What is fun when you are traveling is finding places you never expected to exist! For example, when we were in Ontario on the road to Quebec, we made a little stop at Wawa Goose but not even knowing it was there!
Where is The Wawa Goose located?
Here is the address:
190 Mission Rd, Wawa, ON P0S 1K0
It’s not far from the Trans Highway so that you won’t be wasting any time stopping there.
History of the Wawa Goose:
The goose monument was the idea of local entrepreneur Al Turcott. Although not originally from Wawa, Al first came to the town in 1939 for work and became so fascinated by the area that he sent his wife and children to join him. By the 1940s, Al began operating Turcott’s Dry Goods and Clothing store and became very involved in the community. So much so that Al played an essential role in secure the Lake Superior route of the then proposed route of the Trans Canada Highway through Wawa. Concerned because the final plans had the highway bypassing Wawa, Al, and other local businessmen created the idea of the Goose Monument to stop tourists on their TransCanada trips.
Fun facts about the Wawa Goose:
-Did you know the Wawa Goose Monument is one of the most photographed landmarks in North America?
-It’s the largest of its kind in Canada.
-It’s located at the junction of the last link of the Trans-Canada Highway.
-The Goose was developed to attract tourists to Wawa after the highway bypassed the downtown core.
-The first Goose was made of plaster and didn’t stand up to the weather.
-The Goose is now made of steel.
– The Goose comes from the meaning of the word “Wawa,” which means “Wild Goose or Land of the Big Goose” in Ojibwe.
-The new Goose monument was unveiled in 2017 thanks to the fundraising efforts of the town and residents.
-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!
Listen to the music if you don’t know it, it’s very country-ish!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xihjLHK5tf4
-The Goose is 28 feet tall, 22 feet long, and has a wingspan of 20 feet.
-The Wawa Goose has its own children’s book: Wawa Goose Meeting at Fort Friendship written by Raymond MacDonnell. The Wawa Goose books have been sent all over Canada, the United States, and many countries around the world.
-The Canada Goose is NOT an official symbol of Canada. Only the beaver and the maple tree have this cultural status.
It was an unexpected stop, and I was amazed to see so many people taking a photo of this goose (and of course, I did it too), but you can spend time in the cute little place next to and learn about the history.
