GUELPH/ERAMOSA – A pair of alpacas from All In Alpacas were selected as this year’s Royal Winter Fair ambassadors and in turn embarked on a journey no other alpaca has been on.
The Royal Agricultural Winter Fair took place at Exhibition Place in Toronto from Nov. 1 to 10.
Dawson and Pacey were selected as this year’s fair ambassadors following an announcement from the United Nations declaring 2024 as the “international year of the camelids,” the family to which alpacas belong.
This announcement was one of many reasons the fair’s board selected the animals as their official fair ambassadors.
“Originally when we were chosen, they wanted one ambassador as in previous years,” said All In Alpacas owner Lindsay Stoltz. “However, alpacas are herd animals and do not thrive alone.”
Stoltz told the Advertiser Dawson and Pacey are half-brothers and were born on the All In Alpacas farm in 2023.
Stoltz and her husband named the pair after characters on the popular television series Dawson’s Creek.
“They are currently 15 and 16 months old,” said Stoltz.
“Dawson is modest and humble, whereas Pacey likes to stand out from the crowd.”
Pacey, left, and Dawson, right, took in the view from the CN Tower viewing floor. Photo by Mackenzie Clark
There were no crowd shortages for Dawson and Pacey as the alpacas traversed the city landscape during a 10-day event, including a ride on the GO train and a look down on the city from the CN Tower’s glass floor.
“They have now gone where no alpaca has gone before,” Stoltz told the Advertiser.
“We spent several days in Toronto, which was very different from our quiet country life.
“The daily commuters on the GO train on Oct. 30 had no idea that they would be joined by two alpacas. Everyone wanted to get up close to them and feel them.
“We rode from Scarborough GO to Union Station and then walked the boys out to Front Street right across from the Royal York.
“We even took them to the CN tower and went up the elevator to the viewing area as well as the glass floor.”
Dawson and Pacey have since returned to their quiet country life in Guelph/Eramosa.
However, evidence of their travels can be found on the Instagram page, @allinalpacas as well as their Facebook page.
