The uniqueness of the Montreal fur industry in an apparel sector adrift: the role of proximity

In spite of a crisis in the Montreal apparel industry, the fur sector in the province of Quebec has remained very dynamic. Concentrated in Montreal, in a centrally located and well-defined area known as the 'fur district', it reorganised and was able to retain its market share, particularly its share of the international market, while remaining Montreal-based and without relocating to another district. How does one explain the uniqueness of Montreal's fur industry – an industry whose innovative character is acknowledged by all the apparel stakeholders? The hypothesis of the present text is that the success of Montreal's fur industry stems from the introduction of a flexible yet aggressive form of governance with sector-specific, social and territorial characteristics.