INNISFAIL – Ever since Dustin Smith was a toddler he loved to build things.
Most importantly it is a passion, never just a hobby.
Inside his downtown-area home a year-long project he calls “mostly vintage LEGO town” has completely overtaken every square inch of the floor of his 16- by 12-foot living room.
And he is not done yet.
He keeps adding and adding new features to his LEGO town; another house here and there in the residential district; extra cars for the streets, a new business building in the commercial district and even new features for the campground, a personal favourite of his.
“I’ve just always loved camping,” said Smith.
To build his LEGO town Smith has used his own cherished supply of vintage LEGO blocks from the 1980s but has also purchased up to 50 LEGO boxes with more still to come. He estimated the average cost of each box is about $200.
“This monorail set is selling for $1,500. I got that when I was a kid for Christmas,” said Smith, motioning to his creation on the living room floor.
Smith said he is about 98 per cent finished his work on his own LEGO town but he keeps adding more features to his living room creation.
And that’s just fine for the 42-year-old resident who has made Innisfail his home for the past three years.
“I have been doing it for so long. It calms me down and keeps me focused,” said Smith, a pipefitter by profession, whose father was trained as a civil engineer. “I've always been interested in building trades. It probably came from LEGO.”
And now Smith is passing on his passion to seven-year-old Shelby, the oldest child of close friends John MacLeod and Shannon Musgrave.
“I think it's probably the most impressive LEGO set I've ever seen in my life. I'm 44 years old, and I've never come across any other situation like what Dustin has. It's absolutely mind blowing,” said MacLeod, adding he “loves” the fact this daughter Shelby is helping his friend out. “It gives her something to look forward to on the weekends, as well as hanging out with mom and dad.
“But she really, really enjoys spending time with Dustin and building up LEGOs to the point now when her birthday rolls around that's all she asks for.”
Smith noted Shelby has brought her own LEGO blocks to his home and are stored carefully in his home’s spare room where his LEGO town began but had to move out to the living room due to its ever-growing size.
“She's waiting for me to clean up my stuff so she can build her own town,” said Smith.
But for now, Shelby is Smith’s helper on the LEGO town project; a task she always enjoys.
“I am always excited,” said Shelby. “I have learned how to build stuff with the instructions and I have learned a lot of stuff from him.”
But all good things must come to an end and Smith’s undeniable LEGO passion is moving towards a growing desire to end his year-long quest to complete his own LEGO town.
“We’re not going to get rid of it, just disassemble it and put it all back in the boxes because that’s my living room,” said Smith. “This room is too small. I can always build it again.”
