Meaford, Ontario, has many apple orchards. A “Big Apple” tourist information booth was built in 1974 for Meaford’s centennial, and was modeled after the tomato-shaped tourist information booth built in 1961 in Leamington, Ontario. The apple-shaped structure is 12 feet high ant 15 feet in diameter.
   
Meaford used the tourist slogan “The Other Big Apple” from 2011 to 2014.
   
Similar “Big Apple” roadside attractions include a “Big Red Apple” in Cornelia, Georgia (1926-present), a “Big Apple” that was in Wathena, Kansas (1928-1940), a “Big Apple” kiosk in Mumbles, Swansea Bay, Wales (1930s-present), a “Big Apple” at Robinette’s Apple Haus in Grand Rapids, Michigan (1973-present), a “Big Apple” in Thulimbah, Queensland, Australia (1978-present), a “Big Apple” in Colborne, Ontario, Canada (1987-present), a “Big Apple” at the Big Apple Cafe & Event Centre in Waitomo Caves, New Zealand (1995-present), a “Big Apple” in Medina, New York (2000-present), a “Big Apple” at the Yamanashi Prefectural Museum in Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan (2008-present), “La Mela Reintegrata” or “The Apple Made Whole Again” at Central Station in Milan, Italy (2015-present) and the “Big Apple of New England” at the Johnny Appleseed Visitors Center in Lancaster, Massachusetts (2019-present).
       
   
Wikipedia: Meaford, Ontario
Meaford is a municipality in Grey County, Ontario, Canada. Meaford is located on Nottawasaga Bay, a sub-basin of Georgian Bay and Owen Sound Bay, in the traditional territory of the Saugeen Ojibway Nation in southern Ontario. The municipality’s seal and motto reflect its heritage as a place of apple orchards, but in the 21st century the area has partly switched to weekend homes, seasonal homes, and lakeside tourism.
       
BigThings.ca   
Big Apple Booth of Meaford, Ontario
At 15 feet in diameter, this big apple roadside attraction is actually a tourist info booth. It’s quite a silly sight! Meaford produces more apples than any other region in Ontario
 
Twitter 
BOUNCE 92.3
@BounceRadio923
Meaford’s big apple may not be for sale after all http://923thedock.com/archives/34896 #news #meaford #apple
9:21 AM · Feb 21, 2014·Twitter for Websites
   
21 February 2014, Sun Times (Owen Sound, ON), “Chamber having second thoughts about selling apple” by Scott Dunn, pg. A1:
The booth, modelled on a tomato-shaped information booth in Leamington, Ont., has stood near Meaford Hall since it was built in time for the centennial of Meaford becoming a town in 1874, Keaveney said.
 
Twitter
Bayshore News
@NewsBayshore
The tag line “the Other Big Apple” is history, but #Meaford’s “Big Apple” isn’t going anywhere http://bit.ly/1lC9u1a
12:10 PM · Apr 2, 2014·Twitter Web Client
 
Twitter
The Meaford Express
@meafordexpress
#Meaford’s Big Apple now selling special treats http://simcoe.com/news-story/5739286-big-apple-in-meaford-now-selling-special-butter-tarts/
10:31 AM · Jul 21, 2015·Twitter Web Client
 
Twitter
Carolyn Bennett
@Carolyn_Bennett
Ahhhh all outta famous #Meaford Apple butter tarts meafordchamber.ca Big Apple
@girlfromgrey Kim Love #BGOS #cdnpoli
1:24 PM · Aug 1, 2015·Twitter for BlackBerry
 
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Roadside Attractions
@Roadside_Canada
The famous Big Apple in #Meadford! #MarchBreak #RoadTrip
7:52 PM · Mar 13, 2018·Twitter for iPhone
         
Twitter
Meaford
@Meaford
#Meaford Council is now looking at Visitor Information options involving the big apple in downtown Meaford. See the report here: http://ow.ly/MSxV30lX9Sw
4:49 PM · Sep 24, 2018·Hootsuite Inc.
 
Twitter
John C. Borthwick (he/him/his)
@jborthwik
Day 9 - to @Meaford What will we find as we continue our virtual #RoadsideRoadtrip there? Apparently not just one Thing of Unusual Size but a plethora! A Big Apple that looks very similar to
@Leam_Chamber’s [Tomato] and not just one Big Chair but a whole Big Chair tour! What a day!
7:21 AM · Apr 16, 2020·Twitter for iPhone

Twitter
allan g
@algibbons
Excited to be an official citizen of Meaford. A pic with the big apple makes it real.
#MeafNation Red appleGreen apple
7:34 PM · Mar 2, 2021·Twitter for iPhone
 
Meaford (ON) Independent
A History of Meaford’s Big Apple
June 3, 2021
Updated: June 3, 2021
The Meaford Apple, also known as the Big Apple, has been an iconic local tourist spot for decades, welcoming thousands of out-of-towners annually for tourism information and souvenir photos. The Big Apple was built in 1974, after the Town of Meaford received generous funding from Globe Mills Limited. E.C. King Construction in Owen Sound donated the concrete slab to act as a base for building the apple, and Ormsby Concrete in Meaford donated a number of construction materials for the unique project.
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From there, the local Kinsmen volunteered the labour to build the 12-foot high, 15-foot diameter structure.
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Today, it is used as a seasonal information booth to promote local tourism and events.