OUTFOXED: The decline of the fox-farming industry in P.E.I.
Who knew that sleepy Summerside, Prince Edward Island, was the birthplace of the prestigious worldwide fox-farming industry? In the early 1900s, over 8,000 fox ranches dotted the Island, keeping the rich and royal fashionably warm. Of course, Samuel de Champlain and Sir Alexander Mackenzie would claim earlier fame as fur traders, but the demand for luxury furs necessitated the establishment of fox farms. After experimentation in 1895 on a farm near Tignish resulted in a litter with silver veins in the fur, the “silver rush” began.
Summerside’s International Fox Museum and Hall of Fame is a curious mix of relics, pelts, heritage and an actual tattoo kit that was used to mark the ears of the foxes in captivity. If you like odd museums and quirky lore, put it on your itinerary. There’s even a Summerside “fox hunt,” which allows
