Starship Enterprise1

Surprisingly, there is a plethora of unique, unusual and eye-catching landmarks and attractions that can be found in every province of Canada. In fact, these often entertaining sights are more likely found in smaller towns, where tourists are lured in to take a picture or buy a trinket of these one-of-a-kind discoveries. Every imaginable attraction from huge vegetables, enormous animals, over-sized lumberjacks and cowboys or unexplained structures such as the world's largest dog in Quebec or the unfeasibly large binoculars in Ontario will amaze and entice any tourist eager for a glimpse of something peculiar that they are sure to add to their photo collection.

VULCAN TREK STATION

It's unlikely that any visitor who drives through Vulcan will miss spotting the Vulcan Tourism and Trek Station and the Starship Enterprise. Situated at the main entrance to the town, this 78.7 cm (31 in) long starship model was built and unveiled in 1995 and is based on the original USS enterprise from the Star Trek series. The Tourism and Trek Station was constructed in 1998 and looks just like a spaceship, so it can't and shouldn't be missed. “Trekkies," a term to describe Star Trek enthusiasts, will delight to find out that there is an annual VulCon community-wide three-day Star Trek convention in June, featuring Klingon karaoke, a Star Trek fashion show and an Intergalactic Fan Fiction Exhibition. A plaque welcomes space-eager visitors in English, Klingon and Vulcan so there is no confusion as to the intriguing discovery. Only a one hour drive from Calgary, Alberta, this attraction is one of the most unique attractions in Canada.

WORLD'S LARGEST UFO LANDING PAD

In an effort to boost tourism, St. Paul, Alberta decided to build a UFO landing pad, which is currently the world's largest. Located at the main entrance to the town's recreational grounds, the landing pad officially opened in 1967 and in 1993 a tourist booth was built to complement the area. In 1996, the centre built an adjoining UFO interpretive display, one of only two that exists in North America. The centre also started a UFO hotline number that is used regularly for UFO sightings, unexplained phenomena and other irregular happenings. The 130 ton landing pad has a map of Canada embossed in the backstop, built from stones from each province. The construction of the landing pad was spearheaded by this small prairie town's Centennial Committee and became one of a hundred Centennial project ideas that took off.

T-Rex- World's Largest Dinosaur2

WORLD'S LARGEST DINOSAUR

Visitors who want to explore East-Central Alberta but who aren't normally intrigued by unidentified foreign objects or fictional Star Trek characters, should stop off at Alberta's badlands for a view of the world's largest dinosaur. The Tyrannosaurus Rex (T-Rex) is a 26 m (86 ft) steel and fiberglass structure that can be viewed for free. The more energetic person will be pleased to pay a few dollars to climb the 106 steps lined with fossils and bones that lead into the dinosaur's mouth. Built in the fall of 2000, the T-Rex is a millennium project of the Drumheller Regional Chamber of Development and Tourism in Alberta. Visitors to this enormous beast will also likely enjoy taking a tour of the nearby the Royal Tyrrell Museum.

WORLD'S LARGEST HOCKEY STICK AND PUCK

Where else would the curious traveller find a 62 m (205 ft) hockey stick but in Canada. Currently residing in Duncan, British Columbia on Vancouver Island, the puck and stick were built in Penticton from Douglas fir wood beams. The stick weighs in at a whopping 28 kg (61 lbs), 40 times the size of a regular hockey stick. Commissioned by the Government of Canada for Expo '86 in Vancouver, the puck and stick were later donated to the province of British Columbia. After a competition, the Cowichan Community Centre in Duncan was chosen from over 30 organizations to display the interesting artifact in front of the building. The citizens of the Cowichan community now also own the biggest hockey stick and puck in the world.

	The Big Easel3

THE BIG EASEL

What weighs 20,250 kg (45,000 lbs) and is an artist's dream? The Big Easel in Altona. The 25 m (80 ft) easel and hand-painted reproduction dwarfs the original seven Vincent Van Gogh sunflower paintings. The first big easel and painting was erected in Altona in 1998 and is part of the international Van Gogh project, which will eventually comprise seven hand-painted reproductions of Van Gogh's sunflowers in seven countries. Canadian artist Cameron Cross is responsible for the current painting in Altona, the sunflower capital of Canada. This fun but unusual attraction can be found on a grassy area on 10th Avenue in the northeast side of town, a one hour drive from Winnipeg, Manitoba. Ten layers of acrylic enamel and 24 sheets of plywood sheets were used in the creation of this enormous painting, which has become an internationally recognized symbol of art. Altona's big easel took two and a half years to complete.

Ice Bar Inside The Ice Hotel4

ICE HOTEL QUEBEC

More than an unusual sight, the Ice Hotel in Sainte-Catherine-de-la-Jacques-Cartier is an architectural winter marvel. Open to the public from January to the first week of April, this 2,700 sq m (30,000 sq ft) hotel is both a public attraction as well as a place to stay overnight, if the visitor doesn't mind being surrounded by tons of ice and snow. Four-inch thick walls encircle the 36 regular and themed-room suites bringing the internal temperature in the hotel to between -2°C to -5°C (28°F to 23°F). An ice cafe and bar and a sauna will help warm the body as will the cozy bedding that is placed on the hotel beds. Daily public tours are available to those who prefer not to get horizontal in this icy hotel paradise.

THE BOTTLE HOUSES

Inspired by a picture of a glass castle on a postcard sent by the inventor's daughter, Édouard T. Arsenault collected and cleaned 25,000 recycled bottles to create this amazing architectural attraction. Since 1981, visitors have been drawn to the three glass buildings and the magnificent glass-themed gardens that Edóuard built at the age of 66, shortly after his retirement.

Over the years, Prince Edward Island's inclement weather led to the rebuilding of the three structures between 1992 and 1998. Bricklayers carefully reconstructed the buildings by taking down the various shapes, sizes and colours of the glass piece by piece. Édouard's six-gabled house was the initial attraction to this site. Tourists were amazed by the intricacies of his work and encouraged Édouard to continue on with his desire to build glass structures, which started out as a hobby.

	Inside The Bottle House5

PYSANKA - WORLD'S LARGEST EGG

One of the main attractions along the Trans Canada Yellowhead Highway is the Pysanka, a gigantic Ukrainian Easter egg, which was created to celebrate 100 years of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police's (R.C.M.P.) dedication and service to the city's descendants and pioneers. The creation of the Pysanka, meaning Easter egg in Ukrainian, is a symbol of Ukrainian culture and brought about the first-ever computer modeling of an egg. The egg is made up of 524 star patterns, 2,208 equilateral triangles, 3,512 visible facets and almost 7,000 nuts and bolts.

Pysanka6

Computer scientist Professor Resch designed the egg, which stands 9.5 m (31 ft) high, 7.8 m (25.7 ft) long and 5.5 m (18 ft) wide. Weighing in at 2,268 kg (5,000 lbs), this aluminum egg is an incredible artistic achievement, made up of five distinct symbols. The gold and silver stars symbolize life and good fortune, trinity and eternity while the windmills represent a rich harvest. The silver wolf's tooth, the most prominent symbol, represents protection and security provided by the R.C.M.P. The showcase of the R.C.M.P.'s centennial celebrations in 1975, the Pysanka, can be found at the entrance to the Elks Kinsmen Community Park in Vegreville, Alberta.

WORLD'S LARGEST PYROGY

The town of Glendon is another small town in Alberta that showcases its Ukrainian culture in a big way. Known as one of the “giants of the prairies” this massive pyrogy (commonly spelt perogy) is a sight that may tempt the taste buds. Luckily there is a Pyrogy Park Cafe right next door so stop in and enjoy some fresh perogies, a semicircular dumpling made of unleavened dough served in many European and Asian cultures. There is also a gift shop beside the structure if bringing home a plastic replica of this huge roadside treat is desired. The 8 m (27 ft) tall and 3.6 m (12 ft) wide structure was unveiled in 1993. Find this huge pyrogy stuck on a giant fork structure in northern Alberta, located on Pyrogy Drive in Pyrogy Park.

CANADA'S LARGEST COFFEE POT

Venture through central Saskatchewan to see a giant coffee pot and mug. This 7.3 m (24 ft) carafe was built to symbolize Davidson's friendliness and hospitality. Located halfway between Regina and Saskatoon, this sheet metal structure was built in 1996 and has the capacity to hold 150,000 8-ounce cups of coffee and features painted murals on each side. Hopefully there is a coffee shop nearby.

1. Town of Vulcan and Vulcan County; Starship Enterprise; Vulcan, AB, CAN
2. Town of Drumheller, Tyrannosaurus Rex; Drumheller, AB, CAN
3. Town of Altona; The Big Easel; Altona, Manitoba, CAN
4. ©www.xdachez.com; Ice Hotel Québec; Inside Ice Hotel; Sainte-Catherine-de-la-Jacques-Cartier, Québec, CAN
5. The Bottle Houses; Inside the Bottle House; Cap-Egmont, Prince Edward Island, CAN
6. Town of Vegreville, Parks Recreation & Tourism Department; The Pysanka; Vegreville, AB, CAN