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PHOTOS: Bricks by the Sea Lego showcase aims to recall childhood memories

Maritime Lego fans present a fantasy world for the 20th year

4 min read
Citadel in Lego
caption MariLUG enthusiasts together built the Halifax Citadel National Historic Site in May.

Maritime Lego fans got together at the Museum of Natural History last Thursday, to build a fantasy world that will run through the holiday season.

The Lego exhibition Bricks by the Sea was first established in 2003 by enterprise architect and hardcore Lego fan, Owen Grace, who still organizes the annual event. He also created a community for Maritime Lego enthusiasts called MariLUG.

Grace said the best part of Lego building is “having a conversation with someone and having them remember something from their childhood.”

“(It’s) a triggering memory for people who are looking at it,” he said.

This year’s showcase employs about 20,000 Lego bricks to feature a 20-metre-long fantasy cityscape that includes elements from movie and television favourites such as Home Alone and the Marvel cinematic universe.

The showcase also features individual Lego creations, including the Titanic, characters from the Simpsons and the Disney movie Wall-E.

The showcase continues until Jan. 6.

Men building Lego towers
caption A toy train will be running on the track after the cityscape building is completed.
A man puts plastic plants into Lego buildings
caption Every year, Owen Grace and his Lego friends add new things to the Lego constructions.
Woody
caption Trevor Pearson-Jones adds the Halifax Christmas tree Woody to this year’s Lego showcase. He first designed the Lego Woody with a nutcracker mouth mechanism for MariLUG’s other event.
Man opening window of a Lego house
caption Grace said he hosts a yearly exhibition to share his Lego collection.
Man builds car dealership
caption Ben VanZeumeren grew up watching his father play Lego and now he has become a member of the MariLUG community.
hand putting a toy car down
caption Ben VanZeumeren built the Porsche and Land Rover dealerships for the cityscape.
Lego versions of Wall-E and Beatles
caption Popular figurines such as Wall-E, the Beatles’ Yellow Submarine and a replica of the Titanic, are also on display.
replica of NYC from Marvel comics
caption The Lego cityscape is a diverse combination of Lego sets and imaginative creations.
Lego replica of a starwar ship
caption There are Christmas gadgets added to the Lego Millennium Falcon.

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About the author

Yuan Wang

Yuan Wang comes from China. She has an interest in international news and non-fiction. She also has a background in documentary production.

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