockey moment was when he played for the Manitoba Hockey Association champions, Winnipeg Rowing Club in the Stanley Cup challenge against the Ottawa Hockey Club / Ottawa Silver Seven on December 30, 1903 (9 to 1 loss), January 1 (6 to 2 win), and January 4 (2 to 0 loss), 1904. After the first game of the series, Winnipeg added Eric Werge Hamber from the Toronto Argonauts Ice Hockey team. Hamber replaced the injured S. Crawford Richards and played in the second and third games only. There was controversy over Hamber’s participation because he had not qualified to play in the Stanley Cup challenge, as he didn’t play in the western playoffs and then he joined the Winnipeg Rowing Club in Ottawa, where the games were played at the Aberdeen Pavilion.
This Day in History
• Vancouver Sun
• Published 10 Jan 2013
• By John Mackie
When Eric Hamber died on Jan. 10, 1960, The Sun called him “one of the giants of our time.” Indeed. In his 80 years, Hamber was a sports star, a prominent banker, a lumber baron, B. C.’ s lieutenant- governor, and the chancellor of UBC. The king and queen stayed at his home in 1939, and invited Hamber to the royal wedding of Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip in 1947. “In everything he touched. Mr. Hamber became big,”
The Sun noted on the day of his death. “Banks, foundations, rowing, horse racing, government, university, trusts, railways, yachting and philanthropy.” Eric Werge Hamber was born in Winnipeg, where he captained several championship rowing, rugby and hockey teams. After moving to Toronto in 1902, he captained the Toronto Argonauts rowing, football and hockey squads.
In 1907, he came to Vancouver to work for the Dominion Bank. Three years later, the 31- year- old was appointed manager of the bank’s main branch in London, England. In 1912, he met and wooed Vancouverite Aldyn Hendry, who was in London with her father John, the owner of BC Mills. Hamber’s pursuit of Aldyn supposedly irked John Hendry, because their wedding meant Hendry was forced to cancel a booking on a new luxury liner, the Titanic.
Eric Hamber’s ranch Minnekhada
In 1913, Hamber returned to Vancouver and become president and general manager of BC Mills, the pioneer lumber firm that had operated at Burrard Inlet since 1863. Hamber left the lumber business to become lieutenant- governor from 1936 to 1941. In 1944, he was named chancellor of UBC, a position he held until 1951.
Despite his social prominence, Hamber apparently didn’t like the spotlight. “He never lost the aloof look of the banker,” said a contemporary. “He was always very distant, withdrawn, although when you did see underneath this he was very kind and very human.” Hamber’s resume in the 1944 Who’s Who of Canada was so extensive it had to be spread over two pages. His former weekend duck hunting retreat is now the lodge at Minnekhada Park.
Details/portions of this website courtesy of hockeygods.com