The Truth About the 'Goose'

 To Dani Reiss,
President and CEO of Canada Goose Co.;

I am writing to you today as both a consumer, and fellow Canadian who is concerned over the claims made about the fur trim used for your jackets.  Canada Goose jackets are made for “the coldest places on earth, places where skin around the face can freeze in an instant”, yet they are sold in over 40 countries, many of these not capable of having such extreme temperatures as Canada.  That being said, downtown  Toronto has not dipped below such skin-freezing temperatures since 1859.  Your claim that fur trim around the face is used to protect against frostbite is completely inaccurate considering most people who purchase your jackets will never experience such temperatures in their lifetime.  Moreover, many of your jackets intended for more mild weather, such as the Chilliwack Bomber™, still have coyote fur attached to the hood, discrediting the claim that the fur is to protect against frostbite, considering the jacket alone is not equipped for such weather conditions.

Canada Goose Co. has also claimed that faux fur is “only a fashion statement”, yet your jackets seem to be exactly this, as you have personally said that your sales are “fashion driven”.  Very few consumers are purchasing these coats in fear of frostbite, but because they know they are in style and simply a trend to follow.   

Using coyote fur for clothing is inhumane and unnecessary, regardless of the alleged trapping standards you claim to follow. The guidelines and government regulations you allegedly abide by are only set for the fur industry, and not the actual trapping.  There is no way for you to know if the coyotes are being treated in a humane way, and you saying that they are is completely misinforming the public.  Moreover, Canada being one of the largest exporters of fur does not imply that humane methods are being used, but exactly the opposite.  

What I find most disturbing is that you claim this is a sustainable industry which supports Aboriginal communities in Northern Canada.  There is a large difference between your company and an Aboriginal community: they are thankful for every piece of the animal, and use it all accordingly, yet you support the hacking off of fur from an innocent animal, and toss the rest like it is garbage.  “Sustainability” is a poor choice of a word considering 67% of traps intended for coyotes end up catching another species instead, some of these being endangered. The method used to make these pelts wearable is anything but sustainable, and the environmental benefits that you claim fur has are all false.  Toxic cancer-causing chemicals are used on every single pelt to keep it from rotting like the carcass it truly is, not to mention the tanning and dying methods needed to reach the desired colour require deadly chemicals like lead, chlorine and ammonia.  

With the word ‘Canada’ directly in your company’s title, you should be taking much more responsibility for the problems caused when using fur trim, and not be making false claims to the world.  Not only are you lying about the treatment of the animals, but you are making up your own claims when it comes to how this fur is treated, and the justifications of why it is necessary.  Attached you will find a series of signatures asking you to tell the truth about your products, and to stop the manipulation of facts to benefit Canada Goose Co.  We are not asking you to stop using fur trim, but to simply give consumers the true information needed to make the decision of if they want fur or not.  Sooner or later, consumers will discover that what you are saying is false, and it will look much better on Canadians (as you are so proud to be) if the truth was known regarding your fur trim.  If you continue to put our country’s name on the line, at least have the decency to stop lying about your products.