NB Fibre Community Statistics

* Statistics Canada figures show there are 3,900 ewes, 2,100 lambs and 200 rams in New Brunswick as of Jan. 1, 2007. This puts the total mature sheep herd at 4,100 animals, and half again that number of young stock.

* A sheep can produce anywhere from 2 to 30 pounds (1 to 13.6 kg) of wool annually. That's anywhere from 20 to 260 50-gram balls of yarn. The average fleece is about 8 pounds, which works out to 72 50-gram balls of yarn.

* New Brunswick is home to approximately 75 companies employing 2,000 New Brunswickers in the clothing and textile industry. 47% of New Brunswick's textile and clothing industry now exports. -- (Source: Government of New Brunswick)

* New Brunswick companies manufacture products as varied as fully integrated operations, private label manufacturers, yarn spinning - state of the art open-end rotor and woolen systems, hosiery knitting, woven labels manufacturers, and broad woven fabric. (Source: Government of New Brunswick)

* The Canadian craft industry is worth $1 billion to the national economy annually, and employs 22,000.

* Some of New Brunswick's larger fibre-oriented businesses are:

Advanced Fabrics, Fredericton (Manufacturer of tarps, etc.)

Albert Draperies, Saint John

Andreanne International (Brunswick Sheets), Bouctouche

Atcan Display, Saint John (Flag manufacturer)

Atlantic Leather Products, Moncton

Atlantic Fine Yarns, Campbellton and Pokemouche

Caroflex, Beresford (Window blind manufacturer)

Coastal Graphics, Fredericton

Daigle Jackets, Baker Brook

Decorator's Mill, Douglas

Oak Bay Knittery, Oak Haven

Tarprite, Jacksonville (near Woodstock)

***

Canada's textile industry is its sixth largest, worth $6.4 billion in 2004. Nearly 45,000 Canadians were employed in the textile business in 2003, collecting $1.6 billion in wages and salaries. (Source: Canadian Textile Institute)

Canada's apparel industry, (the fifth largest in the nation and worth $6.5 billion in 2004) has many large and highly-sophisticated manufacturing companies, but small firms predominate the industry. Three-quarters of firms have less than 50 employees, and these firms account for one-third of all shipments. According to 2002 statistics, the industry has 94,850 employees, with annual salaries exceeding $2.3 billion. Shipments of wholesale apparel items totalled $7 billion, of which 40% were exported. The bulk of the domestic apparel industry (55% by value) is based in Quebec, while there are significant concentration of firms in Ontario, Manitoba, British Columbia. (Source: Canadian Apparel Federation)

The US textile industry is valued at $348 billion, and is the country's eleventh largest manufacturing contributor to the nation's GDP (Forbes magazine, May 23, 2005, issue)

Those who appreciate the soothing rhythms of knitting won't be surprised to hear how many people turned to this needleart for therapy following the horrific attacks in New York on Sept. 11, 2001. The Craft Yarn Council of America reports some retailers seeing a 300 per cent increase in sales since that fateful day. Perhaps it's the familiarity of this craft, and its reminder of a simpler time that has lead more people to pick up knitting needles.