The adorable alpaca has found its foothold in Ontario. Alpacas are new to Ontario and were only introduced to North America within the past 15 years. In October 2001 a small group of alpaca owners from Ontario got together with the idea of starting a provincial alpaca association and Alpaca Ontario was formed.
- “Alpaca Ontario represents the collective interests of Alpaca Owners and Breeders in Ontario to actively promote the awareness of the Alpaca and related fibre industry encourage through education the highest quality Alpaca husbandry and breeding practices and foster interaction among its members.”
At the national level Alpaca Canada was formed in January 2006.
- “Alpaca Canada represents the interests and evolving needs of Alpaca Canada members and promotes the development of a viable, sustainable and integrated Canadian alpaca industry.”
Canadian demand is primarily through a cottage industry of spinners, weavers and knitters who produce woven or knitted products. Consumer demand is expected to remain strong due to a trend towards high quality natural fibers.
The International Camelid Quarterly is a full color, high-quality, Camelid (Llama & Alpaca) specific magazine. The Camelid Quarterly (CQ) web site maintains a library of previously published articles, Calendar of Events, Camelid Classifieds, Camelid Herdsire Directory, Camelid Marketplace, Camelid Club and Association Directory, all on-line. www.llamas-alpacas.com
Registries
The original alpaca importers and owners had the foresight to establish registry controls involving blood typing and DNA testing. Those controls ensures that a potential buyer of a registered alpaca will get a quality animal capable of producing desirable fibre and, if bred to a quality stud, should produce offspring of a similarly high quality.
Canadian Lama and Alpaca Association (CLAA)
The Alpaca Registry Inc. (ARI)
Associations
Alpaca Owners and Breeders Association (AOBA)
Alpaca Canada
Alpaca Ontario
Breeders
The associations listed above all have member listings of alpaca owners and breeders.
Updated February 22, 2012