January 7th,1915

Wind N.E., light breeze, fogging.  Temp -28.  Mr. Jacobson & a native arrived here this noon.  Ten day’s from Kittygarick, from whence he came.  He brought the news that pelts had dropped in price enormously, on account of war, which was raging in Europe, between Germany, against England, France, Russia, also that all provision & ammunitions was soaring high in price.  The price of fox skins has dropped 60% in price.  Polar Bear 76% and Black Fox about 95%.  At present the natives here does not believe that even if the white men does want to fight amongst themselves it can make any difference to them up here, a fox skin is always a fox skin and the white men must have them or the will get the price for them they have always got.

Daniel Blue
Chief Engineer of the Alaska
Diary of Daniel Blue © Canadian Museum of Nature

In this day of instant communication with the world, it is hard to relate to the Expedition members missing the news of the outbreak of World War 1 for almost six months. The economics of the fur trade in the north has always been impacted by world events. The same thing that Blue describes in 1915 happened again in the 1930s when the Great Depression threw all of North America into recession and once again fur prices tumbled dramatically.

In spite of the ups and downs, the fur trade allowed some Northern communities to prosper. For example, the people of Sachs Harbour, on Banks Island, whose fur industry was a direct result of the CAE, became financially well-off, and were known for always being able to keep up with all the advances in technology.

David