A Cross-Country Love Affair With Big, Weird Landmarks
If you've ever driven across Canada, chances are you've pulled over for a photo with something enormous and slightly absurd. Drumheller, Alta. has its towering dinosaur. Sudbury, Ont. has the Giant Nickel, a nine-metre replica coin that's greeted travellers along Highway 17 since 1964. These larger-than-life landmarks became unofficial mascots for the towns that built them, luring carloads of curious visitors off the highway for decades.
But a new conversation is bubbling up in communities across the country: are these giant roadside icons still worth the upkeep?
Sudbury's Giant Nickel Is a Case Study
Ontario's own contribution to this uniquely Canadian tradition, the Giant Nickel, was originally built to mark Canada's centennial and celebrate Sudbury's mining heritage. It's since become one of the most photographed roadside stops in the province, drawing in tourists heading through Northern Ontario on their way to cottage country or Northern communities beyond.
Like similar attractions elsewhere, though, the structure requires regular maintenance, and municipal budgets don't always have room for glorified lawn ornaments — even beloved ones. Officials in towns with these landmarks are increasingly weighing nostalgia against practicality, especially as travel habits shift toward experiences that show up well on social media rather than a quick photo-op pulled off the highway.
Why These Attractions Still Matter
Despite the costs, tourism researchers point out that roadside attractions like the Giant Nickel do more than fill Instagram grids — they give small and mid-sized towns an identity that's hard to manufacture otherwise. For a city like Sudbury, long associated with mining and rugged Northern Ontario landscapes, the nickel has become shorthand for civic pride, appearing on everything from local merchandise to tourism campaigns.
That kind of brand recognition is difficult to replace once it's gone, which is part of why some municipalities are choosing to invest in restoration rather than removal, even when the price tag stings.
The Bigger Picture for Ontario Road Trips
For Ontarians planning a summer drive north, the fate of attractions like the Giant Nickel is a reminder of how much local charm depends on these offbeat, larger-than-life installations. Whether it's a giant coin in Sudbury or a colossal apple somewhere along the 401, these landmarks are woven into how Canadians experience road trips across their own country — quirky, a little kitschy, and undeniably memorable.
As more communities grapple with the cost of keeping their giant mascots standing, the conversation happening in Sudbury could be a preview of decisions towns across Ontario and the rest of Canada will need to make in the years ahead.
Source: CBC Radio, Cost of Living
