A bologna mascot upstages Santa every year in the St. John's, N.L., Christmas parade
Kids and adults alike waved, cheered and scrambled to get selfies with the star of the annual Christmas parade in downtown St. John's, N.L., on Sunday morning.
But it wasn't the man in red they were after; their man's suit was a mild, intestinal pink.
The Maple Leaf Foods Mr. Big Stick mascot is a waving, walking, cylindrical stick of bologna -- complete with a top knot -- which has been a staple of the city's parade for over 25 years. According to the meat company, Mr. Big Stick is unique to Newfoundland, and the St. John's parade is his main regular gig.
Gaylynne Gulliver, spokesperson for Downtown St. John's, the city's business association, said it's tough to pin down exactly why the Big Stick mascot is such a draw.
"I think that it's just so random and ridiculous," she said in a recent interview. "He's a baloney with arms and legs, and it's just really funny!"
She said she'd never imagined she'd spend so much of her career fielding questions about a person dressed up as a tube of processed meat.
Maple Leaf doesn't track bologna sales by province, but the company said in a recent email that Atlantic Canada is by far the largest consumer of its Big Stick product. The mascot has been around since 1987, and it's been taking part in the Christmas Parade for over 25 years.
"Maple Leaf Foods recognizes the affinity, love and nostalgia that Newfoundlanders have for Big Stick as it is unofficially part of the fabric of Newfoundland," the company said.
Though most Canadian consumers might know bologna as a lunch meat packaged in thin slices, in Newfoundland and Labrador the meat has a different form. Consumers can buy intact logs -- they're sold in in 1.2 or 4.5-kilogram formats -- and slice it themselves. Or they can head to their local corner store where the clerk will slice it -- "thick or thin?" -- and price it by the pound.
Amanda Pierce works at Whites Mini Mart, which is one of several St. John's convenience stores selling bologna, and she said people get "super excited" about it.
"We can sell upwards of four Big Sticks a week, if not more," Pierce said in an interview. "I think it's an easy meal. You can make a quick sandwich, or quick fry it up, you know what I mean?"
Pierce said she doesn't eat bologna much herself, but when she does, she likes it barbecued or served with eggs for breakfast.
Gulliver agrees that bologna is a "way of life" in the province, which could help explain why adults with no children regularly head to the parade to high-five Mr. Big Stick.
"He's become nothing short of a phenomenon," she said. "There's T-shirts, Christmas ornaments, keychains ... there are so many pictures that are taken of him."
Though Maple Leaf said the reception each year makes the man in the bologna suit feel like a "rock star," his identity is kept quiet.
That's by his choosing, Gulliver said. He loves playing Mr. Big Stick, but he's a shy, quiet guy who doesn't want the personal attention.
"He's a baloney of few words," she said.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 4, 2022.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Several flight attendants from Pakistan have gone missing after landing in Canada
Multiple flight attendants from Pakistan International Airlines have abandoned their jobs and are believed to have sought asylum in Canada in the past year and a half, a spokesperson for the government-owned airline says.
BREAKING Ottawa public school board, 3 Toronto-area school boards launch lawsuit against social media giants
The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board and three school boards in the Toronto-area have launched legal action against social media giants, accusing them of "disrupting students' fundamental right to education."
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 mm among weather alerts in effect for 7 provinces
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 millimetres, air quality advisories and other alerts have been issued for seven Canadian provinces, according to the latest forecasts.
Tipping is off the table at this Toronto restaurant
A Toronto restaurant introduced a surprising new rule that reduced the cost of a meal and raised the salaries of staff.
A Nigerian woman reviewed some tomato puree online. Now she faces jail
A Nigerian woman who wrote an online review of a can of tomato puree is facing imprisonment after its manufacturer accused her of making a “malicious allegation” that damaged its business.
Donald Trump assails judge and his daughter after gag order in N.Y. hush-money criminal case
Donald Trump lashed out Wednesday at the New York judge who put him under a gag order that bars him from commenting publicly about witnesses, prosecutors, court staff and jurors in his upcoming hush-money criminal trial.
A fight to protect the dignity of Michelangelo's David raises questions about freedom of expression
Michelangelo's David has been a towering figure in Italian culture since its completion in 1504. But in the current era of the quick buck, curators worry the marble statue's religious and political significance is being diminished.
Doctors visiting a Gaza hospital are stunned by the war's toll on Palestinian children
An international team of doctors visiting a hospital in central Gaza was prepared for the worst. But the gruesome impact Israel’s war against Hamas is having on Palestinian children still left them stunned.
China's latest EV is a 'connected' car from smart phone and electronics maker Xiaomi
Xiaomi, a well-known maker of smart consumer electronics in China, is joining the country's booming but crowded market for electric cars.