The boys in the barn
Busy Niagara thoroughfare home to Wild Violet Alpacas
Niagrathisweek.com
Apr 02, 2012
It’s a busy Thursday afternoon in Niagara Falls. Cars whiz past a tiny home on Thorold Stone Road.
The five inhabitants of a small barn behind an isolated home on that ribbon of road, near Kalar Road which connects Thorold to Niagara Falls are oblivious to the hustle and bustle passing by their home. That small barn in home to Gabe, Pip, Cody, Oscar and Caleb. All five are Hucaya Alpacas boarding at Wild Violet Alpacas in Niagara Falls.
Originally from St. Catharines, Dave and Laurie Corriveau started Wild Violet six years ago after a brief “retirement” up north.
“We thought we were ready to retire,” Laurie says from inside a boutique featuring fashions fashioned from Alpaca wool. “We got bored.”
Laurie began to work in Alpaca boutiques to get a feel for the business before she and Dave made the move back to Niagara, found a location, purchased a number of the animals and set up shop at what has become Wild Violet Alpacas.
“We were both interested in Alpacas,” Laurie says. “We had never done any farming. It was a whole new experience.”
