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

AttractionCommunityImage
World's Largest Badminton Racket St. Albert, Alberta
World's Largest Beaver Beaverlodge, Alberta
Beaverlodge beaver Beaverlodhge beaver statue.JPG
Beaverlodge beaver
World's Largest Bee Falher, Alberta [1]
Falher bee Worlds Largest Bee (Falher AB).png
Falher bee
World's Largest Honey Bee Tisdale, Saskatchewan [2]
World's Largest Blue Heron Barrhead, Alberta
World's Largest Border Markers Lloydminster
World's Largest Bucking Saddle Bronc and Rider, "The Legacy" Ponoka, Alberta
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
World's Largest Curling Rock Arborg, Manitoba [3]
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.
World's Largest Chuckwagon Dewberry, Alberta
World's Largest Dinosaur Drumheller, Alberta
Drumheller T-rex Drumheller t-rex.JPG
Drumheller T-rex
World's Largest Fire Hydrant Elm Creek, Manitoba [4]
World's Largest Animated Grizzly Bear Innisfail, Alberta [5]
World's Largest Geese Hanna, Alberta
World's Largest Golf Tee Trochu, Alberta [6]
World's Largest kubasa Mundare, Alberta
Mundare kubasa MundareSausage.JPG
Mundare kubasa
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.
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, Saskatchewan [7]
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)
World's Largest Piggy Bank Coleman, Alberta
World's Largest Putter Bow Island, Alberta
World's Largest Softball, "Susie" Chauvin, Alberta
World's Largest Railroad Spike Hines Creek, Alberta [8]
World's Largest SundialLloydminster
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
World's Largest Western Boot Edmonton, Alberta
Giant Horse Irricana, Alberta
David Thompson Monument Lac La Biche, Alberta
Giant Pumpkin Smoky Lake, Alberta
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
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)
Canada's Largest Baseball Bat Battleford, Saskatchewan [9]
Canada's Largest Baseball Glove Heisler, Alberta [10]
Canada's Largest Buffalo Wainwright, Alberta
Canada's Largest Dragonfly Wabamun, Alberta [11]
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
World’s Largest Fishing Lure Lacombe, Alberta

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. [12]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alberta</span> Province of Canada

Alberta is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is a part of Western Canada and is one of the three prairie provinces. Alberta borders British Columbia to the west, Saskatchewan to the east, the Northwest Territories to the north, and the U.S. state of Montana to the south. It is one of the only two landlocked provinces in Canada, with Saskatchewan being the other. The eastern part of the province is occupied by the Great Plains, while the western part borders the Rocky Mountains. The province has a predominantly continental climate but experiences quick temperature changes due to air aridity. Seasonal temperature swings are less pronounced in western Alberta due to occasional Chinook winds.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grande Prairie</span> City in Alberta, Canada

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Tisdale is the business centre for the rich agricultural boreal forest area in central Saskatchewan, Canada. This town is in the Rural Municipality of Tisdale No. 427, Saskatchewan.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rouleau, Saskatchewan</span> Town in Saskatchewan, Canada

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Whitecourt</span> Town in Alberta, Canada

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roadside attraction</span> Roadside attraction area for visitors

A roadside attraction is a feature along the side of a road meant to attract tourists. In general, these are places one might stop on the way to somewhere, rather than being a destination. They are frequently advertised with billboards. The modern tourist-oriented highway attraction originated as a U.S. and Canadian phenomenon in the 1940s to 1960s, and subsequently caught on in Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bow Island</span> Town in Alberta, Canada

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Novelty architecture</span> Type of architecture in which buildings have unusual or eccentric shapes

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Glendon, Alberta</span> Village in Alberta, Canada

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saskatchewan Highway 16</span> Highway in Saskatchewan, Canada

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The Kalyna Country ecomuseum is a heritage and eco-tourism district in East Central Alberta, Canada, named after the highbush cranberry plant, pronounced (Ka-lyn-na) in the Ukrainian language. The Ukrainian folklore states: "Without Kalyna, there is no Ukraina".

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Northern Alberta</span> Geographic region of Alberta, Canada

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">World's Largest Dinosaur</span> Canadian roadside tourist attraction

The "World's Largest Dinosaur" is a roadside tourist attraction shaped like a modelTyrannosaurus rex, situated in the Town of Drumheller, Alberta, Canada. The World's Largest Dinosaur is one of several dinosaur-related attractions in Drumheller and the surrounding areas, including Dinosaur Provincial Park.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carlyle, Saskatchewan</span> Town in Saskatchewan, Canada

Carlyle is a town in the province of Saskatchewan, Canada. Carlyle is the largest town servicing the far south-eastern corner of Saskatchewan and as a result, has become the economic and services centre of the region. Estevan and Weyburn are the closest cities and both are a little over 100 kilometres away. Regina, the provincial capital, lies 200 km to the north-west.

References

  1. "World's Largest Bee". roadsideattractions.ca. Retrieved 2018-05-08.
  2. "World's Largest Honey Bee". roadsideattractions.ca. Retrieved 2018-05-08.
  3. "World's Largest Curling Rock". roadsideattractions.ca. Retrieved 2018-05-08.
  4. "World's Largest Fire Hydrant". roadsideattractions.ca. Retrieved 2018-05-08.
  5. "World's Largest Animated Grizzly Bear". roadsideattractions.ca. Retrieved 2018-05-08.
  6. "World's Largest Golf Tee". roadsideattractions.ca. Retrieved 2018-05-08.
  7. "World's Largest Oil Can". roadsideattractions.ca. Retrieved 2018-05-08.
  8. "World's Largest Railroad Spike". roadsideattractions.ca. Retrieved 2018-05-08.
  9. "Canada's biggest baseball bat arrives home in Battleford | CBC News".
  10. "Alberta's Premier Village: Village of Heisler".
  11. "World's Largest Dragonfly". roadsideattractions.ca. Retrieved 2018-05-08.
  12. 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."