Wawa Goose

Wawa Visitor Centre Wawa, ON | 2017

A giant goose has stood in Wawa for more than 50 years although it has needed some replacement before. The first goose did not last long, being sculpted from plaster. Wind, rain, and vandals made it’s life very short. After being replaced by a bigger, more realistic, metal one, the old goose was purchased by a private collector and has been restored. It is on display at a store outside of town. After 50 years the second goose was in great disrepair and it was time for a replacement. We were asked to fabricate it’s third iteration. The new bird is made of stainless steel and bronze sheeting. Designed with very few visual changes from it’s immediate predecessor, it stands almost 30 feet tall with an 18 foot wingspan. The town has traditionally relied on the Goose as a signal to motorists, indicating a place to stop on a very sparsely populated stretch of the TransCanada Highway. “Wawa” is the Ojibwe word for wild goose so the icon has been established strongly with the locals. The new goose is built to last far longer than it’s previous versions. Theoretically, it should stand without damage for over 500 years.