Burning of the Brand, Canadian alpaca fibers on full display at Agribition
Burning of the Brand, Canadian alpaca fibers on full display at Agribition
The Burning of the Brand marked the return of Canadian Western Agribition in Regina on Monday morning.
The week-long event will feature events for all ages and is located throughout REAL District.
CEO Shaun Kindopp said the atmosphere surrounding this year’s expo can’t be compared to previous years.
“The atmosphere around here is infectious,” Kindopp said. “We are excited to be back again, Mother Nature did not want to cooperate with us, but if there is one group of people that are going to be resilient it is the people of Saskatchewan.”
Among the many activities is one called alpaca fleece judging, where alpaca fibers from all over the country are submitted and judged on their look and quality.
Kelsey Kaban owns a livestock farm in Esterhazy and has owned alpacas since 2017.
Alpacas are seen in this image. (LukeSimard/CTVNews)
She said owning the animals have many benefits.
“We sell stuff like socks, mitts and stuff like that and it's five times warmer than sheep's wool,” Kaban explained. “It actually doesn't have the allergens in it that sheep wool does so it doesn't have that itchy scratchy feeling that you'll get from sheep's wool.”
Kaban also said the wool is highly sought after and sustainable as the fiber grows back every year.
“The nice thing about them [alpacas] is they'll continue to do that throughout their lifespan, so we don't have to worry about retiring them out or anything like that,” Kaban said. “When they get older, we can still make product.”
Amanda VandenBosch has been judging alpaca fibers for over 30 years.
On an international scale, she said Canadian breeders produce a high quality.
“When we travel across the world, obviously there's lots of different regions, there's lots of different bloodlines, but breeders here in Canada have been really doing an excellent job of selecting the traits that are really valuable production traits,” VandenBosch said.
Alpaca fibre also has water-wicking abilities and is flame resistant.
Alpaca fleece is quickly gaining popularity. (LukeSimard/CTVNews)
The fibre can also be worn in cold and warm climates making it a marketable product in North America, South America and Europe.
Breeders are paying attention to those qualities that make the fiber so now you are starting to see a lot more alpaca and alpaca products on the market,” VandenBosch said.
Kaban and VandenBosch credit Canadian Western Agribition for being part of the reason alpaca fiber is becoming more popular.
The federal government is seeking to delay the extension of assisted dying eligibility to people whose sole condition is a mental disorder until March 17, 2024. Justice Minister David Lametti introduced a bill seeking the extension in the House of Commons on Thursday.
A gay man is taking the federal government to court, challenging the constitutionality of a policy restricting gay and bisexual men from donating to sperm banks in Canada, CTV News has learned.
Will we see six more weeks of winter, or an early spring? Here’s what some of the groundhogs (and one human) have predicted so far, from coast-to-coast.
Nestle Canada says it is winding down its frozen meals and pizza business in Canada over the next six months. The four brands that will no longer be sold in the freezer aisle at Canadian grocery stores are Delissio, Stouffer's, Lean Cuisine and Life Cuisine.
The United States has answered President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's plea for rockets that can strike deep behind the front lines of the nearly year-long conflict with Russia. Now Russian forces will need to adapt or face potentially catastrophic losses.
Australia is removing the monarchy from its bank notes. The nation's new $5 bill will feature an Indigenous design rather than an image of King Charles III. But the king is still expected to appear on coins that currently bear the image of the late Queen Elizabeth II.
The organization regulating medical care and services in Manitoba is apologizing for racism directed towards Indigenous people when accessing health care in the province.
A Quebec woman said she was very surprised to find her stolen Audi had been used in what’s being described as an “absolutely insane” Ontario mall robbery.
A former professional hockey player well-known for dropping the gloves is trying his hand at acting and will star in another season of the Canadian sitcom Shoresy.
The organization regulating medical care and services in Manitoba is apologizing for racism directed towards Indigenous people when accessing health care in the province.
Calgary's Scotiabank Saddledome was packed to the rafters with fans eager to take a look at Canadian phenom Connor Bedard and the 17-year-old did not fail to impress.
Athabasca University's board of governors has replaced the president who resisted the government's demand to double the distance-learning school's number of employees who live in Athabasca.
A large crowd of around 700 students, faculty members and Lethbridge residents came out on Wednesday to protest a planned speech by Frances Widdowson at the University of Lethbridge that didn't take place.
Ontario has released a new 'connected' and 'convenient' health-care plan aimed at shortening wait times and localizing access to care across the province.
Three Richmond Hill residents have been arrested after police seized $500,000 in fake gift cards from a “sophisticated forgery lab” while searching multiple local properties last month.
A polar vortex is descending over Ontario this week and some of the coldest weather is still to come. Wind chills will also reach dangerous levels, increasing the risk of frostbite.
Ottawa ranks 45th out of 62 cities across Canada and the United States in a study on downtown recovery, with activity levels at 51 per cent of pre-pandemic levels.
B.C.'s Ministry of Health is continuing its multi-year trend of paying millions more dollars each year to private surgical centres for the delivery of public health care, CTV News has learned.
The over-representation of Indigenous people in Canada's justice system and the number of deaths of Indigenous people at the hands of police has the vice-chief of national Indigenous organization up in arms.
The next few nights are expected to be frigid in Montreal, with wind chill factors dropping to -30. In order to prevent anyone experiencing homelessness from ending up outdoors, the City of Montreal is announcing the opening of two emergency shelters.
A Quebec woman said she was very surprised to find her stolen Audi had been used in what’s being described as an “absolutely insane” Ontario mall robbery.
A pair of provincial parks are being considered in the B.C. government's treaty negotiations with the T’Sou-ke and Songhees nations on Vancouver Island.
A homicide investigation is underway on Quadra Island, B.C., after a 39-year old woman was found dead in what investigators believe was a targeted killing.
On the day that Shubenacadie Sam predicted six more weeks of winter, there are warnings and statements cautioning that the coldest air of the season is about to arrive in the Maritimes.
Highway 11 in northern Ontario is closed Thursday morning from Highway 66 near Kenogami Lake to Matheson after a collision involving several vehicles, police say.
Wiarton Willie made his prediction his spring prediction Thursday morning at 8:07 a.m. The groundhog did not see his shadow, meaning we could get an early spring.
Alpacas are seen in this image. (LukeSimard/CTVNews) 
Alpaca fleece is quickly gaining popularity. (LukeSimard/CTVNews)
