Rick Lovett makes a small battleship every year in a tent in his backyard. This year, the 1758 Fortress of Louisberg is his centerpiece.
But he doesn’t stop there. He also has a scene from a Napoleonic War and the Second World War combat in Ortona, Italy.
“I’ve been a history buff my whole life,” says Lovett. “Especially military history. I have a ton of books on it and do a bunch of research. I love learning new things, especially military battles.”
Lovett has been honing his hobby for over 30 years.
“I made a couple of ships and it just grew from that,” he says. “My space got too small for it, so we had to expand.”
He now has a whole tent in his backyard to show off his scenes for friends and neighbours.
“Most of them are like, ‘wow Rick, I can’t believe you’ve done that,’” he says.
Though Lovett changes his battle scenes every year, he continues to keep all his models. He has around 50 to 60 different buildings and between 2,000 and 3,000 different military figures.
“It takes so long to make them, it would be a sin to throw them away,” he says.
Lovett paints and builds in his workshop all winter long, sometimes up to six hours a day. His workshop is full of models and books he uses to make sure he gets all the details right.
‘It’s getting pretty full now,” he says. “Busting at the seams.”
Model shop owner Greg Hatt has never seen a collection like Lovett’s.
“Oh, I think it’s incredible,” he says. “Absolutely incredible. I wouldn’t have the patience to do something like this. My hat’s off to the gentleman who did this, that’s for sure.”
“Everyone that has a hobby wants to get better at it,” says Lovett. I’m no different than that.”
With files from CTV Atlantic’s Kelly Linehan.
