March/April 2025

46 – Purebred PIGEON Tribute to Peter Wollf March 26, 1935 – May 2, 2024 Founder of the English Trumpeter Club of Canada 1964 Peter Wollf was a very influential fancier in the English Trumpeter world for many years. He and I were both very interested in discovering what an English Trumpeter was really supposed to look like in the early 1960s. Fortunately Bob Nolan’s ad in the May 1963 American Pigeon Journal solved many of the riddles for us. Before long Peter and I founded the English Trumpeter Club of Canada – but let me be very clear, Peter Wollf was the main motivator in the formation of the club. He was the Secretary-Treasurer and bulletin editor. Peter was very gifted as an illustrator and artist. Soon his articles and sketch- es appeared in the American Pigeon Journal and the Western American Trumpeter Club bulletin. Peter had a very big heart for service in the English Trumpeter fancy. Let me illustrate this with the following account: In 1967 the Western American Trumpeter Club wanted Peter to judge their Pageant. The WATC was in poor finances and Peter, at that time, could not afford airfare. But Peter was working at Scott Fruit Company in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan where he lived. Trucks carrying fruit from California delivered their produce to Moose Jaw and Peter got to know several of the drivers. He asked about hitching a ride to California which was arranged. Peter had a very rough trip. Neither of the drivers would allow him to use the sleeper area at any time. If the two drivers were sitting in the two seats, Peter had to find some kind of spot and sit in an awkward position for hundreds of miles. Pe- ter took it in stride. (editor’s note: Moose Jaw to L.A. is 1670 miles!) Peter was a very good storyteller. Later, when he reviewed for me the very tight spaces and his cramped positions, we had a good laugh about it. The next year, I judged the Pageant and fortunately the Club had enough funds for my airfare. I could not have done what Peter did. Peter was very ingenious. After we formed the English Trumpeter Club of Canada, Peter slowly accumu- lated over 200 holes so we could have our own shows. He also had an ade- quate amount of judging cages. This was all at no cost to the club. Then he got a suitable trailer to haul all our cages – again at no charge to the club. I was amazed at how and where Peter got all the cages. In 1965, I moved from Winnipeg, Manitoba to Caronport, Saskatchewan. Moose Jaw, where Peter lived, was 15 miles from Caranport. We spent a lot of time together. He taught me how to build a pigeon loft. Before long, Peter moved to Caronport and became the local general store manager. Whatever Peter turned his hand to became more successful. He also had an ingenious knack for problem solving. Caronport was home to Biercrest Bible Col- lege and Caranport High School plus a local public elementary school. Management and Peter knew students were pilfering all sorts of candy bars from his store. Peter put an end to this. He rearranged the store with the canned goods strategically placed so he could see through small spaces and observe the candy counter and sales register. Of course, no one at the candy counter could see Peter. When a student stole something and left through the front door, Peter would quickly go out the back door and in no time catch up to the thief and say, “I think you have something in your pocket you did not pay for.” Then he would counsel the student on doing the right thing. It did not take long before word got around that you better not risk pilfer- ing any more candy. English Trumpeter breeders Peter Wollf and John Heppner Peter Wollf’s handmade trophies from 1969 - won by John Heppner