The once-coveted economy-driving fur industry in Nova Scotia is on its last legs as evidenced by a new program being offered by a government funded agency.
“Mink Workers Information Sessions: Preparing for Unemployment & Finding Work” was seen by one of our supporters and sent to The Fur-Bearers yesterday. This advertisement is offering free retraining, employment services, and information on unemployment insurance for the hundreds of seasonal workers being put out by the collapse of Nova Scotia’s fur farm industry.
The irony is that the government is continuing to support the industry, even as it implodes: it was two years ago that a $20,000,000 bailout for Nova Scotia’s fur farmers was sent out after what was shrugged off as a bad year. Clearly, investing in a volatile commodity product that even Canadians don’t want was a poor choice.
As much as we want to celebrate what this means for the hundreds of thousands of mink and fox who will not be subjected to torturous lives, and what it means for the poisoned environment around the farms, we recognize that a lot of families will be struggling.
We recently wrote about ways that farmers in Nova Scotia could convert their land or training to more profitable ventures, and strongly encourage them to explore these options – especially those that would survive blips in the economy.
BLOG: Booming industries that are ready for trappers, farmers
We are glad to see that efforts to #MakeFurHistory are taking hold – and we sincerely hope that Nova Scotia will finally invest in their people for the long-term, rather than invest in the fur of brutalized animals for short gains.
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