Photo of John "Jack" Lister Westman in the winter of 1949-50, standing in the minkyard. Jack operated a successful mink operation out of three sheds behind his home in Tollendal along with his life Fran for many years. The business expanded to three sheds in 1949. Jack and his wife Fran worked this labour-intensive job of feeding, breeding, harvesting, and selling minks. They were able to pelt approximately one thousand mink per year, with larges ranches being able to reach around 2,800 per year. A bout of distemper among the mink hit the Westman farm particularly hard, but even after a vaccine had been developed it was costly and difficult to inoculate each mink. The property pictured is located on what is now known as Cox Mill Road. This photo was given to Bill Warnica by Jack Westman's daughters Beverly, Janet, and Valerie. Jack passed away on 16 January 1987 at Barrie's Royal Victoria Hospital, and wife Fran passed in Midland in February 2001.
