Meet “Little Joe” – the Inukshuk that broke the world record, according to Guinness World Records. Little Joe is the tallest Inuksuk ever to be, measuring in at 37 ft 3.9 in (11.377 m), costing about $320,000 and was created by Mr. Jose Melo of Allstone Quarry Products located in Schomberg, Ontario.
It was built back in 2007, made up of granite gneiss and comes from the Grenville Mountains, part of the Canadian Shield which is among the oldest geological formations in the world, dating back more than 1 billion years. This granite was extracted from Allstone’s quarry located in Big Wood Township near Sudbury.
The best part about this Inukshuk is that it is free standing. No nails, no adhesive substances – just 82 tonnes of solid granite.
But why did Jose decide to do this? Why build the largest Inukshuk? Jose didn’t intend to beat the world record – others pointed it out. Besides that, there were 3 important messages that Mr. Melo wanted to share –
“First, we are seeking to honour Canada’s aboriginal culture, since Inuksuit (plural for Inukshuk) are a traditional part of the Inuit way of life. Second, we wish to promote the natural beauty of Northern Ontario granite. And third, it’s our way of creating awareness of the benefits of the potential industry relating to stone products.”
It’s not just a business, it is now a Canadian landmark and Allstone welcomes not only customers, but tourists, locals and anyone passing by to meet Little Joe. And if you were to want an Inukshuk of your own, Allstone Quarry Products is the place to get it from.
