This welcome sign is located on highway 36 (north-bound) in the town of Willow Bunch (Saskatchewan) Canada. The same kind of sign is also located few kilometers up north, on the same highway (south bound).
Established in 1870, the town of Willow Bunch is one of Saskatchewan's oldest settlements. It was founded by the metis & the French Canadians. The town is located on highway 36 south of the Trans Canada highway, forty minutes from the Canada-U.S. boundary near the Big Muddy Badlands in Southern Saskatchewan.
Town & RM of Willow Bunch
16 Edouard Beaupré Street
Willow Bunch, SK S0H 4K0
Phone: (306) 473-2450
Web: (
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The slogan on the sign refers to the fact that a giant was born & is also buried in the town.
Edouard Beaupré (1881 - 1924) was the eldest of 20 children born to Gaspard and Florestine Beaupré in the newly founded parish of Willow Bunch (Saskatchewan) Canada, and was the first child to be baptized in the parish. Edouard did not appear abnormally large at birth, and for the first three years of his life, his growth was relatively normal. However, Edouard's growth rate then increased dramatically, so much so that by age nine he was six feet tall, and by the age of 17 his height was recorded at 7 feet 1 inch (2.16 meters). In 1902, Edouard's height was measured at 8 feet 2.5 inches (2.50 meters) and he weighed over 400 pounds (180 kilograms). His death certificate described him as being 8 ft 3 in (2.51 m) tall and still growing.
As a young man, in order to help support his family, he went on to tour the North American freak show circuit. Over the years he would be stared at by onlookers, wrestle strongmen, and perform feats of strength. His signature stunt was crouching underneath a horse and lifting it up to his shoulders. He would then go on to star in Barnum and Bailey Circus, even though life on the road was not easy for him. (To accommodate his size, hotel staff would line up trunks to support a second mattress to lengthen his bed.) He would spend the latter part of his short life performing in freak shows and circuses reportedly lifting horses as heavy as 900 pounds (410 kg).
While in Montreal (Quebec)Canada, March 25, 1901, Edouard wrestled Louis Cyr, who was known as one of the strongest men in the world. The match was very short, Cyr winning the match, because Edouard didn't dare to really touch him, probably because of his gentle nature.
In 1902 Edouard was diagnosed with tuberculosis. By the time he reached the St. Louis World's Fair in 1904 (Missouri) USA, his rapid growth and the disease had taken a heavy toll on him. He became ill and died at a local St. Louis hospital on July 3, 1904. Even at the time of his death at age 23, doctors determined that Edouard was still growing.
When the circus refused to pay for the transportation costs back to Willow Bunch, Edouard's body was embalmed and put on display.
Around 1905, his body made its way to a museum in Montreal (Quebec) Canada and then a circus. When the circus went bankrupt, the body was claimed by the Université de Montréal, whose scientists then discovered the cause of his giant status: his pituitary gland had secreted an abnormal amount of growth hormone throughout his body.
Finally, in 1990, his remains were brought to Willow Bunch and buried during a memorial service on July 7, 1990.
Source: Internet (
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