1887-1971

Sidney Lambert

Sidney Lambert was born on September 19, 1887, in Dorsetshire, England. A Lieutenant Colonel and Army Padre, he joined the Calgary Regiment at the outbreak of the First World War and served in England and France. In 1916, on the battlefields at Ypres in Northern Belgium, he lost his left leg above the knee.

It was at the College Street Military Hospital in Toronto, where Padre Lambert was recovering, that he first conceived of the idea of a national association to help solve the problems of all amputees. In 1920, Padre Lambert became the first Dominion President of The War Amps.

Shaped by the philosophy that, with courage and determination, amputees could succeed in life, Padre Lambert led the Association through the Great Depression and beyond.

Awards:

• Distinguished Service Membership, The War Amps
• Medal of Service of the Order of Canada

He was an expert on veterans legislation and appeared before Parliament on many occasions. As an amputee veteran himself, and as the well-known Hospital Padre at the Christie Street Military Hospital and, later, at Sunnybrook Hospital, he was acutely aware of the needs of seriously disabled veterans and their families.

In 1931, Padre Lambert was named honorary President of the Sir Arthur Pearson Association of War Blinded (SAPA), a group with which The War Amps had worked closely on bringing pension issues to the government.

He received the Association’s Distinguished Service Membership, and at 82 years old, Padre Lambert was awarded the Medal of Service of the Order of Canada for his contribution to the welfare of Canada’s veterans.

After 50 years of faithful service to The War Amps, he passed away on May 5, 1971, and is buried in Toronto’s Prospect Cemetery.
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