Fur Farmers British Columbia. 1951-1952

COMBS FUR FARM - P.R. 1, Royal Oak, V.I. (Melvin Combs.) This ranch was established in 1936, first at Killam, Alberta, then Lac La Biche, Alberta, from where it was moved to Vancouver Island. Mr Combs was married in 1928 and has five children.

GELLETT'S MINK FARM - Box 1685, R.R. 3, Victoria. (George W. Gellett; D. F. MacFarlane, Ranch Manager.) Mr Gellett has been raising mink for quite several years, his ranch having been established in 1929. He devotes all his, time to the mink business. He is the originator of the new type mutation known originally as Blue Smoke but later marketed as Royal Pastel. The first Royal Pastel coat ever made was made from pelts from the Gellett ranch.

GILANN FUR FARM - 155-5th Ave., Haney. (Lloyd L. and Mabel Freckleton.) This ranch was established in 1949. The Freckletons were primarily Ontario people they were born at Blake, Ontario. Mr Freckleton worked for General Motors before the war and also had a restaurant at Hamilton, Ontario. He is interested in baseball and hockey. The Freckletons were married in 1937 and have two children.

HILLCREST MINK FARM - 1238 King George Highway, White Rock. (Charles W. Sandoff.) Mr Sandoff has been interested in the mink business for many years and has been operating his ranch as an exclusive business for over ten years. His ranch is very modern in every respect and the mink are all contained in seven large sheds.

MAPLE RIDGE MINK RANCH - 32014th Avenue North, Haney. (Alexander R. Straker.) The ranch was established in 1944. Mr Straker is an artist and for over twenty years has painted animal portraits and landscape scenes. His favourite hobbies are hunting, fishing and outdoor sketching. He is interested in boxing and wrestling and has been a coach and also judge at these events. In his younger days, he was a cow-puncher and horse-breaker. He was married in 1938 and has three boys. He is Vice-President of the Haney Lawn Bowling Club, a member of the Lower Mainland Fur Breeders' Association, director of the Pacific Fur Breeders' Co-operative, instructor of sketching club and Vice-President of Haney Dramatic Society.

MEAD FUR FARM - 5504 Curtis St., Capitol Hill, Burnaby. (Walter Mead.) This ranch is the largest ranch of Standard mink in western Canada. There are over 500 breeders, all Standards. They have 16 large sheds, 100-ton cold storage, all modern equipment, on a property of 10 acres.

SILVERTONE MINK RANCH LIMITED - 955 Hall's Prairie Road, Cloverdale. (Nils 0. Brantling.) Mr Brantling was born in Sweden, September 29th, 1904. He arrived in Canada in the spring of 1927. Mr Brantling for several years was in the mining business and also did carpentry work. He prospected for several years in the Caribou and coast region and established his ranch in 1948. His hobbies are boxing and wrestling. He was married in 1939 and has one daughter. He is a member of the Lower Mainland Fur Breeders' Association.

SURREY FUR FARM - 150 Archibald Road, R.R. 3, New Westminster. (Charles Combs.) Mr Combs was born on April 12th, 1917. He raised mink from 1936 to 1940 at Killam, Alberta, and from 1940 to 1947 at Lac La Biche, Alberta, when he moved to British Columbia. While at Killam he also raised wheat extensively. At present, he is exclusively in the mink business. He was married April 7th, 1941, and has three children. He is Secretary-Treasurer of the Lower Mainland Fur Breeders' Association.

TAFF FUR FARM - R.R. 7, Miller Road, New Westminster. (W. T. Evans.) The ranch was established in 1934. Mr Evans is an old Imperial soldier and is engaged exclusively in raising Gothier strain mink.

VERSTRAETE FUR FARM - 1312 Nelson Avenue, New Westminster. (H. C. Verstraete.) This ranch was established in 1937. Mr Verstraete was born in 1903. For fifteen years he was a grain buyer. At present, he is engaged exclusively in the raising of mink. His farm, with his hunting and fishing activities, keeps him pretty busy. He was married in 1928 and has three children. He is a member of the Elk's Club.

WISHBONE MINK RANCH - Ladysmith. (J. W. Madden and Robert MacLean.) The ranch was established in 1945. They are raising the Keyworth strain of Standards and Pastels.