FLYING FUR TRADERS

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 3, Issue 675, 30 October 1933, Page 7

FLYING FUR TRADERS

INCREASED USE OF AIR BEING AVAILED OF IN CANADA. TRANSPOET MADE EASIER. A Canadian Airways bulletin gives particulars of the increasing transportation of far by air in the north of Manitoba. The aeroplanes bring from this region early in each year skins which f ormerly took several nronths to reach ' th'e market. The fur-hearing territory lies far t0 the north of the mining areas, beyond the railway and the Churchill River. As long ago as 1928 furs were brought by air, but nowadays most of itlie fur trading companies consign bales of fur regularly from the trading posts. The report states that the fiuctuating condition of the fur markets and the shortened period over whichl the fur trader has to finance his purehasers have been the most important factors in selling air transportation to the fur trader. i Indcp€nclent trappers working hundreds of miles from railhead or trading post found that after long months of winter trapping the "open" season was too short for them to make the trip to the post by canoe, and return to their trapping grounds before freeze-up. By breaking camp in April, abandoning their canoe, and travelling by dog team, it was possible for the tnapj per to spend a few weeks on the fringe of civilisation before returning .with an entirely new outfit and new canoe. When trappers realised that this annual expense and loss of time in travel could be avoided by flying out land in again between trapping seasons it was not long before they were "sold" on the idea. Officials of the trading companies regularly make inspection tours by air. Last winter one inspector visited in 26 flying days posts widely scatitered which would have taken two winters to cover in former times.