Here are the World's Largest Roadside Attractions in British Columbia

November 2, 2021

A road trip to British Columbia is a great way to spend a few days because of the beautiful scenery and many unique roadside attractions to visit.

Victoria

Victoria is home to several roadside attractions.

Miniature World

Not all big roadside attractions are large. Miniature World has 85 dioramas that have been a popular destination since the 70s.

Terry Fox Statue

In 1980, Terry Fox, who lost a leg to cancer, set out on a cross-Canada run that was to end in Victoria. Unfortunately, he succumbed to cancer before reaching the finish and is still seen as a hero. The statue stands in the place where his run was supposed to end.

Statue of Emily Carr

A statue of Emily Carr with a dog and monkey stands near the Empress Hotel. She grew up in the area and, like many artists, was most successful after her death. Her paintings are now worth millions of dollars.

Mile Zero

Mile Zero, the official starting point of the Trans-Canada Highway, is located in Victoria. The Trans-Canada Highway is the world’s longest highway and is 4,860 miles long.

100 Mile House

100 Mile House has several oversize roadside attractions including, 40-foot cross-country skis with poles, a flywheel, a gang saw, and a logging arch.

Prince George

Prince George has a 27-foot-tall statue of Mr. Prince George, who was also on a postage stamp in 2009. This version of Mr. P.G. was built in 1983 to replace the original from 1960, which was a tribute to the lumber industry. The 1983 Mr. P.G. is 13 feet shorter than the 1960 version.

Mr. P.G.’s body and arms are made from simulated wood; his head is round and cartoony, and he has a log for a nose. He is wearing a hard hat and holding a Canadian flag.

Nanaimo

Frank Ney, who was mayor of Nanaimo for 20 years, dressed as a pirate in the 1960s to promote lots his real estate company was selling on an island. In 1967 he dressed up as a pirate again for the bathtub race, and the pirate costume eventually became part of his everyday wardrobe. A statue of Frank was built in 1994, 2 years after his death, and the town threw him a party for what would have been his 100^th birthday in 2018.

Duncan

The world’s largest hockey stick and puck i were created for Expo 86 in Vancouver and are attached to the Cowichan Community Centre in Duncan. When the hockey stick was installed, it was too long, and hundreds of locals brought their tools to make it fit.

Coquitlam

Coquitlam is home to the Riverview Hospital, a functioning psychiatric hospital until 2010 and is one of the most popular film locations in the country.

Riverview was meant to be both a psychiatric hospital and a botanical garden, which was relocated to the University of British Columbia. There is an arboretum of more than 1900 trees, and the property is home to wildlife like bobcats, black-tailed deer, coyotes, black bears, and 80 bird species.

The West Lawn Pavillion opened in 1913 to treat male patients and was closed in 1983. It is the most photographed and visited part of the property.

The haunting interiors and beautiful scenery make the Riverview Hospital a sought-after film location, and it has been used in many productions, including the X-Files, Saw, Along Came a Spider, Romeo Must Die, Watchmen, Fringe, Smallville Dark Angel, and Supernatural.

There are many other places to visit and attractions to see.

• There is a statue of Ogopogo on the shore of Okanagan Lake in City Park in Kelowna.
• Adam’s Igloo Wildlife Museum is in Smithers and is what it sounds like – an igloo!
• Vanderhoof has a roadside monument indicating its status as the geographic center of British Columbia.
• In Campbell River, you can see a 15-foot-tall wooden statue of the Big Friendly Giant from Roald Dahl’s book, published in 1982. It was carved in 2017 by Ryan Cook.
• Williams Lake has several roadside attractions, including a cowboy and horse statue, a statue of a bull rider, and a giant wheelchair.