TORONTO (AP) 鈥� Berczy Park is home to a much-loved fountain featuring canine sculptures that shoot water out of their mouths. But now, there’s a new dog in town.
Or rather, a new Doug in town.
Thousands already have flocked to the Toronto park to catch a glimpse of a beaver sculpture, nicknamed Doug, that is part of a World Cup-themed contest. The Great Beaver Quest challenges participants to find 51 beaver statues on display in the city鈥檚 Old Town Toronto neighborhood.
鈥淲e expect that it鈥檚 going to be something that people who are coming in from out of town and looking for something to do and keep their kids busy will love to do. It鈥檚 easy to participate,鈥� said Robyn Posner with the neighborhood鈥檚 Business Improvement Area.
Old Town is about 2.5 miles (4 kilometers) from Toronto Stadium, which will host six matches, starting Friday when 鈥� one of three host nations 鈥� takes on .
With city officials expecting 300,000 visitors to descend on over the course of three weeks, Posner said the Beaver hunt is intended as an enjoyable diversion and will encourage tourists to get to know the neighborhood and its businesses.
鈥淭he goal was to draw people to this area, to come and experience what it鈥檚 like being in Old Town and to meet up with some like-minded people,鈥� she said.
Forty-nine of the nearly 4-feet-high (1.2-meter-high) resin fiberglass beavers represent the nations competing in the World Cup 鈥� including a pair for Canada 鈥� and the remaining two represent FIFA and all the nations combined. Each has been hand-painted by a different local artist.
One of the Canadian beavers is Doug, who sports a Canada-influenced soccer uniform layered beneath a red flannel shirt.
The other 50 beavers have been placed throughout the neighborhood, in parks, along sidewalks and even indoors. Norway鈥檚 beaver stares through a window from inside an office building lobby.
Each beaver is accompanied by a QR code that takes participants to a free digital scavenger hunt. Weekly prizes will be awarded to the competitors with the highest scores as well as the winner of a random drawing.
The contest runs until Aug. 16, and then the beavers will be auctioned off for charity. It officially went live June 1 and, as of Tuesday, 4,500 people had participated.
Still, why exactly did Old Town Toronto officials decide to center their contest around the dam-building rodents?
鈥淏ecause it鈥檚 Canada鈥檚 national animal, and we thought they were super cute,鈥� Posner said. 鈥淎nd they鈥檙e small enough. And so, we went with the beaver.鈥�
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