Sept. 21, 1995: Glendon mayor wants giant perogy on new toonie

Glendon, Alta., mayor Johnnie Doonanco felt the Royal Canadian Mint could find a more powerful image to emblazon its $2 coin than a polar bear: a giant perogy, for example.

The village's claim to fame is its 27-foot-high monument, a fork topped by the world's largest perogy, a symbol of Glendon's large Ukrainian community.

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Doonanco wrote a letter to the mint (including a postcard and a pin to grease some palms) outlining why Glendon's perogy deserved to become a national symbol.

"Why choose the polar bear?" the mayor asked. "The reason for them choosing the polar bear they said, is because it's strong. But if it doesn't have any perogies to eat, it's not going to be strong very long, is it?"

The steel and fibreglass perogy has left an indelible mark on the village, creating a theme roundly embraced by the community and attracting tourists.

No doubt, if Doonanco's pitch to the Royal Canadian Mint had succeeded, it would have been a boon to Glendon.

But to date, no perogy has been stamped onto the $2 coin.