Felt across Alberta: A family business made their mark on the west with hand-painted memorabilia

Percy grew up there and eventually went to work for Hahn and Wright, who were in the men’s clothing business. Their store was known as The Boys Shop and catered to the high-end of Edmonton society in the first half of the 20th century. Percy excelled at the trade and soon became “the person to see” if you wanted a top-line suit in Edmonton.

As much as he enjoyed his success at The Boys Shop, Percy had quite a bit of artistic talent, and in his spare time he would create hand-painted T-shirts and felt crests for sweaters and jackets, which he would give to friends or sell to customers. He did so well at this side business that he eventually opened up a shop in his home at 8851 95 Street. This was the beginning of Percy’s Felties.

Percy could not keep up with the demand—especially for his hand-painted T-shirts. His friend Harold Mackie suggested that Percy ask a girl, Gladys Peterson, who worked with Harold at Alberta Government Telephones, for help. Gladys had moved to Edmonton from the United States and had trained as an artist. She was quite familiar with oil painting shirts. The business proposition quickly turned into a marriage proposal, and not too long after, Wayne Sollitt was born, followed a few years later by Bud and eventually Judith. 

In 1939, Percy purchased a place nearby and renovated it to fit the needs of a growing family and business. “I was gradually becoming more and more involved, and when I was in high school, my dad created a painting of a mallard in flight which I made into a silk screen. It won first prize at the Edmonton Exhibition,’’ says Percy’s son Wayne, who shared his parents’ artistic ability.

When Wayne graduated from high school, he moved into the business full time. Hand-stitched felt crests were still a big part of the business, but silk-screened T-shirts and pennants as souvenirs became a growing part of their trade.

Business really boomed during the Alaska Highway construction. The workers wanted something to remind them of their northern experience. A very popular design was a standing bear with his paw on a sign post for Dawson, Mayo, Norman Wells or wherever they were working. “We also had hundreds of customers right in Edmonton, including a lot of sports teams, schools, the University of Alberta, Henry Singer, Alberta Glass, Vermilion Junior Bobcats, Calgary Petroleum Engineers and many, many others,’’ says Wayne.

By 1950, the home business was employing eight workers. “Even our cleaning lady, who was quite a seamstress, became involved,” says Wayne. “We had a large room upstairs for production, and most of the silk screening was done in the garage.”

The business continued to expand, and it was soon up to 16 employees. Eventually, Wayne opened a three-bay shop at the corner of Whyte Avenue and 75 Street. The home-grown business could hardly keep up with the demand. 

“A couple of other firms were making crests for team jackets, but we basically had the souvenir business to ourselves,’’ remembers Wayne. “We were going full out. Then, when Dad turned 65, it was decided that I would take over the business, with Dad only doing sales trips.”

But the following year, in 1966, Percy had a stroke and died. It was time for the family to reconsider their lifestyle. Wayne said that “the feltie business left little time for anything else, especially raising kids and spending time with my wife.”

After a fire destroyed much of the Percy’s Felties operation in 1967, Wayne began to think about his lifelong dream to be a fisherman. A 1970 trip to Salt Spring Island reinforced his desire to move to the west coast. 

Wayne sold the business in Edmonton and moved to British Columbia to begin his second and third careers as a bed and breakfast owner and a salmon fisherman. Wayne continued that profession with three different gill netters for more than 20 years. The name of one of his boats? The Bonnie Doon.