Members of the family of a surveyor in whose name a lake at Duck Mountain Provincial Park was named picked their way through the bush to visit that lake. On June 1, four grandchildren
of the late Fred Lamb went to see Lamb Lake, which is a body of water about 1.45 kilometres long located northeast of Madge Lake’s Ministik Beach on the Saskatchewan side of the park.
It was a great adventure, prompted primarily by a visit to Canada by Ric (Frederick) Lamb, a grandchild of Fred Lamb, from his home in Australia, said Kathy Inglis of Sylvan Lake Alta., who is
also a grandchild of Fred Lamb.
Fred Lamb was born on the family farm in Brant Township in Ontario on December 11, 1887, said David Lamb of Arizona, a great-grandson of Fred Lamb.
“In 1899, Fred began to attend Walkerton High School, graduating in 1903,” David said. “He next went to study at the University of Toronto. In 1909, he graduated with a bachelor of applied science
degree in civil engineering.
“Almost as soon as he graduated, Fred left Ontario for Canada’s west. By 1910, he had made his permanent home in Saskatoon where he worked as a surveyor. He obtained his commission as a Dominion land surveyor in 1912 and Saskatchewan Land Surveyor in 1913.
“From 1913 to 1924, Fred worked for the Saskatchewan department of highways as a district surveyor. From 1924 until 1935, Fred worked in private practice in Saskatoon.
Due to the Great Depression, he returned to the department of highways. In 1938, Fred transferred to the Natural Resources Department and assisted on Surveyor’s grandchildren visit Duck Mountain lake named after him the Alberta-Saskatchewan boundary survey.
“In 1941 he surveyed the northern part of the Saskatchewan-Manitoba boundary. In 1945 he transferred to the Surveys Branch, Saskatchewan department of highways and transportation and remained there until his retirement in 1953.
“Fred was given permanent recognition in the naming of Lamb Lake in Duck Mountain Provincial Park, near the Saskatchewan- Manitoba border,” his great-grandson said. “Fred’s cousin, Garrett
Lamb, was born on a neighbouring family farm on August 10, 1886. After graduating from Walkerton High School, Garrett became a surveyor’s assistant in Canada’s west. In fact, as early as 1904, he had helped to survey the area around the lake that would later be named for his cousin Fred Lamb.
“And like his cousinFred, Garrett would study at the University of Toronto, graduating with a Bachelor of Applied Science in Civil Engineering in 1915.”
One of Fred’s sons, a grandson and a greatgrandson continued the family tradition of taking engineering as their professional careers, he said.
