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........................................................................................................................................................Now in Mahone Bay Nova Scotia.

Tuesday, October 24, 2006

IN THE NEWS

www.tiac-aitc.ca
Tourism Industry Association of Canada

PRESS RELEASE

National awards recognize tourism excellence
Fourteen organizations and individuals from across Canada—recipients of the 2006 TIAC National Awards for Tourism Excellence presented by The Globe and Mail—have been recognized for their outstanding contributions to the Canadian tourism industry:

AIR CANADA BUSINESS OF THE YEAR AWARD – SINGLE-UNIT
Oak Hammock Marsh Interpretive Centre (Interlake, Manitoba)
APR MEDIA LTD. BUSINESS OF THE YEAR AWARD – MULTIPLE-UNIT
Niagara Parks Commission (Niagara Falls, Ontario)
THE BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT BANK OF CANADA NEW BUSINESS OF THE YEAR AWARD
London-Wul Fibre Arts (Lakeburn, N.B.)
AIR MILES® REWARD PROGRAM INNOVATOR OF THE YEAR AWARD
Ottawa Tourism (Ottawa, Ontario)
STARWOOD HOTELS AND RESORTS WORLDWIDE INC. CORPORATE PARTNER OF THE YEAR
AWARD
Canada AM
THE GLOBE AND MAIL TRAVEL MEDIA AWARD
Travelscope (California, USA)
VIA RAIL CANADA VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR AWARD
Mary Majka (Mary’s Point, N.B.)
FAIRMONT HOTELS & RESORTS MARKETING CAMPAIGN OF THE YEAR AWARD
Art Gallery of Ontario (Toronto, Ontario)
METRO TORONTO CONVENTION CENTRE EVENT OF THE YEAR AWARD
Rock the Fort 2005 (Fort William Historical Park, Ontario)
CTHRC AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN HUMAN RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT – SINGLE-UNIT BUSINESS
The Great George (Charlottetown, P.E.I.)
CTHRC AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN HUMAN RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT – MULTIPLE-UNIT BUSINESS
Delta Barrington and Delta Halifax (Halifax, N.S.)
DELTA HOTELS LIMITED EMPLOYEE OF THE YEAR AWARD
Andreas Haun, Kingsbrae Garden (St. Andrews, N.B.)

PARKS CANADA SUSTAINABLE TOURISM AWARD
Bay of FundyTourism Partnership (New Brunswick and Nova Scotia)

CANADIAN TRAVEL PRESS LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Hans Gmoser

The awards were presented yesterday evening at a gala dinner during Canada’s Tourism Leadership Summit 2006 at the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge in Jasper, Alberta.
The TIAC National Awards for Tourism Excellence presented by The Globe and Mail were developed in 2003 by the Tourism Industry Association of Canada, the national private-sector advocate for Canada’s $62.7billion tourism industry.

...back to the London-Wul homepage: www.thewoolworks.com

Sunday, October 22, 2006

ON LONDON-WUL AND LIFE

Well, here I am back from the NS Rug Hookers AGM where I gave a wee talk at their luncheon.
It went just like this...


When first asked to speak with you today I was at odds as to what I might impart on such an established body of craftspeople who gracefully respect tradition, technique and training.

As an artist I am essentially self-taught and heedless to technicalities. Some might say sensitive yet rough.

As a business woman I am essentially self-taught, heedless to conformity. Some might say idealistic yet persistent.

And so, what I’m left with, perhaps the thing that I am most honestly able to speak about is following your instinct, being true to your heart and breaking the rules from time to time.

For better and for worse this abandon has been my experience. It permeates my art, my animal care practices, my business, my life.

My background is in animal science, moreover in animal care. I came to the profession with the sincerity and devotion that youth has to offer. I quickly learned that passion and protocol are not necessarily a good marriage and on occasion, many occasions if the truth be known, I opted to follow my passion and break the rules.

The resulting conflict between a heartfelt dedication and a rigid corporate framework led me to the creation of London-Wul Fibre Arts
.... and for that I am thankful.

London-Wul is a business that intimately exposes a passion for community, art, animals and land. It is home to my own studio, a hand spinning museum, a gallery featuring Atlantic Canadian fibre artists, a retail fibre arts supply shop and a no-kill fibre farm.

In June 2005 I celebrated London-Wul’s newly developed Fibre Art Gallery with a hooked rug exhibition featuring the accomplished Doris Eaton.

An opening address was delivered by Deanne Fitzpatrick. The event was hugely attended and with these two strong and compelling artists in our presence I felt as though London-Wul had truly come to fruition.

In July 2005 London-Wul was named Canada’s Economusee (translated Artisans at work); interpretive centre of Hand spinning.

For the year 2005 and in this year 2006 London-Wul has been named one of Canada’s top emerging businesses in the tourism industry. London-Wul has welcomed visitors from all corners of the world to see first hand the preservation of a traditional trade.

The transition from security to the unknown was not a seamless one. There was hesitation and second guessing to be sure.

There were frantic computer breakdowns, late night lambings, mail orders gone missing, accounting woes, and no time for art.

I have, however, been very fortunate in my ignorance. In the not knowing of it all I was able to proceed as though this must normal. In the not knowing I began to create London-Wul.
And in the creation people began to respond.

London-Wul became its’ own being. It stood on its’ own. It fostered its’ own community. It followed its own path. Each person who embraced it did so from their own vantage.
It became my most accomplished work to date as it allowed me to continue to create.
It allowed me to view fibre art in the same light, to make art through intuition, trial and error, tradition and abandon, failure and successes.

London-Wul has taught me that sometimes less is more and that from play evolves great work.

I learned that a plan is only a suggestion as to the outcome.

I learned to cherish my hands, to care for them and protect them so that they may pull loop after loop and form stitch after stitch.

London-Wul taught me to respect my body for the physical work that it’s capable of.

I learned always to trust a Border Collies instinct and that the very best fleece has a name and character attached.

I learned that a circle of craftspeople who honor and inspire one another is far greater than the sum of its parts.

I learned that the best dye pots do not involve measurement and that Goldenrod is only a weed if you don’t appreciate the rich golden green wool that it affords.

I learned that great strength comes from admitting to weakness and you need only to be true to yourself in your art.

I learned that that teaching is one of the greatest gifts a person can give.

I learned that a person’s best work comes from the heart and is led by intuition.

….and all of this through one simple leap of faith.

One leap of faith, be it shifting your entire career path or ordering the intriguingly unknown entrée while at dinner tonight. One leap of faith big or small can lead to the most joyfully unexpected.

One of the pieces that I brought with me today is the first hooked rug that I ever produced. It was designed in the memory of my dog Farmer who is no longer. As I worked on it I was pained by the loss of a dear friend and at the same time thankful for every minute I was able to spend in its making.

Live in your work, love your work and when faced, in your work, with a leap of faith .... don’t hesitate.


Thank you.



...back to the London-Wul Homepage: www.thewoolworks.com

Saturday, October 21, 2006

WHILE I WAS OUT

In answer to my recent blogging reprieve I must say that I have been working through a long suffering cold these past weeks. Enough of that...better now.
I'm off to Fredericton today to speak at the NS Rug Hooking Association AGM luncheon.
...... more to tell as soon as I return.

....back to the London-Wul Homepage: www.thewoolworks.com

Friday, October 06, 2006

SAFE SEX


Last month I sheared the Angora goats leaving long flowing beards on the boys and soft smooth chins on the girls. A good looking group if I do say so myself. Recently I was asked how it is that we operate a no-kill farm. Is it really possible? It occurs to me that this is a very good question with a very simple answer. All of the Rams and Bucks at London-Wul have been altered/castrated/neutered - take your pick. When we wish to add to the farm we purchase pregnant ewes in the Fall so that they can give birth the following spring and settle their family into the fold at that time. Alternately, we have purchased several young animals, already weaned. As we process all of the fibre that we produce plus some, all of the animals living here are contributing members of the farm - simple.

back to the London-Wul Homepage: www.thewoolworks.com
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