region |alberta central
6 SELFIE STOPS
EDDIE THE SQUIRREL VIKING TROLLS
Arguably the cutest town mascot in Alberta,
Eddie the Squirrel welcomes both visitors and
residents from his log seat. In 2011, a new
Eddie with a modern look was installed in the
beautiful Centennial Park, so he may look a
little different from the squirrel in your parents’
pictures. edson.ca Trolls don’t just hang out on the
Internet. When you visit Viking
Troll Park, you’ll spot statues of
trolls inspired by Scandinavian
folklore and plants native to
Scandinavia. Scout out the warrior
guards on the Viking ship or standing
in front of Troll Mountain. viking.ca
Never take a selfie
with a wild animal—
no matter how safe
you feel. Not only
is it dangerous, it’s
stressful to the animal
and can lead to hefty
fines and charges. Not
to mention medical
bills… However, it
is completely safe
to hug Jasper the
Bear, located near
the visitor centre
in Jasper!
PAUL BUNYAN’S BOWLING BALL
Weighing in at a whopping 16,583
kilograms, this perfectly spherical boulder has
become lovingly known as Paul Bunyan’s bowling
ball. The massive rock was unearthed in 1998
at a local gravel pit and has been on display in
front of the Drayton Valley District Historical
Society Museum ever since. draytonvalley.ca
GIANT MUNDARE SAUSAGE
Mundare is famous for its world-famous
Ukrainian sausage, so the Edward E. Stawnichy
Charitable Foundation donated and built a
13-metre-tall kubasa — or sausage — to
celebrate it! If the sight of such a big link of
meat gives you a carnivorous craving, head
over to Stawnichy’s Sausage (5210-50 St,
780-764-3912) for some fresh, locally made
sausage. mundare.ca
GIANT PYSANKA
Designed by Paul Maxum Sembaliuk, this
2.5-tonne aluminum Easter egg honours the
50
province’s Ukrainian population and history. The
intricate pattern of triangles that make up the
shell required the use of geometric-modelling
software both to design the surface area of the
sculpture and to build it. vegreville.ca
FRANCIS THE PIG
Named after St. Francis of Assisi, the patron
saint of animals (or perhaps philosopher Sir
Francis Bacon), this legendary 108-kilogram
pig once jumped a 1.2-metre wall to avoid
the slaughterhouse. He evaded capture for
five months, and many residents have stories
of sightings or near captures. Francis was
immortalized in bronze by Danek Mozdzenski
and posed doing his favourite thing: running
away. reddeer.ca
You’d Think It’d Be
Obvious, but…