Wawa Goose

Northern Ontario


A trip through Wawa would be incomplete without posing for a photo with the Wawa Goose in front of the Visitors Information Centre. The current statue is actually the third goose to watch over Hwy 17, replacing the previous one which had begun to rust after 53 years of Wawa winters. There are two other big geese on the main road through town: see if you can spot them.

Why geese? Wawa is an Ojibwe word meaning 'wild goose.' The 1720s fur-trading post was so named because of the millions of geese that would rest by Lake Wawa during their seasonal migration.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Northern Ontario attractions

1. Magpie High Falls

2.31 MILES

Also known as Scenic High Falls, this 23m-high, 38m-wide waterfall on the Magpie River is 5km southwest of town. There is an interpretive walking trail…

2. Sandy Beach

3.56 MILES

Follow a gravel road and a path lined with dunes and fragile plants to this 1km white-sand beach on Michipicoten Bay, where Group of Seven member AY…

3. Lake Superior Provincial Park

17.36 MILES

Lake Superior Provincial Park protects 1600 sq km of misty fjord-like passages, thick evergreen forest and tranquil sandy coves that feel like they've…

  • placement: superzone
  • path: Destinations/POIs/superzone
  • possible size: [970, 250], [970, 90], [728, 90], [1, 1],
  • targeting:
    {
      "url": "canada/ontario/wawa/attractions/wawa-goose/a/poi-sig/1366352/361400",
      "destination": "Northern-Ontario",
      "continent": "North-America",
      "country": "Canada",
      "region": "Northern-Ontario",
      "position": "superzone"
    }