ANTIGONISH, NS – The Antigonish Heritage Museum recently announced its 4th annual Lego heritage contest, with entries due on April 13th.
“Every year, the entries continue to blow us away,” says Dr. Barry MacKenzie, curator of the Museum. “We love that the contest appeals to the creative side of so many people.”
This year, the contest has broadened its focus, MacKenzie notes. “For the first three years, the only stipulation was that the entries were models of buildings in Antigonish Town and County constructed at least 100 years ago.” He continues, “For our fourth annual contest, we’ve broadened that category to include heritage buildings from anywhere in Nova Scotia. We’ve also added a new category: important moments in Canadian history.”
MacKenzie hopes that this new category will encourage those who may not like to just build three dimensional buildings, and allow them to add a level of creativity that can bring a moment to life. “I know we have one young person building a model representing the deportation of the Acadians, for example,” MacKenzie said. “We’re hoping this additional category will bring new folks into the orbit of the event.”
This year the contest will be special for another reason, too. Jonas Tkacz, whose co-built models of St. James United Church and St Ninian Cathedral won top prizes in the first two annual contests, died earlier this winter. The Museum has announced that it has renamed the “People’s Choice Award” in his honour. “Jonas was a special part of this contest,” MacKenzie notes. “We are very pleased to be able to keep his memory, and his love for Lego, alive by this prize in his honour.”
