‘A passion project’: Tse’K’wa executive director on Lego contest win

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — The recent winner of the City of Fort St. John’s Lego building contest says it was ‘a passion project’ to build the replica of a historical cave.

Alyssa Currie, executive director of the Tse’K’wa Heritage Society, says she always had a fondness for the nearly century old building toy, created in the 1930s in Denmark.

“I have two young nephews who have recently graduated from [toddler blocks] Duplo to Lego,” said Currie. “I’ve been using [them] as an excuse to buy Lego toys for myself.

“It has reignited my love of Lego. [I am] really enjoying the creative and imaginative play that comes with this toy.”

With this in mind, she knew just what she wanted to create when the city’s recreation department announced a building contest to celebrate International Lego Day on January 28th.

Contestants were tasked with recreating a favourite place or event within Fort St. John using Lego bricks. 

Fittingly, Currie chose the Tse’K’wa cave.  It is a national heritage site owned by Doig River, West Moberly and Prophet River First Nations.

Having been the executive director for three years, Currie said she was inspired by the Dane-zaa knowledge holders, the UNBC archeology field school, the plants and the words shared to her in building the mini-Tse’K’wa.

Each of those elements is on display, with figures mounted on the model telling the extended story.

“I spent a lot of time playing around the entrance to the cave,” said Currie “[To me], that is what I think of as kind of the iconic shape and overhang [of the cave].”

“I hoped to replicate an actual, fairly accurate representation of the front of the cave. I wanted to have some of the [figures] reflect some of the people and voices that have been part of what has made Tse’K’wa so special for me.”

The creation includes heritage society president Garry Oker, a member of Doig River First Nation with his traditional drum. It also features John Driver, a professor and archeologist from Simon Fraser who led excavations on the site from the 1970s to the 1990s, and figures representing elders sharing the traditional plant knowledge.

Uploading her entry to Facebook, Currie was announced as the winner of the adult category of the contest.  

Winners also included entries in children (aged four to 11) youth (12 to 17) and families (at least 1 child or youth and one adult) which were all announced on March 4th. 

The entries included replicas of the Fort St. John RCMP detachment, the city’s High on Ice Winter Festival, and the Kids Arena Fieldhouse. 

Currie, who says she has a bin full of old Lego bricks from her childhood, was awarded a gift card and a Lego set that she intends to build with her nephews.

“Lego collectors are so intense,” said Currie. “When I submitted it, [I did so] just for fun. But I thought there were some impressive Lego builders out there.”
The City of Fort St. John’s Recreation’s Facebook page has the full list of winners. The Tse’K’wa website has more details about the cave.