In Upper Canada, sheep were popular because they are relatively easy to care for, grazing in pastures in the summer and eating hay in the winter. From sheep farmers could get, wool to create clothing and textiles, meat, and manure for crops. Sheep were also used in an informal barter economy, exchanged and used for credit.

In the mid-1860s people in Upper Canada were sheering sheep by hand in early spring. The wool was then processed manually or taken to be processed in a woollen mill. Wool yarn could be used to knit, weave, crochet, and used for rug hooking, among other uses.

Fabric made from flax and cotton were also commonly used in Upper Canada. Flax was a crop that could be grown and processed in Canada unlike cotton which needs warmer weather. Cotton fabric was imported from Great Britain.

Indigenous artisans today create textiles such as ceinture fléchées, bead, leather, and feather work, and weave materials such as wood splints for basket making. Skills that were also practised in the 1860s.

Schedule of Events 2026:

Discover how wool was transformed from fleece to finished fabric in 1860s Upper Canada during Fantastic Fibres & Terrific Textiles at Upper Canada Village. Start at Loucks Farm to watch sheep shearing by hand, just as rural families did each spring. Then follow the journey of wool through washing, carding, spinning, and weaving at the McDiarmid Home and Asselstine’s water‑powered Woollen Factory, where traditional handwork meets early industrial machinery. Learn how sheep supported farm life, not only for clothing, but also for food, trade, and soil health, and experience skills that were essential to everyday survival. From great‑wheel spinning to weaving and waulking, this engaging event brings historic textile traditions vividly to life for all ages.

Friday-Saturday 10:00am-3:00pm (Loucks Barn)

• Sheep Shearing: Watch how sheep are sheered by hand

---

Friday-Saturday 10:30am-5:00pm (Robertson House Yard)

• Artisans of Akwesasne brought to you by Rise Up Studios

---

Friday All Day (Loucks Barn Yard)

• Great Wheel Demonstration and Display on Horton Row. Also known as a walking wheel, spinners are required to walk while using this wheel.

---

Friday-Saturday All Day (McDiarmid House & Woollen Mill)

• Weaving & Spinning: Watch how wool was spun and woven by hand at McDiarmid House compared to the factory setting of the Woollen Mill.

---

Friday-Saturday All Day (Ross House & Dressmaker)

• Historic Textiles: Learn about quilting at Ross House and historic fashions and garment creation at the Dressmaker’s House

---

Friday-Saturday 10:00am-5:00pm (Physician’s Barn)

• Cavadelo- Flax Processing & Spinning: Discover how flax is processed to be turned into fabric

---

Friday-Saturday All Day (Ross Barn)

• Rug Hooking: Learn about the process of rug hooking

---

Friday-Saturday 10:00am-3:00pm (Ross Barn)

• Upper Canada Village Costume Department Display: Learn how our Historic Costume Specialists care for Village costumes

---

Saturday Only 11:00am, 1:00pm, 3:00pm (McDiarmid House)

• Waulking Demonstration: Watch the Twistle Guild of Glengarry as they finish fulling woollen cloth in a centuries old tradition, using Gaelic folksongs to set the pace.

---