In 2012, Margaret Brook founded the Manitoba Fibre Festival with a vision to bring together farmers, fibre artists, natural dyers, and the broader community to celebrate Manitoba’s local textile industry. What began in a small community centre in St. Norbert has grown—thanks to her tireless work and unwavering passion—into a vibrant, weekend-long festival hosted at the Red River Exhibition grounds.

Under Margaret’s leadership, the Festival became much more than an event. It grew into a trusted gathering space offering hands-on workshops, a bustling vendor market, live animal displays, and interactive demonstrations. She built not only an event but a brand and a network that has become central to fibre arts and sustainable textiles in Manitoba.

The Manitoba Fibre Festival is not the only contribution Margaret has made to the Manitoba Fibre Community. She also co-raises a Shetland sheep flock in Eastern Manitoba and she has worked tirelessly to promote the Shetland breed and contribute to the sharing of resources, breeding stock and awareness of this important and beautiful sheep breed.

Margaret has generously shared resources, knowledge, coordination and breeding stock to other farmers throughout Western Canada and has developed the Manitoba Shetland Sheep Project to continue and expand this work.

Margaret has laid the foundation for a thriving fibre arts community rooted in education, celebration, and small-scale economic opportunity.

The Manitoba fibre arts landscape would not be what it is today without Margaret’s vision, leadership, and hard work. We are deeply grateful for all she has given.