photograph © courtesy Reg Priestly
Humber Athletes


photograph © courtesy Andrew Barcham
Humber Bay C4 1922


photograph © courtesy CCA Archives
Humber Bay C15 1922

The Humber Bay Canoe Club, formerly the Humber Bay Boating Club was officially founded on the Humber River in 1921, lasting until 1925 before vanishing from the Humber canoeing scene. The organisation existed before WWI, as early as 1910 when a young Art Orr competed as a novice for the Humber Bay Club at the Lambton Aquatic Club 2nd annual regatta. In 1912, Orr`s club was barred from competition on the grounds that they weren`t members of the Association. Humber Bay was then represented at the 1913 CCA AGM and again at the 1914 Dominion Championship. The following year, Art Orr and Joe Tiveron, central figures in the Humber Bay club, competed under the name of Lakeside Aquatic Club at the Western Division Championships. It is possible that in its infancy, Orr's new club may have gone through some name changes. The club was known as the Humber Bay Aquatic Association at the time of their 1922 championship win, but also recorded as Humber Bay Athletic Club when admitted as a new member club in the CCA minutes. The club never had a formal clubhouse, renting space elsewhere on the lake shore, most likely the Toby Wecks boathouse (pictured above), located east of Humber and south of Bridges. The 1915 CCA championship program lists Humber Bay as sporting the colours blue and pink alongside other clubs with their proper colours. This is why these colours appear in "Canada's Sprint Canoe Clubs." (*NB: The 1924 club championship is often credited to Rideau Aquatic Club, although analysis of results, qualifying events, point totals, newspaper articles and CCA AGM Minutes prove that Humber Bay Canoe Club was the actual winner.)