Abbotsford Lego builder Kevin Bergstresser will showcase his creations in April at BrickCan, the largest public exhibition in B.C.
Lego has satisfied Bergstresser’s creative mind since he was a child.
“I love building things, creating things and learning from the process of it,” he said. “Something as simple as even the smallest set is an experience that hits home for me. I learn each time.”
When Bergstresser was five years old, he played with his older brother’s Lego. At age six his parents bought him a Lego space set, and then he was hooked.
Since Bergstresser was a toddler he has loved seeing buildings, roads and stadiums built. When his family travelled on road trips, he begged to go into the downtown cores to see the tall buildings.
Reading maps and studying the construction also fuelled the urge for Bergstresser to create the landscapes he loved out of Lego. However, living in a family with minimal financial means meant his parents could not buy the abundance of parts he needed to build the city landscapes he dreamed of.
“What I lacked in brick I made up for in fun, imagination and some cool story lines,” Bergstresser said.
The dream never left. When Bergstresser was 25 he got back into Lego and had the financial means to support his passion. But after becoming a father, moving houses and starting his own business, Lego building was once again not at the forefront.
In 2010, during a trip to Disneyland, Bergstresser toured the Lego store and saw the newer sets for adult builders. Bergstresser, 37 at the time, was just like that six-year-old kid who first got into Lego. He was hooked again.
During COVID-19, Bergstresser was building a lot in his basement and garage, which only further fuelled his hobby. His current craze began in 2010 and started a serious journey into much larger scale and complicated builds that he is still doing now.
Bergstresser questions why he never became an engineer – he owns a flooring and interiors company in Surrey – considering he loves everything about building. Despite the fact he didn’t turn his interest into a career, the passion to build is still a massive part of his life.
“How things are built, created and have evolved just fascinates me,” he said. “Ever drive over a suspension bridge and wonder how in the world it stays up and does not fall down? I love that puzzle. To now be able to learn how and create similar projects really fills that curiosity need.”
The devotion is something he shares with the whole family. His oldest daughter helps build the most while his youngest daughter helps with the setup.
His wife participates in all areas and recently helped Bergstresser build a replica of the Fort Langley Community Hall. Bergstresser and his daughter even won an award at BrickCan in 2017 and were featured on Beyond the Brick TV on YouTube.
Bergstresser is the president of the Fraser Valley Lego Users Group. With members from across the Lower Mainland, the group meets once a month to discuss events, ideas and socialize. They do various events a year, the biggest being the Abbotsford Agrifair.
Bergstresser has had the opportunity to do some professional work too. He provided a lot of the building and setup time for the movie set of Christmas Chronicles Two in 2019. He has also worked on displays for Science World and Toys R Us and receives private build requests.
“The Lego community is incredible,” Bergstresser said. “It is diverse, friendly, welcoming and positive. It has changed my life in a lot of ways since I became very immersed in it.”
Bergstresser’s work will be on display at the four-day BrickCan event at the River Rock Casino in Richmond from April 18 to 21. The last two days are open to the public to marvel at the amazing displays and get inspiration from fellow adult fans of Lego.
To learn more, visit brickcan.com.
– with files from Kyler Emerson
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