Canada is a massive country with proportionately large landmarks to see and discover.
You know how the saying goes: “bigger is better” — if that’s the case, Canada as a landmass measures up fairly well in that regard. With a total area (including its waters) of approximately 9.985 million square kilometres, Canada is the second-largest country in the world, only surpassed by Russia.
Geographical features aside, it’s fitting that Canada is home to quite a few sizeable landmarks within its borders. In fact, there’s so many that there’s even a dedicated website (bigthings.ca) to track and celebrate all of the giant, zany roadside attractions in the country.
Some of Canada’s ‘big things’ are so enormous and peculiar that it begs the questions of how on earth they got there and why. We may never know the answers to those questions for all of them, but here’s an amusing list of several of Canada’s humongous landmarks to pique your curiosity.
1. World’s Largest Dinosaur
Location: Drumheller, Alberta
Her name is Tyra, and the view from inside her mouth is pretty epic.
2. World’s Largest Hockey Stick
Location: Duncan, British Columbia
Canada’s biggest sport deserves big-time recognition.
3. World’s Largest Giant Beaver
Location: Beaverlodge, Alberta
This beaver looks like it doesn’t give a dam.
4. World’s Largest Axe
Location: Nackawic, New Brunswick
This axe is symbolic of the area’s important role in Canada’s lumber industry.
5. World’s Largest Coin
Location: Sudbury, Ontario
That’s a mighty Big Nickel.
6. World’s Largest Lobster
Location: Shediac, New Brunswick
It pays tribute to the town’s lobster fishing industry!
7. World’s Largest Curling Rock
Location: Arborg, Manitoba
This 3000-pound statue commemorates past provincial curling champions.
8. World’s Largest Bee
Location: Falher, Alberta
This buzzing community is known as the “Honey Capital of Canada.”
9. World’s Largest Painting On An Easel
Location: Altona, Manitoba
Van Gogh’s ‘Sunflowers’ artwork is on display to celebrate this town’s reputation as the “Sunflower Capital of Canada.”
10. World’s Largest Perogy
Location: Glendon, Alberta
Yum! It’s just missing sour cream.
11. World’s Largest Canada Goose
Location: Wawa, Ontario
Of course there’d be a giant statue of this iconically Canadian creature.
12. World’s Largest Paper Clip
Location: Kipling, Saskatchewan
This statue represents the story of how “an unlikely sequence of online trades” started with a red paperclip.
13. The World’s Largest Apple Shaped Structure
Location: Colborne, Ontario
Hopefully no one accidentally ends up at this Big Apple instead of New York City.
14. Montreal’s Giant Orange
Location: Montreal, Quebec
This structure is the building of a fast-food restaurant called Gibeau Orange Julep.
15. World’s Largest Freestanding Banana
Location: Melita, Manitoba
Trend alert: fruits! This statue is located in Manitoba’s “Banana Belt” — but no bananas are actually grown there.
16. World’s Largest Moose
Location: Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan
Mac the Moose reclaimed the title of tallest moose from Norway’s Storelgen after getting a new set of antlers installed.
17. World’s Tallest Totem Pole
Location: Alert Bay, B.C.
Alert Bay’s totem pole currently holds the highly disputed title of tallest in the world.
18. World’s Largest Pysanka Egg
Location: Vegreville, Alberta
An eggs-tra large Easter egg!
19. World’s Largest Fiddle
Location: Sydney, Nova Scotia
This Big Fiddle pays homage to the folk music and traditions of Nova Scotia’s Celtic community.
20. Digital Orca
Location: Vancouver, British Columbia
What a marvellous backdrop for this landmark.
21. World’s Largest Mosquito Statue
Location: Komarno, Manitoba
Komarno is the self-proclaimed “Mosquito Capital of Canada.” The town’s name even means “mosquito-infested” in Ukrainian.
22. World’s Largest Squid Statue
Location: Glove’s Harbour, Newfoundland
Unleash the Kraken!
23. World’s Tallest Teepee
Location: Medicine Hat, Alberta
It also lights up at night!
24. Port Carling’s Giant Photo Mosaic Mural
Location: Port Carling, Ontario
This large mosaic is comprised of over 9000 unique photos.
25. World’s Largest Dragonfly Statue
Location: Wabamun, Alberta
This little bugger ain’t so little.
26. World’s First UFO Landing Pad
Location: St. Paul, Alberta
Maybe that’s how we’ve accumulated so many big things in Canada — aliens must’ve come to help us!
27. World’s Largest Potato Sculpture
Location: O’Leary, Prince Edward Island
Yes, a literal statue of a potato is fittingly located in front of the Canadian Potato Museum.
These are definitely not all of the supersized landmarks that exist in Canada, but I think you get the idea: the country has an endless amount of them. You’d be hard-pressed to see them all, but you’d also be hard-pressed to miss them.
See also: 8 Must-Visit Winter Destinations For The Perfect Staycation In Canada
Featured Image: Shutterstock