Canadian Roadside Attractions and Statues Quiz

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. In July 2005, a 17 foot pine statue was placed outside of the Mattawa Museum. Stompin' Tom sang a song dedicated to this famous Canadian lumberjack -"paddled into Mattawa all the way from Ottawa in just one day". Who was this lumberjack?

Answer: Big Joe Mufferaw

Stompin' Tom Connors sang "Big Joe Mufferaw" - an embellished list of amazing accomplishments, that were "allegedly" performed by Big Joe. Big Joe Mufferaw is considered the Canadian version of Paul Bunyan. The statue was created and carved by Peter Cianafrani and is 9 feet tall. Along with "Big Joe", other nine foot historic statues were erected in 2002 in celebration and recognition of Canadian history.

2. There are many goose statues in Canada. Perhaps the most recognizable is the "Wawa Goose" (Wawa Ontario). In which Native language does Wawa translate to mean "Wild Goose"?

Answer: Ojibway

The Wawa Goose that is displayed now is not the original goose. The original goose could not hold up to the weather so it was retired. Stompin' Tom Connors sang the song "Little Wawa" about a goose that stayed behind when her lover Gander Goo got shot down with an arrow.

The Wawa goose that is overlooking the Trans-Canada Highway is 28 feet tall, 22 feet long and has a wingspan of 20 feet. Dick Vanderlift was the proud designer of this Wawa goose.

3. Lake Okanagan has its own 'monster in the lake' local myth. Early locals called Pogo the "N'Haiti" meaning "monster of the lake". This serpent like creature come roadside attraction finds its home in which British Columbia town?

Answer: Kelowna

Many in British Columbia call the Ogopogo their very own Loch Ness Monster. The Ogopogo legend has become a part of local history. It is a serpent like creatures reputedly that lives in the lake. Reports have placed the Ogopogo in the range of 20 to 50 feet long, green in colour with the head bearing a resemblance to a horse's head.

4. Born in Montreal Quebec, William Shatner is best known for his portrayal of Captain James T Kirk of the Star Ship USS Enterprise. On June 10th, 1995, the FX6-1995-A, a replica of the USS Enterprise was unveiled at the main entrance to which Canadian town?

Answer: Vulcan, Alberta

Being a "Star Trek" fan and then finding out that there was a replica Star Ship in Canada, it is on my list of places I want to go and things I want to see. The town of Vulcan has fashioned itself as a town with a "Star Trek" theme. The town was originally named after the Roman God of Fire, Vulcan in 1915, long before "Star Trek" was created.

5. Traveling west on the Trans-Canada Highway from Winnipeg, after driving approximately an hour, you find yourself in Portage La Prairie. Here is the home of which "world's largest" roadside attraction?

Answer: Coca-Cola Can

It was rumored that at first this particular "world's largest" Coca-Cola can was originally going to be a giant beer can, but some locals did not approve of this idea. This original water tank became the traditional red and white soda can with "enjoy Coca-Cola" on the side. Along with the words City of Portage La Prairie.

6. Echo Bay, Ontario is home to one of the "big" coins of Canada. Which coin is this?

Answer: The Big Loonie

While in Echo Bay make sure you take the time to walk the hiking trails, these wooden paths lead out to the lake. There are information stations and places to sit down and enjoy the scenery along the path. The year on the Loon Dollar Momument (the Big Loonie) is 1987. The Big Loonie was designed and sculpted by a local resident, Robert-Ralph Carmichael.

7. In Saskatchewan in 1964, during routine road construction, a mammoth skeleton was discovered. In Kyle, Saskatchewan, a replica statue of those mammoth bones has been erected. What is the name of this almost 10 foot tall Mammoth statue?

Answer: Wally the Woolly Mammoth

The original mammoth bones, from which Wally was replicated are displayed in Regina. The bones that the road construction workers found were approximately 12,000 years old. Wally was built in 1981, and weighs over 1,700 pounds. The designer of Wally was Don Foulds.

8. 55 feet of giant squid - which Newfoundland town is the home to this roadside attraction?

Answer: Glover's Harbour

In 1878 a real giant squid was washed up in this area. The original giant squid was of world record size at the time of its discovery. The roadside squid was created in 2001 and is made out of concrete and metal.

9. First exhibited in 1964, purchased by Science North and Dynamic Earth in 1981, the Big Nickel is a very large coin statue. Which city in Ontario is the home of this roadside attraction?

Answer: Sudbury

30 feet tall and 2 feet wide, the coin has been a local attraction that is easily recognized throughout Canada. Ted Szilva and Bruno Cavallo were the creators of this big coin. So next time you are in Sudbury Ontario, don't forget to go and see this amazing coin.

10. During summertime in Canada, a popular way to spend the summer days is by picking blueberries. There are numerous blueberry festivals held across the country during this time of year. Where in Canada would you find possibly the world's largest blueberry statue?

Answer: Oxford, Nova Scotia

Blueberries are as much a part of a Canadian summer as swimming and children playing. The Oxford Blueberry is a large smiling blueberry with arms and legs. Oxford, Canada holds the claim of being the blueberriest place. They have the blueberry statue as well as a museum and a blueberry center. Original interest was for the town to attract tourists to the area and to the local industries, specifically the maple industry and the wild blueberry industry.

Source: Author jojanne1974

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor Nannanut before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.

As Canadians, we are fond of large statues and roadside attractions. This is my quiz on the statues and roadside attractions that I have seen or would like to see.

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