Lego Certified Professional brings 6,000 bricks to North Saanich

Out of billions of people on the planet, only 28 hold the title of Lego Certified Professional (LCP). The very first person to ever earn that designation is bringing roughly 6,000 bricks to North Saanich to construct a mystery masterpiece. Robin Sather is set to perform a live Lego build at Canadian Tire (10300 McDonald Park Rd.) on Saturday, June 27. The daylong event runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and will feature a North Saanich Fire Department FireSmart BBQ. All proceeds will support

Jumpstart to help local youth access sports and recreation. In addition to watching Sather work on his project, attendees can pick up one of 200 Make & Take Canadian flag kits available by donation. View this post on Instagram While Sather’s career is a dream for many, it began as a way to relax. Working as an IT professional in the early 2000s, he would come home and build with Lego to decompress. After organizing local clubs and noticing massive lineups at shopping malls whenever

fan creations were put on display, Sather pitched the idea of a certified professional program directly to the Lego company. “There wasn’t really a way for people to stay independent and just be kind of professional Lego people,” Sather said. “We created a mechanism whereby people could be vetted, and trusted by the company, and then go out and extend the Lego love in places.” The LCP program launched in 2005 with Sather as the inaugural member. While other LCP members have since gone on

to build massive exhibits utilizing dozens of employees, the Abbotsford-based builder prefers a more personal approach. A 2.5 metre quarter scale orca sculpture, completely assembled by hand during an interactive live weekend build. (Photo courtesy of Robin Sather) “I like to focus on the smaller regional things, and just really having fun with smaller organizations, and more local and Canadian stuff,” Sather said. “I love meeting people. So I love being one to one, doing a build, or sharing a make and take kit.” Sather

is no stranger to the Saanich Peninsula. He has spent the last 15 years helping enhance the Sidney Museum during their annual Lego exhibit, providing custom kits and completing large scale builds. Attendees of the June 27 event will get to experience that community spirit firsthand. Lego offers a unique outlet for people of all ages to express themselves. Sather noted that starting with a blank sheet of paper and a pencil can be intimidating, but a collection of bricks comes with rules and ways

they connect. “It’s kind of a safe creativity. And that’s what I love about it,” Sather said. He added that the building process is a lot like writing. “Nobody writes a book, and, you know, just cranks out the final draft. It doesn’t happen that way. You have to edit it. You have to rewrite. It’s the same with Lego building.” By the end of Saturday, Sather expects to use between 5,000 and 6,000 pieces. He plans to use larger Duplo bricks for the main

structure to ensure the build comes together quickly, while utilizing standard system bricks for finer details. The finished model will remain at the North Saanich store for several weeks. Watching people discover their own building skills remains the most rewarding part of the job for the veteran creator. “If I can see someone really like what they’ve done, actually sit back and think, ‘That’s really cool,’ that’s really pleasing to me,” Sather said. RELATED: Sidney museum brings back beloved Lego exhibit for its 20th year

Lego Certified Professional, Robin Sather, North Saanich, Canadian Tire, Jumpstart, FireSmart BBQ, Make & Take Canadian flag kits