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Canada Is fur in industry booming again Paula Lishman has built an international reputation for her fashions In fur. See story. WARD VOTE Wally Donaldson Anxious to address ALL issues as YOUR 'TEAM' PLAYER Authorized by the CFO, Wally Donaldson Campaign. © 0 CHRISTMAS o QL V 3 le) 5 (01% Saturday, October 22nd 10AMto 4 PM At PORT PERRY HIGH SCHOOL & R.H. CORNISH PUBLIC SCHOOL Over 150 Craft Displays 8 Tea Room B Babysitting Adulfadmission : High School $2.00 / Cornish Public $1.00 "Children under 12 Free FOR.INFORMATION CALL 985-9602 by Heather McCrae As the weather grows chillier these days it isn't just the skiers who are smiling. Furriers across the country are predicting this 'will be their best season in years. Exports of Canadian fur garments increased by 24 per cent in 1993 over the previous year to a total of $70 million. This figure was revealed in Toronto recently when about 100 furriers, designers and other industry bers met to When it worked with leather she decided to try it with fur. By cutting from the backs of the tanned pelts with a razor blade in a circular pattern, then twisting the strips, she Speaking to the Citizen, she stressed that beaver is not an endangered species in Canada. In fact, there's ten times more beaver now than when the white settlers came over 400 invented a fur yarn that, when Years ago. knit or woven, created a doubl The ful furrier says all faced fur fabric exceptional in Canadian trap lines are look and comfort. registered and quotas for Out of this invention her Blackstock based company was incorporated in 1979. Since then it's grown from three launch a $600,000. campaign promoting the 1994-95 season. One of those furriers, Paula Lishman of Blackstock, founder of Paula Lisbhman International, is known throughout the world for her versatile knitted fur garments. Having spent her early childhood in Goose Bay, Labrador, she learned early the importance of fur as a means of survival, not for fashion. "Up in Goose Bay, people wear fur on the inside for warmth" she told the Citizen in a recent interview. Later when she dnd her family moved to Don Mills the young girl saw her first fur coat and thought the coat was worn inside out as the fur was on the outside! In the mid-sixties when she was 17 Paula resorted to making her own clothes as to find fashionable clothing to fit her slim 6'3" frame was impossible. Later she attended the Belles Artes School in San Miguel, Mexico to study textiles, weaving and guitar. She started making clothes with leather and ended up with many scrap pieces. She'd cut these pieces into thin strips and tried knitting with them. loyees to a whopp 175 local artisans and: Paula Lishman International does several millions of dollars in sales each year. Although much of the fur industry struggled during the recession Paula told the Citizen it had little effect on her sales. "Moreso, our sales increased during the recession as our furs are so practical and versatile" she said. "They're multi-purpose--you can either dress them up or dress them down". A shawl, for example, can be also worn as a scarf or vest and, of course, a blanket. And her creations are flexible and durable, over-coming many of the drawbacks associated with traditional fur garments. Paula is the first vice- president of the Fur Council of Canada and the Fur Trade Development Institute. "Buying furs is not an animal rights issue--it's an environmental one" she says. "It's a natural product. It doesn't pollute the envir t like synthetics do and is one of the country's natural resources that's in abundance". The bulk of her creations are made from sheared beaver. harvesting are established. Canada is the world leader in humane trapping résearch and by 1995 expects to establish standards recognised by the International Standards Organization. "I always say to people that if I could use beavers that died of old age I would. But people seem to forget that animals in the wild don't die of old age." She asks,"Which is better--to die of starvation or disease or be attacked by a predator than to die instantly in a humane trap? "I'm honouring the beaver's life" she told the Citizen. "I feel we're paying respect to the beaver"s life by making something beautiful". While her creations are sold throughout the world the bulk of Paula's business is done in Japan. *To be successful in the Japanese market you have to -® 'offer the best quality and design". Paula's creations include hair scr hies, skirts, sol blankets,capes, shrugs, full length coats, fun hats and range anywhere from $25, to . 'Many of these furs tan be purchased at the Lishman's store, 158 Queen Street. Earlier this year Paula Lishman was awarded the Victor Goodman Furrier of the Year Award by the Furriers Guild of Canada. RE-ELECT HOWARD