Raoul Reymond - Silver Black Foxes on PEI

A native of Geneva, Switzerland, where his father owned a dental supply factory, Raoul Reymond first learned about the ranch-fox industry during a trip to the United States in the winter of 1919-1920. He decided to enter the new industry and came to Canada in January of 1925 intending to buy his foundation stock and returning with it to Europe to start a ranch in the Alps. Instead, Mr. Reymond found Canada and her people to his liking and stayed on to settle on Prince Edward Island, where his ranch started with just 12 pairs, soon became the second largest in Canada. 950 pairs of breeders spent the winter on his ranch during those years, but when times and the pelt market changed, Mr. Reymond, in 1938, reduced the number of foxes kept on his ranch and used the opportunity to make a rigorous selection. Only the very best animals remained on the farm and Mr. Reymond reaped the rewards of his efforts when in 1941 his entries in the P.E.I. fox show were high winners, including the grand champion and 4 championships plus many others. The slate of show winnings for Mr. Reymond's foxes continued to set records for a number of years, both in the silver and platinum classes and when foxes met with less demand in the market, Mr. Reymond diversified, adding mink and some horses to his ranch, winning prizes with those animals as well. It was not until 1948 that Mr. Reymond decided to close out his fox herd entirely, much to the regret of fellow ranchers.

 

- from pg. 127 of Silver Fox Odyssey: The History of the Canadian Silver Fox Industry by Joseph E. Forester and Anne D. Forester

The item below is from the website of Dalvay-by-the-Sea Hotel and tells of the Reymond family's involvement with operating a signature PEI hotel, an operation that would continue to involve their family over three generations.

Dalvay has since been operated as a leased private concession from Parks Canada. In 1959, Mr. and Mrs. Raoul Reymond became operators of Dalvay By-The-Sea. Hailing from Geneva Switzerland, the Reymonds had left Europe arriving in PEI in 1925 to take advantage of the lucrative fox breeding industry. After fox fur went out of fashion they turned their energies to inn keeping in summers and teaching music in winters to many Charlottetown families. The Reymond’s brought a European atmosphere of gentility and personal service to Dalvay that was unique to Prince Edward Island.