Max Lubker wearing his John Date rig

Max Lubker began diving at age 19 in Germany and continued until he was 84 years old. During his diving years, living in Toronto from 1949-69, he worked on the underwater pilings of the Humber bridge and other industrial construction sites. On several occasions was called upon to recover bodies from lake Ontario and from nearby creeks and rivers. Lubker dove in the China sea a year after the Boxer rebellion, and he received Germany's iron cross for, among other things, rescuing 132 men trapped in a submarine in World War I.

 An engineer by profession, be built up a flourishing manufacturing business in Germany after World War I and for a few years diving was only a recreation. Then in 1927, his plant burned to the ground. After two years, he decided he preferred to seek a living in diving rather than start all over again as a manufacturer. He came to Canada in 1929 where his first job was with a pick and shovel in Halifax. As soon as he was able to demonstrate his skills at diving, he never had to do anything else for a living but dive.

 He spent 20 years in Montreal where he raised many ships from the bottom of the St. Lawrence, then moved to Toronto where, even in his 70s, he was known as one of the most capable divers on the continent.  At the age of  79 Max Lubker and his wife Ellen Lubker, opened a Deep Sea diving school in Toronto Harbor and moved into a Walmer Ave home were he hung his mementoes of his diving days with the Kaiser's navy. Max Lubker kept working until the age of 84 at which time he retired. Max Lubker was Born Feb 1883 and passed away at the age of 91 on Aug 24. 1974.

Max Lubker with wife Ellen and son 

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