Thursday, July 1, 2010

Happy Dominion Day -- Roadside Attractions Edition

This year, I'm proud to present a Dominion Day photacular. From our bulging collection of Canadian roadside attractions.

"Big Stupid Fish" -- Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario


"Canada Goose" -- Wawa, Ontario


"Winnie the Pooh" -- White River, Ontario

Happy Dominion Day, Pooh-bear.

"Bicycles on a Standard (for some reason)" -- Manitouwadge, Ontario


"Terry Fox Memorial" -- Thunder Bay, Ontario


"Max, the Moose" -- Dryden, Ontario


"Husky, the Muskie" -- Kenora, Ontario


"Inukshuk" -- Vermillion Bay, Ontario


"World's Largest Coke Can" -- Portage-la-Prairie, Manitoba


"582 Foot Swinging Bridge" -- Souris, Manitoba


"Giant Indian Head" -- Indian Head, Saskatchewan


"Giant Teepee" -- Parkland College, Fort Qu'Appelle, Saskatchewan


"Historic Ruts" -- outside Lipton, Saskatchewan
We have a personal anecdote about these ruts that still makes my wife laugh.


So, of course, here are the ruts -- or so the farmer who cultivates the field of rape (i.e. canola) eagerly told us, without our prior solicitation, when we stopped there a couple of years ago.  I think it might have made his day.  And God love him for that.


"Don't Fence Me In (by Donald R. Hefner)" -- North Battleford, Saskatchewan


"Mountie Statue (1963 Golden Jubilee)" -- North Battleford, Saskatchewan


"World's Largest Sun Dial" -- Lloydminster, Alberta


"World's Largest Easter Egg" -- Vegreville, Alberta


"World's Largest Kielbasa Sausage" -- Mundare, Alberta


"World's Largest Cowboy Boot" -- Edmonton, Alberta


"Giant Beer Can" -- Edmonton, Alberta


"World's Largest Badminton Racket" -- St. Albert, Alberta


"The Legacy" -- Podoka, Alberta


"Francis the Pig" -- Red Deer, Alberta
There's an interesting local story about Francis the Pig. Well, actually it's more long than interesting.


"Mermaid and Child" -- Sylvan Lake, Alberta


"Clem T. GoFur" -- Torrington, Alberta
Home of the Torrington Gopher Hole Museum. They get hate mail from PETA.


"World's Largest Dinosaur" -- Drumheller, Alberta


"Cowboy Boot on Wheels, McCloud Trail" -- Calgary, Alberta


"Oggie" -- Calgary, Alberta


"Okotoks Erratic" -- the Big Rock (from whence the brewery is named) -- Okotoks, Alberta


"Wolves, outside a 7-11 store" -- High River, Alberta (place of death of W.O. Mitchell, if anyone cares)


"The Starship Enterprise (Yeah, I know.  I know)" -- Vulcan, Alberta


"The Little Church" -- Bellevue, Crow's Nest Pass, Alberta


"Enormous Teepee Thingy" -- Medicine Hat, Alberta


"Nature Conservatory" -- Chaplin, Saskatchewan


"Giant Moose" -- Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan


"Corner Gas and the Ruby" -- Rouleau, Saskatchewan


"Giant Wheat Stalk" -- Taber, Saskatchewan


"Take that, Taber." -- Weyburn, Saskatchewan (birthplace of W.O. Mitchell, if anyone cares).


"Lignite Louie" -- Estevan, Saskatchewan


"Mountie" -- Redvers, Saskatchewan


"Giant Mosquito Carries Off Man" -- Upsala, Ontario


"Bigfoot" -- Vermillion Bay, Ontario


"Loggers Memorial" -- Blind River, Ontario


"The Best Little Pork Shoppe" -- Shakespeare, Ontario
The name of this meat store, located on the site of the owner's farm, is not an idle boast.  If you're in the Stratford area, stop in and get some pork and bacon and such.