Giant dinosaurs, oversized sausages: Are Canada's roadside attractions worth keeping around?
Canada's collection of large roadside attractions, built primarily between the 1950s and 1970s, faces an uncertain future due to rising maintenance costs. While these landmarks have historically boosted tourism and civic pride, communities are now debating their long-term economic viability.
Why it matters
The debate reflects broader challenges in maintaining cultural heritage and tourism infrastructure in small towns facing economic shifts.
“It was super cool. We took some photos, and we explored the flea market that we had no idea existed, and that's how it all started,” she told CBC’s Cost of Living .
In 2000, after moving from Alberta to Ontario, van Bodegom was looking for an affordable way to explore her new surroundings. Her search led her to a website called Large Roadside Attractions of Canada, where she planned a small road trip and quickly “fell in love” with the unique monuments scattered across the country.
Years later, after the website’s founder, Ed Solonyka, passed away, van Bodegom took over. For more than 10 years, she and her husband have continued adding to the site’s collection, which now includes around 1,500 roadside attractions from coast to coast.
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