As Wool Month 2022 drew near, The Campaign for Wool Canada and the Canadian Wool Council devised a way to showcase some of the inspiring people and projects in the country’s wool industry. The result was “The Fabric of Canada,” a series of short films, detailing the important and innovative work taking place among Canadian wool producers. International Wool Textile Organisation (IWTO) explores the film series, its stories, and its heroes.
The Projects And People That Drive Canada’s Wool Industry
Canada’s wool industry, like its counterparts all over the world, is driven by all kinds of people and a wide variety of concepts and projects. “The Fabric of Canada” highlights just a few of these, portraying an industry that is both well-established and traditional, and vibrant and innovative.
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The Knitters of Newfoundland & Labrador
“The Knitters of Newfoundland and Labrador focuses on an initiative based in St. Johns, the provincial capital. NONIA (Newfoundland Outport Nursing and Industrial Association) is a non-profit organisation that assists Newfoundland’s outport communities to access health services by raising money through the sale of hand-knit garments made by home-based knitters in the region. The proceeds of these sales go towards the salaries of public health nurses in the province. This film focuses on one NONIA knitter, Yvonne Sheppard, who has knitted all her life, and explains how her pastime has aided the community as well as kept her occupied through the good and bad times of her long life.
A Prairie Jubilee
In this film Rosemarie Péloquin, a fibre artist based in Manitoba, as she works to complete bust of Queen Elizabeth II, made entirely out of Canadian wool, as the monarch approaches her Platinum Jubilee. Rosemarie talks about how her work involves connections with people and organisations throughout the wool value chain, including local shepherds.
Coast Salish Weaving
Moving to British Columbia, this film focuses on the Coast Salish peoples, who weave traditional woollen blankets with great cultural and spiritual significance in the history of the region. Coast Salish weaving also forms a vital part of Canada’s wool industry as a whole. At the centre of the film is Chief Janice George’s efforts to revive this centuries-old tradition.
The 100-Mile Jacket
The hero in this film is a special blazer, the creation of which is a testament to the wool industry in and around the City of Toronto. The entire wool value chain that the film highlights, from farm to retail, exists within a 100-mile radius of Toronto.
Learn All You Need to Know About the International Wool Industry
You can watch the playlist of these videos here. For more information on the wool industry around the world, take a look at our fact sheets, statistics and guidelines.
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