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The Height of Canadian Architecture

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In 1995, when the Canada National Railway crown company privatized, the tower ownership was transferred to the Canada Lands Corporation, Although no longer owned by CN Railway, the name has stuck – though it no longer officially stands for “Canada National” as in the railway, and has radically transformed to “Canada’s National Tower”

One of the most prominent modern structure in Canada, the CN Tower is the tallest tower in the western hemisphere, and at over 553 meters, currently stands as the 9th largest structure in the world. Completed on June 26, 1976, the tower’s notoriety has grown over the years as it has established itself as a significant tourist landmark and icon of not just the city of Toronto, but for the entire nation. Chris Abrams of MBLUG in Manitoba has put together this whopper of a LEGO model, standing at over 2 meters tall – a size that only seems small in comparison to the real tower itself.

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The Breaking of the Sword

“It is an inspired expression in stone, chiselled by a skilful Canadian hand, of Canada’s salute to her fallen sons.”

— King Edward VIII referring to the memorial during his 1936 speech

The Canadian National Vimy Memorial is one of only two Canadian National Historic sites located outside of Canada, and is situated at the most storied battlefield in Canadian military history. As such, it is a fitting subject for recognition as part of Canada’s history in LEGO. John Koob and Chris Gray of NALUG spent over 3000 hours to complete their model over a span of 5 years, incorporating over 150000 LEGO parts.

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A Row of Delicious Looking Jellybean Houses

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There is no one street in Saint John’s that features the Jellybean houses, as they are scattered all throughout downtown neighbourhoods of Saint John’s. If you wish to see them all, be sure to bring some good walking shoes and be ready for hiking up and down the hills.

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.

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Redefining Urban Living

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In the nascent stages of the project’s design, Moshe Sadfie, the architect of Habitat 67, scoured toy stores across Montreal to purchase LEGO bricks to help with his original vision

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.

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A Beacon on the Water

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You can almost smell the salt-air rising up from the waves crashing on the rocks in this build.. or is that the scent coming off of the beard of the lighthouse keeper?

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!

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Pointe-à-Callière Museum

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Named after the third governor of Montreal, Louis-Hector de Callière, the Pointe-à-Callière Museum is said to be built on the very spot where the city of Montréal was founded.

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.

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Splendour Without Diminishment

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Splendor Sine Occasu (translation in the title), the motto of British Columbia that appears on the provincial Coat of Arms, not only refers to the natural beauty of the province, but also references the province’s strong ties to it’s British heritage, with the sun never setting on the British Empire.

Home of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia, the B.C. Parliament Buildings can be found in the province’s capital of Victoria. Waylon Klix from SLUG (Saskatchewan LEGO User Group) felt compelled to prove true the province’s motto by capturing the timeless beauty of the Neo-Baroque building in micro-scale – a feat captured by Waylon’s use of variations of gray that seem to add a sense of history to the LEGO model.

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Canada’s Grand Railway Hotels – The Royal York Hotel

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When completed in 1929, the Royal York Hotel (now Fairmont Royal York Hotel) was the tallest building in the British Empire

As Canada’s railways were constructed following Confederation in 1867, people riding those rails needed places to stay.  Railway companies began constructing hotels at or near their train stations, using what is now referred to as a chateau-style or ‘chateauesque’ style of architecture. Jeff Van Winden (jeffvw) from WHaCKoLuG has put together a fabulous micro build of the Royal York Hotel, Toronto’s Grand Railway Hotel, and for a ‘microscale’ model, this building is anything but micro!

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Saint Michael’s Cathedral Basilica

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Founded in 1848, Saint Michael’s Cathedral Basilica is one of the oldest unchanged monuments in Toronto architecture

Saint Michael’s Cathedral Basilica serves as the principal church of Canada’s largest English speaking Catholic archdiocese. Vivian Lo from ToroLUG has managed to capture the grandeur of the building wonderfully, in a small-but-mighty microscale model.

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