Interlake Statues & Mascots
Canada Goose-Lundar – Hwy 6 Check out the largest goose in Manitoba, sitting on a revolving mount that turns the goose with the force of the winds. Located in the roadside park on Highway 6, the goose statue was designed & built by an Interlake artist in honour of the Canadian geese who visit this area along their north-south flyway. [GPS-N50 41.678 W098 02.465]
Chuck the Channel Catfish – Selkirk You’ll find this colourful catfish welcoming visitors to Selkirk in front of Smitty’s Restaurant on Main Street.This friendly fibreglass fish, standing 11 metres high, proudly proclaims the City of Selkirk as the “Catfish Capital of North America.”[GPS-N50 08.007 W 096 53.106]
Curling Rock-Arborg – Hwy 7 & 68 This monument is said to be the world’s largest curling rock and is a tribute to two local teams who made it to the Provincial finals, one going on to win the Nationals. [GPS-N50 54.621 W097 12.960]
Gimli Viking – South end of 2nd Ave. in Gimli This impressive 15-foot high statue stands guard along the shores of Lake Winnipeg.The Viking, erected in 1967 as part of the Manitoba Centennial project, honors ancestors of the Icelandic people who settled the Gimli area (then New Iceland) in 1875. [GPS-N50 37.788 W096 59.209]
King Buck-Poplarfield- Corner of Hwy 68 and 17 This sculpture was placed in Poplarfield in 1991 paying tribute to the bountiful white-tailed deer and their importance as sustenance to the early pioneers.Today,the local deer continue to provide food and recreationalsport for hunters. [GPS- N50 53.387 W097 36.205]
Komarno Mosquito – West on PR 229, off Hwy 8 The name Komarno translates to “mosquito infested” inUkrainian! It’s a title that most places would rather not acknowledge, but Komarno proudly holds claim to the titleof “Mosquito Capital of the World.”Come see this big critter and give him a swat! [GPS- N50 30.356 W097 15.158]
Mallard Duck at Petersfield – Mallard Park,Hwy 9 Residents wished to have a symbol to represent the surrounding area and the village.The Mallard duck was chosen because of its abundance in the Petersfield,Netley Lake and Netley Marsh areas. [GPS-N50 18.269 W096 58.593]
Meleb-Park-Cumming Mushroooms – Hwy 7 Meleb Park along with its giant mushroom statue opened in 1994 to celebrate 90 years of settlement and a war memorial to honour the area’s veterans.The Meleb area, is a renowned prime mushroom Interlake picking site. Found at this park are replicas of area schools and one church as well as a Ukrainian bake oven. An annual celebration picnic takes place in July. [GPS-N50 43.688 W097 13.613]
“Lundi”Moose -Riverton – Hwy 8 Built in 2007, the moose, chosen as the symbol for the large numbers that once roamed the forests of the Riverton area.The moose meat helped the settlers survive the cold,long winters of this land. “Lundi”was the original name for Riverton when the Icelanders settled here in 1876. [GPS-N50 59.881 W096 59.871]
Sharptail Grouse at Ashern – Hwy 6 Celebrating the “Land of the Sharptail Grouse”, the statue at Ashern is in the Sharptail Grouse Park and represents the large population of the birds in the area. Sharptail grouse hunting
is popular in the region.Camping & picnic sites at park. [GPS-N51 11.094 W098 21.098]
S-sam & S-sara Garter Snakes at Inwood Erected in Inwood Park to honour the massive number of Red Sided Garter snakes that call this area home.You’ll find the monument next to the Interlake Pioneer Trail.The snakes hibernate in the limestone crevices in dens over the winter and come out each spring.The largest concentration of Red-Sided Garter snakes are found at Narcisse Snake Dens north of Inwood. [GPS-N50 30.516 W097 29.707]
“The Wheel” at Fisher Branch – Hwy 17 Unveiled in July 2015, this massive Wagon Wheel is situated in the entrance park on the east side of town. The Wheel is constructed of a type of metal used in bridge construction- it is meant to naturally rust to a nice rustic wagon wheel type color, avoiding costly upkeep.The Wheel was chosen to continue the early 1900 story of Fisher Branch being the “Hub of the Interlake”, as they served a large surrounding area.
Now “A Community Reinventing the Wheel”
“Whispering Giant” at Winnipeg Beach – Hwy 9 Unveiled July 1st, 1991, this impressive statue stands as a tribute to the Aboriginal people of Manitoba and a symbol of brotherhood in Winnipeg Beach.This is the 67th carving in a long trail of “Whispering Giants” that began in 1970 and now reaches throughout most of North America. [GPS-N50 29.908 W096 58.158]
Explore our “Larger than Life” statues dotting the landscape of the Interlake, read the stories, snap a photo for your own “Adventure Scrapbook!”