Okotoks Erratic
The Big Rock is a glacial erratic situated just southwest of the town of Okotoks, Alberta, Canada (18 kilometres south of Calgary). At approximately 15,000 tonnes (16,500 short ton), the Big Rock is the world's largest known glacial erratic.
History
The Big Rock was transported far from its original place at the Athabasca Glacier, by glacial ice over 10,000 years ago.
The people of the Blackfoot First Nation used the Big Rock as a landmark for finding a crossing over the Sheep River (where Okotoks stands today) long before European settlement. The name Big Rock comes from the town's name Okotoks, which is derived from "o'kotok" [ˈo.kə.tok], the Blackfoot First Nation word for "Large Rock".
In recent years, erosion has caused the erratic to split into two halves. The first noticable signs of mass erosion were documented back in 1991.
Fame in the beverage world
Since 1985, Big Rock Brewery has been in business, brewing beer in honor of the Big Rock. The brewery was founded by Ed McNally, and the brewmaster is Bernd "Peppy" Pieper, considered to be one of the best brewmasters in the world.