Big Dinosaurs, Towering Obelisk

Ragueneau, Quebec

Monsieur Renald Girard, described by the local tourism industry as "a man of iron with a heart of gold," decided that the region needed a physical tribute to its former pioneers and current volunteers.

So he and his son built two dinosaurs and a 100-foot-high obelisk.

The dinosaurs -- brachiosaurs -- were built first, in 1994. Made of steel-reinforced plaster, they were originally coral pink but have been repainted in various colors over the years. Tourists like to sit on their sloping tails and necks, and the sculptures seems to have survived this derriere onslaught in good shape.

The obelisk followed a year later. One-hundred feet high, it has nine stacked levels, supposedly representing the Manicouagan region and its eight municipalities.

Although his intentions were good, Girard never coherently explained his choice of symbols. The obelisk is vague, but at least it's a standard form. The brachiosaurs, which have never been found in Quebec, are a puzzle. Was he saying that the pioneers were lumbering, or powerful, or extinct?