Canada's Quirkiest Roadside Attractions
The next time you’re driving in Canada, be sure to designate one of your passengers to keep an eye on the side of the road. If they’re lucky, they might spot a T-Rex, a humongous beaver, a coin far bigger than a house or a towering part-man-part-log that looks like it could scoop up and eat your car without even putting its axe down.
Roadside Canada is a hotbed of kitsch-tastic mascots loved by the communities they call home. If you’re driving anywhere here – especially in smaller towns – it’s just a matter of time before you stumble on one of these smile-triggering testaments to local spirit, tongue-in-cheek imagination and perhaps someone who had a little too much time on their hands.
Read on for our favourite Canadian roadside attractions and where to find them; then plan your trip accordingly. Don’t forget to pull over and snap some photos if you find one, especially if it’s one we haven’t heard about.
Mr. PG
Fun Fact: Mr. PG has an eponymous song, penned by Manitoban Al Simmons.
World's Largest Dinosaur
Fun Fact: 12 people can fit inside the T-Rex’s mouth – a great meal for any slaveringly hungry dino.
Where: Drumheller, Alberta
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World's Largest Lobster
Sticking with ginormous critters (I’d pay to see a movie where this mascot battles Drumheller’s T-Rex), New Brunswick’s rich seafood heritage is celebrated with an 11-metre-long lobster stalking the seafaring town of Shediac. The world’s largest lobster (it’s unclear how much competition there is for this title), visitors can climb the pedestal stairs for an up-close selfie with the massive-clawed critter.
Fun Fact: Suggesting it might hold its own against an oversized T-Rex, this crustacean sculpture weighs a total of 90 tonnes.
Where: Shediac, New Brunswick
Big Nickel
Fun Fact: This massive nickel weighs more than 12,000 kilograms, so don’t try flipping it on your own.
Where: Sudbury, Ontario
Big Fiddle
Fun Fact: The fiddle is illuminated and also regales visitors with its own soundtrack medley of locally composed tunes.
Giant Beaver
Fun Fact: This particular busy beaver was constructed from steel, foam and polyurethane.
Where: Beaverlodge, Alberta
Jumbo the Elephant
Fun Fact: Jumbo was also a giant of an elephant in real life, reportedly standing 3.23 metres at the shoulder.
Where: St. Thomas, Ontario
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