As you tour around our BIG region, you may notice that Northeastern Ontario has some larger-than-life roadside attractions. We're counting down the top roadside photo ops and selfie stops you've got to check out! Start your tour on Highway 11 with...
This school bus-sized fish is proudly located on the property of The Rock Pine Motel and Restaurant in Marten River, just north of North Bay. The massive fish has been slowing travellers down since the 1960's.
Big Joe Mufferaw was a larger-than-life French Canadian folk hero perhaps best known today as the subject of a song by the late Stompin’ Tom Connors. Look for this towering pine statue of Big Joe Mufferaw in Mattawa.
Holy cow! Watch for Ms. Claybelt, a BIG replica of a Holstein cow, grazing just off of Highway 11 in New Liskeard. Ms. Claybelt symbolizes the significance of agriculture in the Temiskaming Shores area.
Manitou the BIG bison is located off of Highway 11, just as you enter the town of Earlton. He used to stand guard at the entrance to the Earlton Zoo, which is no longer in operation. Manitou still makes for a great photo op, so make sure to stop and say hello!
Guy-Paul Treefall, axe in hand, beckons visitors to Iroquois Falls. The massive lumberjack is an homage to the paper town's rich forestry history.
When you roll into Cochrane, you’ll be welcomed by the town’s mascot, Chimo. Cochrane is home to some real polar bears at the Polar Bear Habitat and it’s the starting point of the Polar Bear Express, the train that travels to Moosonee.
Nope, you’re not seeing things. There really is a BIG flying saucer outside the Welcome Centre in Moonbeam. Moonbeam got its name from the pioneers who often saw flashing lights in the sky, which they called “moonbeams.” Those flashes came to be known as the Northern Lights.
There’s a BIG bear in front of the Chamber of Commerce—Travel Bureau on Highway 11 in Kapuskasing. Muskwa represents one of the largest bears ever killed in Kapuskasing and the importance of hunting to the area.
Built in 1927, the McIntyre Gold Mine Headframe is a monument to Timmins’ legendary mining history. Reaching over 12 metres (40 feet) into the sky, this iconic headframe oversees Pearl Lake, and lights up at night.
The Big Nickel is an exact replica of the 1951 Canadian nickel. Built in 1964, it symbolizes the wealth that the City of Greater Sudbury has contributed to the Canadian economy through nickel production. Did you know that the Big Nickel is roughly 64, 607, 747 times the size of a real Canadian nickel? Now, that’s BIG!
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Where are your favorite Northeastern Ontario roadside stops? We want to know! Let us know on Facebook, and share your photo ops in the comments.
