BrickCan’s LEGO Exhibition returns to Richmond
Posted April 23, 2023 2:07 pm.
Last Updated April 23, 2023 2:10 pm.
LEGO skyscrapers, cities, fire halls, and some familiar Vancouver sites could all be spotted at BrickCan’s LEGO Exhibition in Richmond.
The event returned after a three-year pandemic hiatus, and organizers say more than 5,000 people were expected to attend the two-day, sold-out event on Saturday and Sunday.
Creatives used their building skills to recreate everything from spaceships to buses, and one builder decided to create a familiar site — the barge that washed up on English Bay.
More than 5,000 people were expected to attend BrickCan’s LEGO exhibition in Richmond. (Angela Bower, CityNews Image)
“I would say the barge inspired me heavily…It’s just an awesome pop culture event to happen to Vancouver…My wife and I moved out here right around the time the barge washed ashore,” Derek Brameyer explained.
He says the scene he recreated was “inspired by real life.”
“You walk down English Beach and you see all these people just hanging out, trying to get onto the barge and getting turned away by various construction workers,” he said.
Other notable Metro Vancouver landmarks were also represented, just like a replica of Fire Hall 8 that is in Surrey’s Cloverdale.
More than 5,000 people were expected to attend BrickCan’s LEGO exhibition in Richmond. (Angela Bower, CityNews Image)
“This is built as accurate as I could get it with the pictures and the tours that I had. So it’s got complete interior workout spaces, recreation areas, dorm area, kitchen bathrooms, all that kind of stuff,” builder Patrick Peters explained.
Some projects take months to actually complete, like a vintage ZH1 film camera entirely made out of LEGO.
Zung Hoang, the Vancouverite creator, says the camera takes 35-millimeter film and can snap actual pictures.
But once the photos are taken, they need to be processed the old way — by developing the film.
Along with the builders, dozens also showed up to take a look at the constructions, gather inspiration, or simply for the love of LEGO.
Caleb Knudsen says he has been a fan since he was six years old.
“I think it’s really fun to design, and it’s very creative. I find it calming…just to go through with it and express my ideas with it,” he said.
He adds that he plans on becoming a LEGO designer and going to the birthplace of the popular pastime.
“My dream is to go to Denmark and work with LEGO,” he said.
LEGO has been around for more than 90 years and continues to be popular with people of all ages.
