When Fox Was King
Photos: National Archives of Canada—PA043988; national Archives of Canada—PA043978
(Inset) Scottish comedian Sandy MacGregor holds three silver blacks while visiting a farm during the industry's golden years; A fox inhabits a pen at the Victoria Fox Farm in Charlottetown, P.E.I.
Those who got in at the right time made fortunes, literally overnight. And it all came from farming—farming with a furry twist. The name of the game was fox farming or ranching, and for several years it remained the hottest industry on Princ e Edward Island.
The late 19th and early 20th centuries brought hard economic times to many Islanders. Some 30,000 residents left the province between 1870 and 1900. By 1924, the population had shrunk to 86,000 after reaching ...