City of Revelstoke, British Columbia

Reason for Building:

Declared a guardian symbol of our forests

Additional Information:

On its belt buckle is the name "Smokey"

The plaque at the statue reads:
In Memory of PETER W. WATTS
In 1967 Pete built SMOKEY entirely by hand. At that time he operated this property as a tourist attraction known as "WEIRD WOODS". Pete passed away in 1994 at the age of 57 and this plaque is with love from Barb, Kelly and Kent who watched his dream become a reality."

Revelstoke also features full-sized grizzly bears in Grizzly Plaza and a large Human Head statue.

Information Sources: Plaque at statue, May 1968 newspaper article provided by Revelstoke Chamber of Commerce, Regan Paynter , Canada's Gigantic! by Henri Robideau, and Dean Romeril

Picture Source: Regan Paynter