ToroLUG‘s Jeff ‘dr_spock_888‘ Lee is back at it again, with a pair of nuclear themed builds. The CANDU reactors are a Canadian based nuclear power generation technology that has been implemented all around the world, providing nuclear power to South Korea, Romania, China, and Argentina, amongst other nations.
One of the many iconic images of Newfoundland life is the vision of brightly painted houses, lined up in a row. These homes are scattered across the city of Saint John’s, and builder Christopher Ursu of SLUG was inspired to build this model after viewing a painting by Canadian artist Barbara A. Clark.
Continue reading “A Row of Delicious Looking Jellybean Houses”
The Habitat 67 structure is not only one of the most iconic pieces of Montreal architecture, but truly one of the most iconic pieces of modern Canadian architecture. Alongside Buckminster Fuller’s geodesic dome which now stands as the Biodome, it is one of two remaining creations from Montreal’s famed 1967 World Expo. SLUG’s Nicole Gent, of Balgonie, Saskatchewan, was inspired following a recent trip visiting relatives in Montreal, and has managed a faithful recreation of the structure in microscale, and it does a wonderful job of capturing the intricacy and detail of its counterpart.
When building with LEGO, the builders bricks become the tools – so Toronto LEGO User Group member Jeff Lee is getting a little self-referential here in building a tool out of tools. But not just any tool – no, ask any handy Canadian, and they will tell you at length about the superior power of the Canadian invented Robertson screw head.
Full marks to Jared Rosenblitt of ToroLUG for presentation on this build, delicately laid out over a Canadian flag, with a smaller, LEGO brick built flag standing upright next to it. The white trillium is the provincial flower of Ontario, and as an Ontarian, Jared is certainly showing his pride at both a provincial and federal level with this build! The sails are of course an outstanding way to find a less typical LEGO piece and use it in a non-conventional way. Even the shaping on the green leaves is phenomenal, and instantly recognizable.
With the Canadian motto of a mare usque ad mare, translated as from sea to sea, it should come as no surprise that lighthouses would play a prominent role in defining Canadian identity. Canada’s history is one tied deeply with mariners, fishermen, and sea travelers, so it is no wonder then that Rocco Nufrio of ToroLUG decided to build this beautiful little diorama. The style of the building itself is quite engaging, but it is the landscape that really brings the piece together, and the pair of seagulls, circling the beacon suspended by two transparent arms, is also a very nice touch!
Saskatchewan’s Waylon Klix is at it again with a pair of ornithological wonders! Just one look at these two little birds make them instantly recognizable as a chickadee and a jay – and the two are indeed rather iconic birds in the field (or trees, perhaps?) of Canadian fauna. The use of sloping bricks in shaping the birds is excellent, and the colouring is spot on. And the beaks are completed to great effect, with the small chicakdee bill being a particular stand-out.
There are few Canadian pastimes more popular than heading down to a local arena, skating rink, or frozen body of water, and slapping on a pair of skates (or ‘ice skates’ as they are known to non-Canadians). Julie vanderMeulen of ToroLUG shows she has all the right moves) and all the right LEGO pieces) to put together these awesome blades of steel. The details on the laces and the blades are amazing, and the shaping of the whole foot itself is nothing short of remarkable.
For centuries the Atlantic cod provided a way of life for Canadians. Jeff Lee of ToroLUG (dr_spock_888) has built a model of a small cod fishing trawler, which captures the essence of what sustained the people of Newfoundland, and much of Canada, for so much of its history. Even the water has a feel that calls out to Canada’s cool Atlantic coast.
Do not let the relatively modern exterior of the Pointe-à-Callière Museum in Montréal fool you – for inside is one of the greatest archaeological history museum’s in all of Canada. Not only renowned for it’s artifacts, the facade envelopes an interior of integrated historic buildings and landmarks. All of these elements combined is what drew Sébastien Bouthillette (Cbast, from Quebec’s QuéLUG) to bring this to life in LEGO bricks.
Canada Builds 150 