The Big Apple is a roadside attraction in Colborne, a village in the municipality of Cramahe, in Northumberland County, Ontario, Canada. Located on the south side of Ontario Highway 401 at interchange 497 (Northumberland County Road 25/Percy Street), it is easily recognizable from the highway by its large apple-shaped structure, claimed to be the world's largest.
| The Big Apple | |
|---|---|
 The Big Apple in 2006 | |
 | |
| General information | |
| Location | Colborne, Ontario, Canada |
| Completed | 1987 |
| Height | 12.1 m (40 ft) |
History
edit
The Big Apple was conceived by George Boycott, an Australian immigrant to Canada who took inspiration from the Big Pineapple in Sunshine Coast Region, Queensland.[1][2] Boycott sold the six pizza shops he owned in Australia and moved to Colborne in 1976,[2] the village being one of the largest apple-producing areas in Ontario.[3] Boycott sold real estate in Ontario to fund the construction of the Big Apple.[2] In 1983 he met Henry Mensen, a local builder, with whom Boycott planned the construction of the Big Apple over the next five years.[2]
The Big Apple opened in 1987, with its construction costs covered through a combination of a government loan and investment by Doug Rutherford, the owner of a local trucking company.[1][2] Boycott sold his stake in the Big Apple in 1992, and began to pursue a career in real estate and local politics; he served in several government positions over the subsequent fourteen years, including as the final reeve of Colborne prior to its amalgamation with Cramahe in 2001.[2]
In 2013, a cartoon face was painted on the Big Apple.[4] In April 2020, amid the COVID-19 pandemic in Ontario, the Big Apple donated hundreds of apple pies to hospital workers.[5] In July 2020, a face mask was hung on the Big Apple in a show of support for front-line workers.[4]
Operations
editThe primary attraction of the Big Apple is the eponymous Big Apple, a 12.1 m (40 ft) tall, 11.5 m (38 ft) wide apple-shaped structure[4] named "Mr. Applehead".[1] The Big Apple claims to be the largest apple-shaped structure in the world.[3] The structure contains apple-based trivia in its interior, and an observation deck on its roof.[2] The structure weighs 42 tonnes, and can purportedly hold 650,000 apples.[4]
In addition to the apple structure, the Big Apple contains a dine-in restaurant, a pie factory, a souvenir store, a petting zoo, an amusement park (for small children), a miniature golf course, and an outdoor picnic area.[1] The Big Apple hosts more than 500,000 visitors per year[6] and sells 2,000 pies per week, and has sold over 7.9 million pies since its initial opening.
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c d "The Stories Behind Three Of Canada's Hidden Gems". HuffPo. 10 April 2017. Retrieved 25 June 2020.
- ^ a b c d e f g Stavrides, Stavros (22 May 1988). "Big apple dreams in Colborne". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 23 September 2020.
- ^ a b Culbert, Terry (1995). County Roads: Around Ontario with Global Television's Terry Culbert. GeneralStore PublishingHouse. p. 17. ISBN 978-1896182216.
- ^ a b c d Johnson, Kimberly (24 July 2020). "The Big Apple in Colborne, Ont. is now wearing a mask". CTV News. Retrieved 23 September 2020.
- ^ Lord, Craig (24 July 2020). "Coronavirus: The Big Apple in Colborne, Ont., masks up". Global News. Retrieved 23 September 2020.
- ^ "Big Apple". Township of Cramahe. 31 August 2018. Retrieved 23 September 2020.