Doug is the adventurer. Pearl is known for being lazy. Steve is the anxious one, who also rocks a mullet.
They’re just three of Josée Gautreau’s 15 llamas and alpacas at Llama-zing Adventures in Cap-Pelé, New Brunswick.
Despite their unique personalities, all of the animals love treats. And for nearly four years, they’ve earned extra snacks by walking with tourists.
“It’s pretty cool. I’ve never walked a llama before,” said Melissa Stevens, who was visiting the Moncton area because her daughter is playing the Canadian Ringette Championships.
Most people haven’t walked a llama. Which is why, Gautreau has learned, they’re willing pay to lead a llama on a leisurely walk through the woods along a river or beach at sunset.
Guests at Llama-zing Adventures in Cap-Pelé, N.B. walk llamas through the forest on April 12, 2024. (Sarah Plowman, CTV News)
About four years ago, it dawned on Gautreau that she could make a business out of the llama walks after she took alpacas to the beach, posted about it on social media, and others said they wanted to join.
Business has been booming since.
People book hikes, birthday parties and visits to seniors homes. Gautreau says the experience can be therapeutic.
“I think animals don’t judge you, they’re very calm. You can cuddle them. There’s no discrimination,” said Gautreau.
She's also says she’s noticed businesses like hers growing in popularity across the country. While she’s happy with the size of her operation now, she’s looking to offer more options.
“I’d like to get into doing a llama campground, so I’m doing some wood-cutting right now,” she said. “I’d also like to get into overnight backpacking trips with the llamas, so I’m building saddles right now for them.”
Testy exchanges between the prime minister and his chief opponent ended with the Opposition leader and one of his MPs being ejected from the House of Commons on Tuesday -- and the rest of Conservative caucus walking out of the chamber in protest.
A police chase which started with a liquor store robbery in Bowmanville Monday night ended in tragedy some 20 minutes later when a suspect fleeing police entered Highway 401 in the wrong direction and caused a pileup which killed an infant and the child's grandparents, as well as the suspect, investigators say.
Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland will be tabling yet another omnibus bill to pass a sweeping range of measures promised in her April 16 federal budget, though left out of the legislation will be the government's proposed capital gains tax change.
When an ambulance took David Lippert to the hospital in March of 2023, the 68-year-old Kitchener, Ont., executive was hoping to find out why he was feeling weak and unable to walk. Some 24 hours later, he was found unresponsive in the ER.
A man wielding a sword attacked members of the public and police officers in a northeast London suburb Tuesday, killing a 14-year-old boy and injuring four other people, British authorities said.
The name of the project has not been officially released although it’s widely believed to be the Netflix series FUBAR.
Hosting seven games in Vancouver during the 2026 FIFA World Cup could cost more than half a billion dollars, according to an updated estimate provided Tuesday.
Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe says his government 'will respond' to the Canada Revenue Agency when it concludes its audit of the province, but that his position is Saskatchewan doesn't owe Ottawa any money.
A B.C. judge has upheld the eviction of a family from their North Vancouver townhouse, finding that the landlords did not take an unreasonable amount of time to move into the home after the tenants vacated it.
Pro-Palestinian protesters who set up an encampment at the University of British Columbia campus in Vancouver have brought in food, water and other supplies to prepare for what may become a protracted stay.
A B.C. judge has upheld the eviction of a family from their North Vancouver townhouse, finding that the landlords did not take an unreasonable amount of time to move into the home after the tenants vacated it.
New data from Statistics Canada show that Nova Scotia's rates of poverty and food insecurity in 2022 were the highest of any province -- and the head of the province's largest network of food banks says things have only worsened since.
Toronto’s police chief is apologizing for comments he made in the wake of a not guilty verdict in the death of a police officer, while the city’s police service board chair called for cooler heads to prevail as the service wrestles with the fallout of the case.
The lawyers of an alleged serial killer in Winnipeg are questioning whether pre-trial publicity in the high-profile case may have influenced the jury’s decision-making ability, after a public poll commissioned by the defence found 81 per cent of respondents believe the accused is guilty.
Heavy, wet snow is causing problems Tuesday morning, including knocking out power for thousands of people.
Haiti's newly installed transitional council chose a little known former sports minister as the Caribbean country's prime minister Tuesday as part of its monumental task of trying to establish a stable new government amid stifling violence.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro said Tuesday that hundreds of thousands of pieces of ammunition have gone missing from two military bases in the South American country.
Former U.S. president Donald Trump says in a new interview it should be left to the states whether to prosecute women for abortions or whether to monitor women's pregnancies. He declined to comment on access to the abortion pill mifepristone, which has been embroiled in an intense legal battle.
House Democrats will vote to save Republican Speaker Mike Johnson’s job should some of his fellow Republican lawmakers seek to remove him from the position, Democratic leaders said Tuesday, likely assuring for now that Johnson will avoid being ousted from office like his predecessor, former Rep. Kevin McCarthy.
When interviewed about his plans after a shock electoral victory last fall, Argentina's President-elect Javier Milei gave his go-to answer in a blink: "To exterminate inflation."
Law enforcement officers with an arrest warrant demanded that a man come out of a house in North Carolina before four were killed by gunfire, the victims unable to survive shots coming from inside the dwelling, a witness and officials said Tuesday.
Testy exchanges between the prime minister and his chief opponent ended with the Opposition leader and one of his MPs being ejected from the House of Commons on Tuesday -- and the rest of Conservative caucus walking out of the chamber in protest.
Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe says his government 'will respond' to the Canada Revenue Agency when it concludes its audit of the province, but that his position is Saskatchewan doesn't owe Ottawa any money.
Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland will be tabling yet another omnibus bill to pass a sweeping range of measures promised in her April 16 federal budget, though left out of the legislation will be the government's proposed capital gains tax change.
When an ambulance took David Lippert to the hospital in March of 2023, the 68-year-old Kitchener, Ont., executive was hoping to find out why he was feeling weak and unable to walk. Some 24 hours later, he was found unresponsive in the ER.
A new study, building upon previous evidence, has found that among teens, vaping often may spike the risk of exposure to lead and uranium.
Researchers at Ottawa's CHEO Research Lab are calling for a national surveillance strategy on eating disorders in Canada, as new statistics show a rise in the social and economic costs associated with the issue in children and youth.
A wealthy Silicon Valley-backed campaign to build a green city for up to 400,000 people in the San Francisco Bay Area has submitted what it says are enough signatures to qualify the initiative for the November election.
Surmising even the physical appearance of a dinosaur - or any extinct animal - based on its fossils is a tricky proposition, with so many uncertainties involved. Assessing a dinosaur's intelligence, considering the innumerable factors contributing to that trait, is exponentially more difficult.
A northern Ontario beekeeper is sounding the alarm after discovering most of her bees had died earlier this year.
The name of the project has not been officially released although it’s widely believed to be the Netflix series FUBAR.
Rachel McAdams has been nominated for a Tony Award for best actress in a play for her Broadway debut, while Canadian choreographers Rick Kuperman and Jeff Kuperman earned a nod for their work on "The Outsiders."
Bob Geldof is diving into the archives to create a new version of 'Do They Know It's Christmas?' for its 40th anniversary this year.
London Drugs says it is working with third-party security experts as the company tries to reopen dozens of stores across Western Canada that were shuttered by a cybersecurity incident Sunday.
The Canadian economy lost momentum after a roaring start to the year, reinforcing economists' expectations that the Bank of Canada is on track to cut interest rates in the coming months.
The Trans Mountain pipeline expansion is complete and the Canada Energy Regulator has given the go-ahead for the project to open.
A lot of heterosexual male clients are coming into my practice admitting they picked their partner without considering sexual attraction.
Ten years after creating a new model for dating apps with its 'women make the first move' feature, Bumble is opening the door to men starting conversations on its platform.
Known for a number of scenic photo spots that offer a near-perfect shot of Japan's iconic Mount Fuji, the town of Fujikawaguchiko on Tuesday began constructing a large black screen on a stretch of a sidewalk to block the view of the mountain. The reason: misbehaving foreign tourists.
Hosting seven games in Vancouver during the 2026 FIFA World Cup could cost more than half a billion dollars, according to an updated estimate provided Tuesday.
Auston Matthews made a brief appearance on the TD Garden ice Tuesday.
Rick Tocchet was tight-lipped about who will be in net for the Vancouver Canucks when they look for a series win against the Nashville Predators Tuesday.
Rolls-Royce is vastly expanding its factory in Chichester, England. The BMW subsidiary is adding five new buildings with construction planned to start next year.
On a three-lane test track along the Monongahela River, an 18-wheel tractor-trailer rounded a curve. No one was on board.
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
A police officer on Montreal's South Shore anonymously donated a kidney that wound up drastically changing the life of a schoolteacher living on dialysis.
Since 1932, Montreal's Henri Henri has been filled to the brim with every possible kind of hat, from newsboy caps to feathered fedoras.
Police in Oak Bay, B.C., had to close a stretch of road Sunday to help an elephant seal named Emerson get safely back into the water.
Out of more than 9,000 entries from over 2,000 breweries in 50 countries, a handful of B.C. brews landed on the podium at the World Beer Cup this week.
Raneem, 10, lives with a neurological condition and liver disease and needs Cholbam, a medication, for a longer and healthier life.
The lawyer for a residential school survivor leading a proposed class-action defamation lawsuit against the Catholic Church over residential schools says the court action is a last resort.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
A property tax bill is perplexing a small townhouse community in Fergus, Ont.
When identical twin sisters Kim and Michelle Krezonoski were invited to compete against some of the world’s most elite female runners at last week’s Boston Marathon, they were in disbelief.
B.C.'s police watchdog wants a review of how prosecutors handle cases where officers kill or seriously harm members of the public, saying low rates of charges and convictions are casting doubt on the province's system of accountability.
The suspect arrested Monday in connection to last week's fatal stabbing near White Rock Pier has been charged, but not with murder.
Hosting seven games in Vancouver during the 2026 FIFA World Cup could cost more than half a billion dollars, according to an updated estimate provided Tuesday.
A police chase which started with a liquor store robbery in Bowmanville Monday night ended in tragedy some 20 minutes later when a suspect fleeing police entered Highway 401 in the wrong direction and caused a pileup which killed an infant and the child's grandparents, as well as the suspect, investigators say.
The University of Toronto has put up new fencing along part of its downtown campus and is warning students that encampments on its grounds will not be tolerated following protests in the U.S. and in Canada demanding educational institutions divest from companies with military ties to Israel.
A cyclist is dead after they were struck by the driver of a vehicle in Toronto’s Yorkville neighborhood Tuesday afternoon.
A program providing low-income Calgarians and Edmontonians a financial break on their monthly transit passes is losing millions of dollars in annual support from the provincial government, city councillors confirmed Tuesday.
A Calgary-based technology security expert is raising concerns about the potential breach of personal data in a cyber security incident that forced London Drugs to close its doors.
Police have closed three Calgary massage parlours after a year-long investigation uncovered alleged links to human trafficking.
A boycott targeting Loblaw-owned stores is gaining momentum online, with thousands of shoppers taking their money elsewhere for the month of May.
Ontario Provincial Police are at the scene of a fatal collision on Highway 417 near Limoges, east of Ottawa.
Terry Sutherland is trying to sell his home in Tweed, Ont., but he'll likely be hit by the capital gains tax rise.
McGill University says it has 'requested police assistance' about the pro-Palestinian encampment on its lower field.
Transit riders, take note: the Montreal-area regional transit authority, the ARTM, is changing its fare structure on July 1. Prices are going up by an average of 3 per cent.
Pro-Palestinian activists have set up protest camps at McGill and a small number of other Canadian universities, following a wave of action seen at U.S. campuses.
The Edmonton Public School Board has voted in favour of reintroducing School Resource Officers (SROs).
As municipal politicians in Alberta continue to question the need for a bill giving the province more powers over local governments, an Edmonton group has established a party it says will run candidates in next year's city elections.
Edmonton police are looking for a man they say is a person of interest in the Hangar 11 suspicious fire.
Residents in the area of Gaston Road in Dartmouth, N.S., were asked to shelter in place Tuesday morning as police searched for an armed suspect.
Halifax’s approved encampment sites are overflowing, putting pressure on the city to open more.
April 30 was the deadline for tobacco manufactures to ensure every king-size cigarette produced has the new health warnings and soon, regular-size cigarettes will follow suit.
Cheryl-Lee Spence and her children have been displaced by flooding on Peguis First Nation multiple times.
Winnipeg police were kept busy this week responding to a string of incidents involving knives and a hatchet.
The lawyers of an alleged serial killer in Winnipeg are questioning whether pre-trial publicity in the high-profile case may have influenced the jury’s decision-making ability, after a public poll commissioned by the defence found 81 per cent of respondents believe the accused is guilty.
Regina police say eight people were arrested in an incident that involved an officer being inadvertently shot by another officer’s gun last week.
As Regina’s construction season officially kicks off for 2024 – here’s where residents can expect to see crews and traffic restrictions this summer.
Regina's monthly board of police commissioners meeting was held Tuesday – where the board delved into the community perception of the Regina Police Service (RPS).
A man was airlifted to a trauma centre Tuesday after a shooting in Kitchener.
The name of the project has not been officially released although it’s widely believed to be the Netflix series FUBAR.
What’s behind booming interest in the bum-cleaning device?
On Wednesday, Saskatoon police begin a search for the remains of Mackenzie Lee Trottier in the city's landfill. CTV News will be on site at 42 Valley Road Wednesday morning as Staff Sgt. Corey Lenius from the major crimes section provides more details.
The Saskatoon Police Service’s serious assault unit is investigating stabbings that sent three people to hospital Tuesday morning.
A Saskatoon business is encouraging customers to pay with cash instead of a credit card to help fight inflation.
Testy exchanges between the prime minister and his chief opponent ended with the Opposition leader and one of his MPs being ejected from the House of Commons on Tuesday -- and the rest of Conservative caucus walking out of the chamber in protest.
Black River-Matheson no longer has a sitting town council, after it failed to meet for more than 60 days due to lack of attendance.
A police chase which started with a liquor store robbery in Bowmanville Monday night ended in tragedy some 20 minutes later when a suspect fleeing police entered Highway 401 in the wrong direction and caused a pileup which killed an infant and the child's grandparents, as well as the suspect, investigators say.
Beginning Wednesday, road closures will take place along part of the Dundas corridor and last through the summer, as crews complete carry-over work on phase two of the East London Link for the bus rapid transit project.
OPP and the Ministry of Labour are investigating after a 25-year-old individual sustained life-threatening injuries during a construction accident in Lucan Biddulph.
Another witness who cannot be identified has testified about the disturbing abuse they suffered at the hands of their mother and father.
Nearly a year to the day Joshua Wheatley was caught on camera running a man over in an apparent road rage incident, the 22-year-old has been given a conditional sentence for six months, including partial house arrest with a curfew.
Search teams have recovered the body of a missing man who disappeared on Friday afternoon while on Lake St. George in Severn Township.
An assassin game turns into a dangerous reality for police who respond to two reports of teens allegedly carrying firearms in broad daylight.
A 19-year-old University of Windsor student is being remembered as an energetic and charismatic soul following a fatal two-vehicle collision over the weekend.
Neighbours of 700 Wellington Ave. aren’t vehemently opposed to the new site of the Homelessness and Housing Help Hub (H4).
A downtown Windsor intersection remains closed to traffic after a large sinkhole developed Monday evening. And while there’s no threat to public safety, it will be a few days before the issue is fixed and the road reopens, officials said.
Floatplane operator Harbour Air will offer direct flights this summer from downtown Vancouver to Butchart Gardens on Vancouver Island, landing its seaplanes in a remote cove behind the historic horticultural attraction.
B.C.'s police watchdog wants a review of how prosecutors handle cases where officers kill or seriously harm members of the public, saying low rates of charges and convictions are casting doubt on the province's system of accountability.
Hosting seven games in Vancouver during the 2026 FIFA World Cup could cost more than half a billion dollars, according to an updated estimate provided Tuesday.
Out of more than 9,000 entries from over 2,000 breweries in 50 countries, a handful of B.C. brews landed on the podium at the World Beer Cup this week.
An emaciated dachshund is now recovering thanks to a Good Samaritan who found the pup near a biking trail in Kelowna, according to the BC SPCA.
Search and rescue crews have been called in after a vehicle belonging to a missing senior was located near a rural intersection outside of Kelowna Tuesday.
The rail line from Lethbridge to Coutts is used solely for freight trains, but a new feasibility study done by Integrated Travel Research and Development looks at the potential of adding a passenger train.
Police are releasing more details about the kidnapping and robbery of a senior in Lethbridge, which included a strange request for spices, in hopes of identifying a suspect.
Thousands of people dressed as dinosaurs descended on Drumheller, Alta., on Saturday.
A group of Sault Ste. Marie YMCA supporters working to save the facility from closure received a glimmer of hope at this week’s city council meeting.
Another incident at Algoma Steel has union officials questioning safety protocols at Sault Ste. Marie’s steel plant.
The Ontario government is spending $45 million in the next three years to improve access and funding for the northern travel grant.
Tributes continue to pour in for Bob Cole as his family has confirmed a funeral will be held for the legendary broadcaster Friday in St. John's, N.L.
Legendary sportscaster Bob Cole was a Newfoundlander through and through, and his daughter says his connection to the province was 'everything' to him.
Cenovus Energy has been ordered to pay a $2.5-million fine for its role in the largest offshore oil spill ever recorded in Newfoundland and Labrador.
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