The General Bean and Brand Felt have been named as co-winners of the inaugural Canadian Wool Innovation Prize.
Awarded by the Campaign for Wool Canada, the Canadian Wool Council and with support from the Worshipful Company of Woolmen, the $10,000 prize is awarded to an individual or private company that champions innovative uses of wool for commercial applications, demonstrating substantial quality and originality. Applications can include, but are not limited to: apparel, interior design, agriculture, horticulture, novel scientific applications, and other industrial uses.
This year’s winners will split the cash prize. They are:
Based on the north coast of British Columbia, The General Bean is a family-run business led by fibre artists Jamie Bowen and her husband Mike. Passionate about sustainability, local craftsmanship, and preserving fibre arts, they’ve created a unique line of needle felting kits made with Canadian wool. Each kit is designed and assembled in their studio, ensuring all production remains in Canada. The kits are available in small shops across North America and online.
Brand Felt is a fourth generation felt manufacturer based at Mississauga. Led by Jack Brand, the company has developed a one-piece, patented saddle pad called the “Unity Pad.” The contoured pad is crafted from wool felt and heroes’ wool over synthetic fibres. Designed and manufactured in Ontario, it combines innovative technology with Rambouillet wool from Alberta to create the F10 Ultra Unity Pad.
“The Canadian Wool Innovation Prize celebrates innovative, creative, and high-value uses of Canadian wool,” said Matthew Rowe, CEO, the Campaign for Wool Canada. “We are thrilled that in this first year, the prize has been awarded to two outstanding Canadian companies leading the way in innovation and high-value applications of Canadian wool.”
