Giants of the Prairies

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The Giants of the Prairies are a group of "world's biggest" roadside attractions found in Western Canada, especially in small towns populated mostly by Ukrainian Canadians.

Contents

List

AttractionCommunityProvinceImageDate Constructed
World's Largest Badminton Racket St. Albert Alberta2000 [1]
World's Largest Beaver Beaverlodge Alberta
Beaverlodge beaver Beaverlodhge beaver statue.JPG
Beaverlodge beaver
2004
World's Largest Bee Falher [2] Alberta
Falher bee Worlds Largest Bee (Falher AB).png
Falher bee
1990 [3]
World's Largest Honey Bee Tisdale [4] Saskatchewan 1993
Aaron the Blue Heron [5] Barrhead Alberta1984
World's Largest Border Markers Lloydminster Alberta and Saskatchewan Lloydminster border marker AB-SK Canada.jpg 1994 [6]
World's Largest Bucking Saddle Bronc and Rider, "The Legacy" Ponoka Alberta2004 [7]
World's Largest bunnock Macklin Saskatchewan
Giant Bunnock (horse's leg bone) in Macklin SK. Summer 2004 Bunnock in Macklin SK.jpg
Giant Bunnock (horse's leg bone) in Macklin SK. Summer 2004
1994 [8]
World's Largest Curling Rock Arborg [9] Manitoba 2005 [10]
World's Largest Coke Can Portage la Prairie Manitoba
Portage la Prairie, Manitoba, is home to the world's largest Coke can, formerly a water tower. World's largest Coke can, Portage la Prairie, MB.jpg
Portage la Prairie, Manitoba, is home to the world's largest Coke can, formerly a water tower.
1994 [11]
World's Largest Chuckwagon Dewberry Alberta1995 [12]
World's Largest Dinosaur Drumheller Alberta
Drumheller T-rex Drumheller t-rex.JPG
Drumheller T-rex
2001
World's Largest Fire Hydrant Elm Creek [13] Manitoba2001 [14]
World's Largest Animated Grizzly Bear Innisfail [15] Alberta2013 [16]
Goose Statue [17] Hanna Alberta
World's Largest Golf Tee Trochu [18] Alberta2009 [19]
World's Largest kielbasa Mundare Alberta
Mundare kubasa MundareSausage.JPG
Mundare kubasa
2001 [20]
World's Largest Mallard Duck Andrew Alberta
Mallard duck sculpture in Andrew, Alberta : 23 Foot (7.2 Metre) Wingspan. Weighs 1 tonne. Andrew Mallard Duck.jpg
Mallard duck sculpture in Andrew, Alberta : 23 Foot (7.2 Metre) Wingspan. Weighs 1 tonne.
1992 [21]
World's Largest Mosquito Komarno Manitoba
World's Largest Mushroom Vilna Alberta
World's Largest Mushrooms in Vilna, Alberta, Canada, 20 feet high and 5 feet in diameter Vilna Mushrooms.jpg
World's Largest Mushrooms in Vilna, Alberta, Canada, 20 feet high and 5 feet in diameter
World's Largest Oil Can Rocanville [22] Saskatchewan
closeup of "World's Largest Oilcan" in Rocanville, SK. Summer 2004 Oilcan in Rocanville SK.jpg
closeup of "World's Largest Oilcan" in Rocanville, SK. Summer 2004
World's Largest Oil Derrick Redwater Alberta
World's Largest Oil Lamp Donalda Alberta
Lamp in Donalda, Alberta Donalda Lamp.jpg
Lamp in Donalda, Alberta
World's Largest painting on an easel (reproduction of Van Gogh's Sunflowers) Altona Manitoba
Vincent (3692305291) Vincent (3692305291).jpg
Vincent (3692305291)
1998
World's Largest Piggy Bank Coleman Alberta
World's Largest Putter Bow Island Alberta
World's Large Pinto Bean, "Pinto Macbean"Bow IslandAlberta Pinto MacBean (3034405527).jpg
Giant SunflowerBow IslandAlberta
Giant Prairie Crocuses Daysland Alberta
World's Largest Softball, "Susie" Chauvin Alberta
World's Largest Railroad Spike Hines Creek [23] Alberta
World's Largest SundialLloydminsterAlberta and Saskatchewan
World's Tallest Teepee Medicine Hat Alberta
Medicine Hat Saamis Saamis tepee.jpg
Medicine Hat Saamis
World's Largest Wagon Wheel and Pick Fort Assiniboine Alberta Fort Assiniboine AB giant wheel.jpg
World's Largest Western Boot Edmonton Alberta
Giant BaseballEdmontonAlberta
Giant Horse Irricana Alberta
David Thompson Monument Lac La Biche Alberta
Giant Pumpkin Smoky Lake Alberta Smoky Lake's Giant Pumpkins.jpg
World's First UFO Landing Pad St. Paul Alberta
UFO Landing Pad in St. Paul, Alberta. Opened on June 3, 1967. UFO Landing Pad St. Paul.jpg
UFO Landing Pad in St. Paul, Alberta. Opened on June 3, 1967.
Giant perogy Glendon Alberta
World's Largest Perogy. Glendon, Alberta, Canada. 27 ft. tall (8.2296 meters), built in 1991. World's Largest Perogy.jpg
World's Largest Perogy. Glendon, Alberta, Canada. 27 ft. tall (8.2296 meters), built in 1991.
Giant Vegreville egg (Pysanka) Vegreville Alberta
Vegerville pysanka Vegreville pysanka August 2008.jpg
Vegerville pysanka
1975
Giant potatoes Vauxhall Alberta
Vauxhall potatoes Vauxhall potatoes.JPG
Vauxhall potatoes
Giant replica of the Star Trek starship USS Enterprise Vulcan Alberta
Enterprise replica in Vulcan VulcanAlbertaEnterpriseReplica.jpg
Enterprise replica in Vulcan
Giant gopher Torrington Alberta
The Happy Rock Gladstone Manitoba
Happy Rock (2935997512) Happy Rock (2935997512).jpg
Happy Rock (2935997512)
1993
Canada's Largest Baseball Bat Battleford [24] Saskatchewan
Canada's Largest Baseball Glove Heisler [25] Alberta
Canada's Largest Buffalo Wainwright Alberta
Canada's Largest Dragonfly Wabamun [26] Alberta
Dragonfly Sculpture in Wabamun, Alberta Wabamun Dragonfly Sculpture.jpg
Dragonfly Sculpture in Wabamun, Alberta
World's Largest Moose, "Mac the Moose" Moose Jaw Saskatchewan
Mac the Moose in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan MacTheMouseAugust2018.jpg
Mac the Moose in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan
Battle between Bear and Swan Swan Hills Alberta
Giant Skunk, "Squirt" Beiseker Alberta
Alberta's Largest Northern Pike Rochon Sands Alberta
Giant Cornstalks Taber Alberta
Giant PineconeSt. AlbertAlberta
Giant WalleyeShaw's PointAlberta
Giant Crow Bellevue Alberta
Giant Black Diamond Turner Valley Alberta
World’s Largest Fishing Lure Lacombe Alberta
Canada's Largest Turtle, "Ernie" Turtleford Saskatchewan1983 [27]

These attractions are referenced in the Kubasonics song "Giants of the Prairies".

The phenomenon was parodied in the sixth episode of the first season of Corner Gas , "World's Biggest Thing". Wherein one of the characters proposes the construction of the "world's biggest hoe" to draw in tourism to the town of Dog River, leaving some citizens unaware of the double entendre the name elicits. [28]

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References

  1. "Going big on the road". St. Albert Gazette. 2022-09-02. Retrieved 2024-09-02.
  2. "World's Largest Bee". roadsideattractions.ca. Retrieved 2018-05-08.
  3. "World's Largest Bee". Mighty Peace Tourism. Retrieved 2024-09-02.
  4. "World's Largest Honey Bee". roadsideattractions.ca. Retrieved 2018-05-08.
  5. TChizma. "History of Barrhead". www.barrhead.ca. Retrieved 2024-09-02.
  6. "Border Markers". www.lloydminster.ca. 23 May 2023. Retrieved 2024-09-02.
  7. "World's Largest Bucking Saddle Bronc and Rider". Travel Alberta. Retrieved 2024-09-02.
  8. Matejko, Agnieszka (2023-07-17). "Big Art, Big Smiles". Galleries West. Retrieved 2024-09-02.
  9. "World's Largest Curling Rock". roadsideattractions.ca. Retrieved 2018-05-08.
  10. "Arborg, MB, Canada - World's Largest Curling Stone". RoadsideAmerica.com. Retrieved 2024-09-02.
  11. "Did you know this about Portage la Prairie's iconic Coke can?". PortageOnline. Retrieved 2024-09-02.
  12. "Chuckwagon of Dewberry, Alberta". www.bigthings.ca. Retrieved 2024-09-02.
  13. "World's Largest Fire Hydrant". roadsideattractions.ca. Retrieved 2018-05-08.
  14. "Historic Sites of Manitoba: Elm Creek Fire Hydrant (Elm Creek, RM of Grey)". www.mhs.mb.ca. Retrieved 2024-09-02.
  15. "World's Largest Animated Grizzly Bear". roadsideattractions.ca. Retrieved 2018-05-08.
  16. "Giant metal bear mascot a dream come true". Red Deer Advocate. 2013-08-01. Retrieved 2024-09-02.
  17. Dalene (2017-07-17). "Travelling in Alberta: An Offbeat Roadside Attractions Road Trip". Hecktic Travels. Retrieved 2024-09-03.
  18. "World's Largest Golf Tee". roadsideattractions.ca. Retrieved 2018-05-08.
  19. "World's Largest Tee – Town of Trochu" . Retrieved 2024-09-02.
  20. "The World's Largest Sausage". Atlas Obscura. Retrieved 2024-09-02.
  21. "Andrew, AB, Canada - World's Largest Mallard Duck". RoadsideAmerica.com. Retrieved 2024-09-02.
  22. "World's Largest Oil Can". roadsideattractions.ca. Retrieved 2018-05-08.
  23. "World's Largest Railroad Spike". roadsideattractions.ca. Retrieved 2018-05-08.
  24. "Canada's biggest baseball bat arrives home in Battleford | CBC News".
  25. "Alberta's Premier Village: Village of Heisler".
  26. "World's Largest Dragonfly". roadsideattractions.ca. Retrieved 2018-05-08.
  27. "Don Foulds biography". Saskatchewan Network for Art Collecting. Retrieved 2024-09-04.
  28. Paquet, Laura Byrne (1 January 2007). Wanderlust: A Social History of Travel. Goose Lane Editions. p. 264. ISBN   978-0-86492-606-7 . Retrieved 12 September 2023. But perhaps the most outrageous roadside statue ever proposed was never actually built. In probably my favourite episode of the sitcom Corner Gas, a small group of civic-minded souls in fictitious Dog river, Saskatchewan, are sitting in the local diner brainstorming ideas for a new roadside attraction that will inspire drivers to stop in the little town. What's unique about Dog river? they ask each other. Well, it's a rural community, so they decide their "world's biggest thing" should be a farm implement. they discuss various options and finally settle on a hoe. But it shouldn't be a shiny, new-looking hoe, someone says. Dog river is a hardworking town, after all. It should have clumps of earth on it and look as though it's been well used. What the town needs, the mayor's grandmother concludes, is "a big dirty cracked hoe."