After researching numerous Albertan artists to be the subject of the second edition of Medicine Hat Media’s Art Exposure, I decided to write about the well known roadside landmarks found across Canada.

Saamis Teepee by Roadside Attractions

Although many of these statues, buildings, and other structures are often whimsical, confusing, or even straight up bizarre, the creators of these landmarks are extremely talented individuals. Fortunately, I  discovered a website already in existence, created by Ed Solonyka, entitled Roadside Attractions.

After exploring a little bit, I found the website has been online since 1998 and surprisingly, is updated fairly regularly, not that the outdated design gives any indication. The comprehensive updates can be found in the “What’s New” section of the website. So instead of planning a lengthy road trip across the country to witness the landmarks first hand you can take a leisurely stroll through the site to see the strange things Canadian towns are “famous” for (but a roadtrip would be far more fun).

Roadside Attractions can be found in numerous ways on their website, including by provincial location, alphabetical listing and by category. There is even a “Wanted” list with what attraction they want a picture of and where it can be found. As Hatters, we can all proudly gaze upon the Saamis Teepee while browsing the site, so no worries about being left out of the fun.

RoadsideAttractions.ca displays it longevity with the myriad of awards it has earned (back when Internet awards meant something), all of which are pre-2003. Unfortunately, many awards, such as “The Canadian Advantage Web Award” and the “Canuck’s Choice Award” link to broken websites, many of which were issued from the now defunct Geocities.

Despite the dated layout and graphics of RoadsideAttractions.ca, it still offers the most comprehensive list of any large scale attraction (like the giant Easter Egg in Vegreville) that you will see in Canada.

http://www.roadsideattractions.ca/