The first town you reach, as you come down from Crowsnest Pass into British Columbia, is BC’s easternmost town. But this coal-mining community has a much bigger claim to fame.
It would be impossible to visit Sparwood, and miss the World’s Largest Truck, the Terex Titan. It’s located at the edge of the Crowsnest Highway, and right across the street from the town’s shopping mall on Aspen Drive.
The Terex Titan is, indeed, huge. It’s 6.88 meters (22 feet, 7 inches) high, meaning it wouldn’t even come close to fitting under most highway overpasses. It’s 20.35 meters (66 feet, 9 inches) long — about as long as a tractor-trailer. And it’s 7.8 meters (25 feet, 7 inches) wide — meaning it would take up two Interstate lanes, with a little hanging over into the breakdown lane. The Titan is one-of-a-kind, built as a prototype by GM Canada in 1973. It was used for 13 years in surface mining, then restored and put on display in Sparwood.
It’s tough to get the proper perspective on this truck, just by seeing pictures. But look closely in the photo above, at the tiny person in the lower left corner. Yep, it would take another guy, standing on his shoulders, just to reach the top of the Titan’s tires.
Unlike the communities in Crowsnest Pass, Sparwood is still very dependant on coal mining. There’s a huge above-ground mine near town, that employs several hundred of Sparwood’s residents. You can stop by the visitor center (next to the Titan) and arrange a tour, during the summer.
Aside from the Titan, I didn’t find much to see in Sparwood. The downtown district is located behind the shopping mall. I drove through, but didn’t stop (you’ll be able to see it on the Drivelapse video).
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