LEGO enthusiasts build 10,000-piece replica of Halifax Citadel
Maritime LEGO enthusiasts were busy in Halifax Saturday afternoon, putting the finishing touches on their scale replica of the Halifax Citadel National Historic Site.
The replica features more than 10,000 LEGO bricks and took members of the Maritime LEGO Users group (MariLUG) months to build.
The last few pieces were added at the Halifax Central Library as part of their MiniCON event, which celebrates all things geeky.
Several young library visitors assisted MariLUG members during the event.
“We’ve got some really easy to follow instructions and we’ve got some people helping,” said Shawn McLeod, MariLUG’s event manager.
“We’ve had a number of young kids come out and actually get to put the bricks together to make the plastic replica – they can feel a part of ownership of the replica.”
The instructions were made possible thanks to a software called Studio, which LEGO provides for free to casual builders and professionals who want to make their own designs.
“You can scroll through every single brick that LEGO has ever made, in every colour that they’ve ever made, and just snap them together and you can print off a list of all the parts, and that’s basically what we did,” said McLeod.
“One of our members did the design back in December and then we ordered the parts -- got them in from BrickLink stores from Germany or from the north end of Halifax or from some down in the southern United States. They all arrived in big bags and then we just followed the instructions to put them back together."
The replica will be showcased at the real Halifax Citadel's visitor centre from June 1 to the end of October.
It will also travel to the Toronto area for a week in July for the Bricks in the Six convention – Canada’s largest LEGO fan event.
“We’re going to have it there and it’s going to be in a big display table next to the Toronto group that’s there. We’re really excited to show it off with the world and get it out there in the public, because LEGO shouldn’t be sitting in someone’s basement all the time, it should be on display.”
The Halifax Citadel replica isn’t MariLUG's first Maritime creation.
One of the group’s founding members previously built a replica of the Halifax Town Clock and their president recently made a custom New Brunswick Southern Railway locomotive.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
![](https://www.ctvnews.ca/polopoly_fs/1.6976654.1721864632!/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_800/image.jpg)
DEVELOPING Jasper updates: Wildfire reaches southern outskirts of townsite
One of two wildfires threatening the townsite in Jasper National Park has reached the southern outskirts of the Alberta Rockies community.
Alberta calls in army to assist with wildfire situation
Alberta has called in the Canadian Armed Forces to help assist with the worsening wildfire situation in the province.
Biden says he ended re-election bid to unite party
U.S. President Joe Biden on Wednesday delivered a solemn call to voters to defend the country's democracy as he laid out in an Oval Office address his decision to drop his bid for reelection and throw his support behind Vice President Kamala Harris.
Barrie-Innisfil MPP 'blacked-out' and crashed car into window of child care centre
Staff at a Barrie child care centre say they are frustrated by what they call a local MPP's inadequate response after a car crashed through a window in one of the toddler rooms.
2 Canadians being 'sent home immediately,' removed from Olympic team after drone incident
An analyst and an assistant coach with Canada Soccer are being removed from the Canadian Olympic Team and 'sent home immediately,' according to the Canadian Olympic Committee.
An unwelcome attendee has joined the Paris Olympic Games: COVID-19
After a handful of Australian water polo players tested positive for COVID-19 this week, questions have emerged around how the spread of the disease will be mitigated at the Summer Olympic Games in Paris.
Vacations, meals, booze: Contractor used $100K of charity's money for personal expenses, B.C. court finds
A B.C. man who was hired to help a non-profit build a food hub but instead spent the money on personal expenses – including travel, restaurants, booze and cannabis – has been ordered to pay more than $120,000 in damages.
Male, female killed, 2 others injured in 'gun battle' outside Toronto plaza: police
Two people are dead and two others suffered serious injuries following a shooting that police have described as a 'gun battle' outside a plaza in Scarborough, Ont. early Wednesday morning.
Wildfire north of Calgary prompts evacuation alert, highway closures
A wildfire is prompting evacuations and highway closures north of Calgary.