A new exhibit at the PoMo Museum offers visitors a fresh look at nearby Rocky Point Park.
It’s built of Lego.
The 8’ X 4’ representation of Port Moody’s iconic waterfront park was assembled by 10 members of the Vancouver Lego Club over the course of two days after months of research to design and build recreations of elements like the pier, Boathouse restaurant, Pacific Coast Terminals stage, the spray park and Rocky Point Ice Cream in little plastic bricks. The model even extends over the Moody Street overpass to include some of the breweries on the city’s renowned Brewers Row.
The model is the showpiece of Construction Toys: Creativity Unleashed, the museum’s new exhibit that examines the history of building blocks, from simple wooden cubes to Meccanno to Lincoln Logs.
Brianne Egeto, PoMo Museum manager and curator, said she hopes the exhibit embarks adult visitors on a journey back into their own childhood, while younger guests might be inspired to construct their own creations that will then be added to an ever-evolving display in one of the windows at the old train station.
Egeto said emphasizing the playful aspect of history can be a fun distraction for the summer season even as it introduces a new generation to stories of Port Moody’s past.
“You build as you learn,” she said. “The community can create their own memories.”
The whimsical model of Rocky Point Park spares few details. Starfish inch up the seawall while crabs scamper across the foreshore. Seagulls hover over the Pajo’s fish and chips stand. A band rocks out on the stage and a swimmer lounges on an air mattress in the pool.
The old CPR rail station that houses the museum is included in the model, as is the trials bike park underneath the overpass. The Parkside and Rewind breweries are faithfhully recreated right down to their colour schemes and brewing tanks.
Construction Toys: Creativity Unleashed runs until Oct. 26 and includes a children’s play area as well as a building station where, for $5, visitors can construct their own Lego creations for display from a pile of supplied bricks.
