Will the Goose be cooked?

By Dr. Klaus L.E. Kaiser —— Bio and Archives August 25, 2021

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The Canada Goose (Branta canadensis) is abundant on this continent, especially in Canada. In recent decades they have even become some sort of nuisance. Between a high fertility rate, few natural predators, and lots of city folks feeding them in winter, many decided to forgo the long-distance migrations to warmer climes when winter approached. That also removed the need to travel north again in spring, giving the local population a head-start on multiplying and expanding their range.

The "other" Canada Goose

But this post is not about the fowl but rather the enterprise known as Canada Goose, (CG), a retailer headquartered in Toronto, Ontario, and majority-owned by Bain Capital Specialty Finance Inc.,.(BC), located in Boston, Massachusetts. According to its website, BC is "… one of the world's leading private multi-asset alternative investment firms with approximately $140 billion in assets under management…" CG is well known for its sizeable collection of parkas, sold in many countries, as warm winter outerwear. These parkas, traditionally, had a real fur trim around the parka's hood, mostly made from coyote or fox hides. That's where CG ran into opposition from PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals ), and similarly-minded activists, already several years ago (like in 2016). And now, CG and/ or BC appear to have thrown in the towel. As CNN reports, CG will stop using actual fur trim on its parkas by the end of 2022 – a victory for PETA? Not so fast! It reminds me of another version of the "fur debate," namely the fur hats traditionally worn by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) in winter in the northern country-side, for well over a century. I described it in more detail in 2014 (Canada Free Press: Fur Hats ). 

RCMP Officers with fur hats

Fur-hat-skirmish

That "fur-hat-skirmish" was quickly laid to rest with a ministerial order to keep using those muskrat fur hats. Really, even the most colorful and well-knitted woolen tuques or "synthetic furs" are no match for the real thing.  That's also why non-hibernating animals, like beavers, muskrats, coyotes, foxes, deer, and  others grow "winter coats" that will be shed in the next spring. The Truth of the Matter The idea that "synthetic fur" will be just as good is mistaken. The thin and soft-pointed longer winter hair on the real fur offers more comfort and better protection for the forehead and face in winter.  The truth of the matter becomes apparent when you actually need to protect your body from winter's fury, biting cold winds, and potentially permanent damage to your exposed skin.  As a youngster, only having to walk half a mile or less to school, I did manage to get my ears somewhat "frozen." Of course, you don't feel that when it actually happens. It only becomes apparent in the warmth of a room. And, believe me, it was not a pleasant experience. In Short While the Canada Goose company may think to be expedient or responsive to some deluded activists by planning to use faux fur in a year or two, I suspect it will change its anti-fur ideas when their customers start getting frostbitten foreheads and begin shopping elsewhere for what they really desire and need. Either CG will change its stance – or the Goose will be cooked.