Happy Rock facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Happy Rock |
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| Year | 1993 |
| Medium | Fibreglass |
| Location | Gladstone, Manitoba |
| 50°13′12″N 98°57′11″W / 50.2199°N 98.9531°W | |
Happy Rock is a really cool and giant statue you can see next to the road in Gladstone, Manitoba, Canada. It's located right off Highway 16. This big, friendly rock also works as a special building where visitors can get information about the town.
Contents
The Story of Happy Rock
Why Build a Giant Rock?
In the late 1970s, the government of Manitoba met with people from the Gladstone community. They wanted to find ways to bring more tourists to the town. Since Gladstone was often called "Happy Rock," they thought it would be a great idea to build something that showed this nickname.
Designing the Happy Rock Mascot
In 1984, the local Chamber of Commerce held a contest. They wanted to find a design for a mascot that would represent Happy Rock. The winning design was made by Jerry Wickstead. It showed a black and white Happy Rock with a towel in one hand and waving with the other.
By 1988, the Chamber decided they wanted to build this design as a huge statue. They also planned for it to be a visitor information center.
Raising Money for the Project
From 1991 to 1993, people worked hard to raise money for the Happy Rock project. Volunteers held two bingo events. The Chamber of Commerce hosted two special dinners. A committee also held three cash prize draws. A program called the Community Places Grant Program helped too. It gave money to cover about 25% of the total cost.
Building the Giant Rock
The F.A.S.T. Corporation from Sparta, Wisconsin was chosen to build Happy Rock. Architects from Winnipeg created the plans. They decided to make Happy Rock out of fibreglass, which is a strong, lightweight material.
The construction took about four months to finish. It was completed in 1993. The whole project cost almost $92,000. When Happy Rock was finished, it stood 36 feet (11 meters) tall. It weighed around 3,000 pounds (about 1400 kilograms)!
Happy Rock Opens to Visitors
On July 1st, 1993, Happy Rock officially opened. Today, it is a special symbol for the rural community of Gladstone. It is also a very important part of tourism in the area.
Happy Rock was even featured on a Canada Post stamp! This stamp was released on July 5, 2010.
