'A miracle fibre': Shearing season kicks off local wool harvest

Thousands of sheep across Ontario are being prepped for their annual haircut, as spring marks the unofficial start of shearing season.

On Friday, Chassagne Farm in Puslinch collected around 360 pounds of wool from about 90 sheep. The farm was also hosting Campaign for Wool in Canada, a non-profit organization dedicated to the education and promotion of the wool industry.

“Wool is a miracle fibre. It’s natural, renewable, and biodegradable,” explained Matthew Rowe, the CEO for Campaign for Wool in Canada. “You can use it to make everything from clothing, to carpets, to upholstery.”

The annual Shearing Day event brought the organization’s partners from the wool industry to Puslinch for an inside look at this year’s harvest.

“It’s an art to take off the fleece in one whole pelt,” Chassagne Farm owner Carole Precious told CTV News.

Spectators watched the shearing process and took part in cleaning and collecting the wool.

“It’s incredibly important to see what goes into making these products from start to finish,” added Paulina Marcinkowski, a supporter of Campaign for Wool in Canada.

The non-profit said the event offers a unique perspective on how some of their favourite products are made.

“I think most people don’t really know where their clothes come from so this is a chance to come right to the source,” Rowe said.

According to Campaign for Wool, Canada produces three million pounds of wool per year, with southern Ontario housing more sheep than any other part of the country. Despite the large supply, the group said one of its biggest challenges is keeping the wool here in Canada.

“We were only keeping about 10 per cent of our clip in the country, and about 90 per cent was being sold off on commodities markets,” Rowe explained. “What we want to do is deliver more value to the farmer and have more of that wool stay here as 100 per cent Canadian wool product.”

Precious said the sheep at Chassagne Farm supply around four pounds of wool and the best fleeces will be made available to local spinners looking to turn the wool into yarn.

“It’s just getting a haircut. They just sort of sit there,” Rowe said. “It’s about health and safety too. It’s all part of keeping the sheep safe and happy and healthy.”

The sheep at Chassagne Farm won’t be sheared again until next spring.