Host: Leah Gerber

These days, most Canadians source their sweaters, socks, hats, mitts, blankets, and all the other things we use yarn and cloth for, from abroad. The textile industry was once a major part of Waterloo Region and across Canada, but it’s been globalized away. For many farmers, selling their fleece isn’t worth the cost of transporting it, so much of Canada’s fleece is thrown away or burned. 

But, there is a small contingent of people in Ontario joining in a movement to make their living in a local textile industry. This includes raising sheep or other fibre-bearing animals, processing their fleece, and selling new products.

Radio Waterloo spoke with Romy Schill, Lindsay Webber and Donna Hancock, all women who keep fibre animals and have blazed new trails to make products from Canadian wool.