Fur Farmers Alberta

FENRICK FUR FARMS - 643-3rd Street, Medicine Hat. (J. W. Fenrick.) Mr Fenrick was born in 1903 and took a course in business, later going into the jewellery business, in which he is still engaged, as he has a store in Medicine Hat. His ranch was established in 1937. Mr Fenrick's chief interest is raising mink. He was married in 1927 and has two children. He belongs to the Fraternal Order of Eagles.

GORHAM'S FUR FARM - Sub P.O. 24, Edmonton. (L. R. Gorham.) Mr Gorham commenced fox and muskrat breeding in Alberta in 1925 and added mink to the ranch in 1928. He possibly is most famous for the Silver Sable which was produced on his ranch in 1938. This was known as the Gorham Silver Sable and was purchased by the leading mink breeders in both Canada and the United States. One of the interesting things Mr Gorham relates, was in 1939, when he showed his mutation at the Field Day in Edmonton. On the card which was written out for this mink the judge, a well-known fur man, commented "size, large; colour, freakish; texture, fair; nap, fair." Under "remarks" the judge put, "no money in raising cotton-underfur mink such as this." The reader will remember, of course, that this was in the early days of mutations.

LAIT, STANLEY R. - Box 47, Medicine Hat. Mr Lait was born in 1904. He commenced in the fur farming business in 1924, with star black skunks. Later he added silver foxes, Arctic blue foxes, chinchilla rabbits, Russian and German fitch, western badgers and eventually got into the Eastern type of mink. He has made a consistently high record in his mink increases, in 1945 averaging 4.1/2, in 1946, 4.1/3, in 1947, 4.1/2 and in 1948, 4.3/4. He is married and has one child.

VALLEYFIELD MINK RANCH LIMITED - 206 Leeson - Lineham, Calgary. (David H. Norton, President; Henry C. Franzam, Vice-President.) Mr Norton was born in Pretoria, South Africa, December 17th, 1912. He emigrated to Calgary in 1919, where he was engaged in the retail clothing business for fifteen years. Mr Franzam was born in Rodding, Denmark, on May 26th, 1902, and emigrated to Canada in 1929. Both men are married. Valleyfield Mink Ranch Limited was established in 1937, with thirty mink. In 1941 the entire ranch of the late Judge McGillivray was purchased. The ranch is situated on the outskirts of Calgary on a 15 - acre site. A staff of six men is employed year-round, with additional help during the busy season. Recently an office was opened in Vancouver, B.C. and Mr Norton is taking charge of this office.

VANDALE FUR FARM - R.R. 3, Calgary. (Edith and Harry Vandale.) The ranch was established in 1941. The Vandales are heavy breeders of Standards, having as well all the popular mutations.