The Wawa Goose

You cannot miss it. Standing 8.5 metres tall on a rise at the junction of Highways 17 and 101, the Wawa Goose is one of the most photographed roadside attractions in Canada and the unofficial mascot of the town. Its name comes from "wewe", the Ojibwe word for "wild goose", and the original idea was simple: get drivers on the Trans-Canada to pull off the highway and visit the town.

It worked. More than half a century later, travellers still stop to crane their necks, take photos, and read the plaques about the town's mining history. There is a visitor information centre next to the statue with maps, advice on local trails and fishing, and washrooms — a useful stop in either direction along the highway.

things to do sight landmark
A story
The first Wawa Goose, unveiled in 1960, was made of plaster of Paris. It lasted barely two years before northern Ontario's weather destroyed it. The current steel goose, built by Algoma Steel in 1963, weighs over two tonnes and was paid for by local merchants worried that the new Trans-Canada Highway would route traffic around the town.