LEROUX, Olivier - son of Pierre Leroux + Marie-Jeanne Féat
- b. 1870-05-12 Plougascon, Finistère. France
- d. 1935-12-14 Fort Smith, NWT
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The fur commerce in the MacKenzie began before the gold rush in the Klondike. In fact, before the missionaries began to live permanently in the Far North, The Hudson Bay Company had already built many trading posts in this vas territory. but even before the Hudson Bay had arrived , there had been a company from France which was the very first company to become involved with the furs of the Far North. The fur was in demand and the colder the climate, the better the fur.
Unfortunately this company did not last long. Later, the North-West Comapny a company with its social seat in Montreal competed for many years with the Hudson Bay Company.
Nature had seen that each animal of this northern region was well "dressed" for the climate; however amongst the animals, the Arctic black fox was sporting the most precious of furs according to the buyers of Paris and New York.
One fine day, one of these rare foxes of the MacKenzie was running around care-free seemingly not worrying about anything, then it put its foot in the wrong place... and found its foot caught in a trap. The poor unfortunate animal spent its last hours in pain and cold.
The next day, Olivier Leroux, a young twenty-year old Oblate brother who had recently arrived from France was sent to work in Fort Chipewyan. The morning following his arrival, he went to check his trap-line, and to his great surprise, he found a black fox dead in his traps. This discovery could be compared to winning the lottery!. He had been told that it ever he caught a black fox, it would be worth a little fortune.
When the religious brother brought the frozen animal, everyone was delighted and it was "sold" many times that day. Olivier took his time cleaning it, but because the fox had only one foot in the trap this was even better, therewas not trace of blood, nor of bullet hole in the pelt and even less on the fur. Mr. MacKay, the Commissioner for the Hudson Bay Company came to examine the fur and pelt. Olivier was quite happy and so were the other brothers at Fort Chip, and of course, so was Mr. Mackay for he was certain to have it soon in his hands. He said little but dreamt about what this fur could bring him.
Meanwhile Olivier considered his vows of obedience and poverty, so he went to his bishop, Bishop Emile Grouard, and he showed him the pelt. No doubt the bishop had his reasons because he said, I think I'll bring it with me to give it to the Pope when I go do see him in two mopnths. Brother Olivier accepted the Bishop's verdict, so did the other brothers and even Mr. MacKay who was a good friend of Bishop Grouard's....Mr. Mackay did not say a word...
The Bishop probably thought that he could negotiate with Pope Leo XIII to obtain special favors for his poor diocese, this diocese which had offered the Pope what was so beautiful... In March, the Bishop met with the Pope...
The fox's pelt was shown and admired by nearly everyone in the Vatican, It went from one salon to another, to the Pope's private quarters, even to the museum, Furthermore it was in warm area and all seemed well. During this time, Brother Olivier continued to hunt and his confrères as well as Mr. MacKay hoped to have a second chance.
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