Fur is no longer popular among winter coat manufacturers. Canada Goose, Kanuk and Quartz Co. have all stopped using it in their products, a decision that trappers denounce.
“It’s been about two years, almost three, since we stopped producing coats with fur,” says Jean-Philippe Robert, CEO of Quartz, during a telephone interview with The newspaper.
The Quebec company founded 25 years ago is currently busy selling its last copies, which should be done by the end of the season.
“It’s in line with our vision of having an eco-responsible approach,” explains Mr. Robert. It’s in line with what the customer is looking for today – social acceptability and all that. »
For her part, the Montrealer Kanuk stopped using fur in July 2021.
“We have decided to withdraw from fur out of respect for the resource”, specifies a spokesperson for Kanuk, Véronique Blais, assuring that the company has not yielded to pressure from animal protection organizations.
The Ontario giant Canada Goose has decided to keep fur in its catalog. But since this year, he only uses recycled skins.
A part of our history
The director of the Fur Institute of Canada, Doug Chiasson, is sorry for the turn of events, which he attributes to “misinformation” and “harassment” by “anti-fur groups”.
“It’s not because there’s no market or demand for fur,” he says. It is because of the pressure exerted by these groups. »
The fur industry, “it’s an inseparable part of our history,” he recalls.
“We don’t have to spit on what has been done in the past, but society is changing and we are adapting,” retorts Jean-Philippe Robert.
No question for Quartz to replace the natural fur with faux fur on the hood collars.
Photo courtesy of Quartz co.
One of the last coats with fur made by Quartz.
“Synthetic fur doesn’t perform well and it ages very badly,” says Mr. Robert. We worked on the construction of our caps to ensure that the product continues to be highly functional, which is extremely important, especially in a market like Quebec, where it is an almost vital function. »
Nor is there any question of abandoning duck down, which is used as padding for more than 90% of Quartz coats. “Down is a by-product of the food industry,” notes Mr. Robert.
Consumers can find out where the down comes from by scanning a code found on a tag inside every coat the company makes.
Trappers at the service of cities
The president of the Federation of Trappers Managers of Quebec, Claude Gagnon, believes that the withdrawal of coat manufacturers from the fur sector will not change much for the animals.
Over the past ten years, the number of beavers and coyotes trapped for their skins has dropped by 60% and 40% respectively in Quebec.
On the other hand, argues Mr. Gagnon, municipalities must increasingly use trappers to eliminate wild animals that approach inhabited areas.
However, no data is available on the number of animals thus slaughtered in Quebec.
That said, even a trapping enthusiast like Claude Gagnon doesn’t believe in the return of full-length fur coats.
“We understand that it’s no longer fashionable,” he admits. I wouldn’t see my daughters with a fur coat. »