All Canadians who have had to live in Europe as a civilian or military member at some point have seen or at least heard of Legoland.

Historical review

At the end of World War II, Canada, like all victorious nations, “occupied” part of defeated Germany.

In 1947, Canada withdrew its troops from the European continent, but returned in 1949 at the request of the states that founded the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) at the beginning of the Cold War.

From 1949 to 1994, the Canadians had army and air force bases in Europe.

In the context of the escalation of the Cold War in the early 1950s, Canada made a commitment to its NATO partners to participate in strengthening the air defense of Western Europe. The seat of the 1st Division of the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF/RCAF) moved to Paris in October 1952 and was transferred to the Château de Mercy in Metz in 1953.

The army was located further north in Germany in Werl until 1971. Subsequently and until 1994, the Canadian Armed Forces stationed in Europe as part of NATO were based in Lahr (BFC Lahr) and in Baden Söllingen (BFC Baden Soellingen).

Both bases were closed in 1994.

Why this information?

The duration of deployment was two years for senior officers and four years for enlisted men. So this required families, family housing, schools, a local economy, commissioners and… travel clubs.

The first Legoland, Legoland Billund, was founded in Denmark in 1968 near the company headquarters.

Later, other parks of this type were created in the USA, Malaysia, Dubai, Japan, the United Kingdom and… Germany – Legoland Germany in Günzburg, Bavaria, less than 300 kilometers from the Canadian bases in the Black Forest.

Hence the social outings and frequent trips to this amusement park.

If we can't go to Legoland, Legoland will come to us!

Colleague Sandra Abma from our English-language station CBC in Ottawa recently visited Canada Museum of Science and Technology where the exhibition “ The art of brickmaking “.

From May 16th to September 13th we can see the artist's works Nathan Sawaya, Made exclusively from these toy building blocks from our childhood.

In 2002, Me Nathan Sawaya gave up his career as a lawyer to devote himself full-time to his art. (David Richard/CBC)

You can view Sandra Abma's full report by clicking Here.

It is expected that many Canadians who experienced life in Germany with the Canadian Armed Forces will visit this exhibition.

Nathan Sawaya (http://www.nathansawaya.com)

RCI, CBC, Canada Science and Technology Museum, Personal Memoirs.