Although not yet complete, the 24-foot-long model will contain approximately 200,000 plastic bricks once completed. Bédard says that in the summer of 2024 his team plans to bring the replica to the Fortress of Louisbourg for public viewing. (Submitted by Jean Bédard) The idea for the miniature came from project leader Jean Bédard, who visited the Cape Breton National Historic Site in 2008. “My brother and I went to the fortress for the 250th anniversary of the second siege of the fortress,” said Bédard. “It was just magical with all the British and French soldiers and the fort itself and the fog.” Today’s Fort Louisbourg is a recreation of an 18th-century French fishing port and military base established during a war between France and Britain for colonial rule in the New World. The fall of Louisbourg in 1758 marked the beginning of the end for France’s North American colonies. The federal government began rebuilding the historic site in the 1960s, and it is now a major tourist attraction in Cape Breton. Bédard said he started the replica project in January 2020, and soon after that a team was formed. The five people behind the project have pitched in to cover its cost, estimated at around $20,000. One of the last sections to be completed before the replica heads to a Lego convention in Chicago in 2023 is the King’s Bastion, a former cornerstone of French military power in what is now Canada. (Submitted by Jean Bédard) Besides Bédard and his brother Louis, the team also consists of Francis St-Germain, Francis Bibeau and Étienne Beaudoin. “We try to make it as identical as possible to the real buildings, but otherwise we have to keep its size reasonable,” Bédard said. “We open a new block in the project and assign it to a member, so the member is responsible [for] building or rebuilding … so it’s very easy to do separate tasks and collaborate that way. Bédard said the replica matches the scale of the Lego minifigures spread across the scene. Bédard says one of the most difficult parts of the Louisbourg Lego model project is assembling the thin roofs on the fortress buildings. (Submitted by Jean Bédard) So far, much of the work has been completed from its grand gates and walkways to its busy yards and shipping ports. What remains to be built, however, is what Bédard calls the masterpiece of the fortress—the King’s Bastion—a cornerstone of French military might. AJB Johnston, a historian who worked at Louisbourg Castle for 23 years, said he was impressed by the precision and detail of the Lego creation. Johnston wrote the book Louisbourg: Past, Present, and Future and believes the Lego replica could generate more interest in the history of Louisbourg and its battles between the French and the British. “It’s an endless pit or an endless treasure,” he said. “Louisbourg can fascinate you in countless ways.” When completed Louisbrick’s project is estimated to cost about $20,000. (Submitted by Jean Bédard) Once completed, the ‘Louisbrick’ project will be brought to the 2023 Lego convention known as Brickworld Chicago. After its North American display, Bédard said the replica will be brought to the fortress to be displayed in 2024. And after that, the plastic pieces of the structure will peel off so the team can start creating something new. The five-member team behind the Louisbrick project are shown from left to right, Francis St-Germain, Jean Bédard, Francis Bibeau, Louis Bédard and Étienne Beaudoin. (Submitted by Jean Bédard)
