To help build a more sustainable wool industry in Canada, $150,000 is being invested to the Canadian Wool Council - a not-for-profit industry association that represents the wool sector in Canada. The Council aims to improve consumer awareness of the unique and beneficial qualities of Canadian wool and to develop opportunities for the fibre and the Canadians who transform it.
The funding is through the federal AgriMarketing program. The Council will conduct market research, promote trade, and export opportunities, connect the sector with global best practices and improve industry and consumer awareness through education and promotional activities.
Consumers are becoming more particular about where they shop and what they buy, creating new opportunities for natural, sustainable, and durable products. Developing Canada’s wool industry will provide consumers at home and in international markets with a greater variety of sustainably produced products.
“Today's investment from the Government of Canada demonstrates a commitment to developing the full potential of this natural fibre and improving the livelihoods of Canadians across the value-chain - from producer to consumer,” shares Matthew J. Rowe, Chief Executive Officer of the Canadian Wool Council and the Campaign for Wool – Canada.
Canadian wool is natural, renewable, and biodegradable. The Wool Council recently identified new and existing products in Canada’s carpet sector, which is valued at more than $367 million, with opportunities to grow Canada’s wool industry in international markets such as Europe, Australia, and Asia.
For instance, the Canadian Wool Council collaborates with Global Affairs Canada and Creative Matters Inc. to design Canadian wool carpets for Canadian embassies in Copenhagen, Denmark and Abidjan, Ivory Coast. It will be produced at a plant in Waterloo, Ontario.
“This investment will help position the Canadian Wool Council to take advantage of the significant opportunities in the Canadian wool industry,” says The Honourable Bardish Chagger, Member of Parliament for Waterloo.
“Through manufacturing happening at the carpet mill here in Waterloo, we are seeing how wool products offer sustainable options that are in demand in Canada and markets around the world.”