Mr. John R. Kerr

Photograph of John R. Kerr, who was a Mason.  John R. Kerr was born in Elgin, Ontario in 1871 and came to The Pas in 1913 as a raw fur buyer.  Most of his winter months he spent traveling on the Hudson Bay Railway and to Prince Albert.  He spent his summers at Cormorant and built a cottage there in 1916.  During this time he purchased large quantities of fur chiefly from traders and dealers. As a side line he built up or originated a large turnover in Indian handicrafts and artifacts in connection with his business, which became known as J.R. Kerr Co. He died at the age of 64 in 1935.  His son Fred carried on the business until his retirement in 1970.