I recently went on vacation. This year, my wife and I decided to stay in Canada for our holiday. Having never been to Alberta, we opted to fly out, rent a car, and drive around a little. Those of you who also follow True North Bricks on social media have probably already seen the clips. But I’d like to delve a little deeper here on the blog. Let’s take a look at my experiences on the Alberta LEGO® scene.

The trip started in Calgary. Of course, Calgary has an official LEGO® Store in the Chinook Centre. I hit that store up on the first day, right after checking out the Calgary Zoo. The store was similar in size to the stores near home around Montreal. I may have been there on an off day, but neither Build-A-Mini (BAM) nor Pick-and-Build (PAB) impressed me much. The selection was fairly similar to at home. I got a LEGO® passport stamp and went on my way. I’m not saying it was a bad store in any way. It was what I’d expect from a standard LEGO® Store.

Calgary has more than just an official LEGO® Store for fans.

Calgary held another surprise for me. Down the street from the Chinook Centre, I found the Brick Bin. Similar to Bricks and Minifigs in the States, the Brick Bin is a LEGO® re-seller. You can buy bricks in bulk from countless bins and trays around the store. They also sell individual minifigs and retired sets. Some of the sets are never-opened boxes, others are used. While many items piqued my interest, I decided to go small given that I was travelling. I found some of the original Vikings theme minifigs I was missing. There are two Brick Bin locations in Calgary, I highly recommend checking them out.

The trip continued to Banff and then Drumheller. I loved both for different reasons. I found a decent selection of LEGO® sets at Duck Duck Moose, a toy store on Banff avenue. But if I’m being honest, I wasn’t looking for LEGO® at either location. Banff was all about being in calming nature, and I was in Drumheller for dinosaurs and fossils.

With two LEGO® Stores and a re-seller, Edmonton has a lot to offer AFOLs.

The final stop on the trip was Edmonton. I had originally planned three stops. Sadly, I only got two. I wanted to visit another LEGO® re-seller called the Brickyard. I’ve heard good things about the store. However, I passed through on a Tuesday… when they are closed. So, I had to skip the Brickyard. I visited the Southgate Centre instead for another passport stamp. The LEGO® Store was bigger than the stores I usually visit around Montreal and in Ottawa. Otherwise, it was not markedly different (not a bad thing). This was one of the stores with a discount/points damaged box table though, which was a plus. I almost walked away with Dungeons and Dragons… but I refrained. I would have needed to buy another suitcase too to accommodate that beast, and then pay for a second checked bag.

The next day, I visited the famous West Edmonton Mall. I was underwhelmed with the mall. I’ve heard people speaking about it since I was a teenager… but being there, it looked like it had not been update much since that time either. The West Edmonton Mall is dated. But, the LEGO® Store was amazing. My expectations were high going in, and the experience did not disappoint.

The West Edmonton Mall store is a flagship store, so it is designed to be a great experience. The PAB wall was huge. There was regular BAM, but also the Minifigure Factory experience. Additionally, I got to see the huge brick-built Lamborghini Sian seen on LEGO® Masters, and the ESA Space Brick.

The Minifigure Factory gave me exactly what I was hoping to find on the Alberta LEGO® scene.

The Minifigure Factory was a major highlight. I have done it before in New York. But I am of the mind that stores need regional exclusives… Minifigures in particular. Each city should have one. I was able to design an Edmonton/Canadian minifig at the West Edmonton Store. Afterwards, the staff brought out the new selection of BAM elements that were not even on the floor yet. They let me riffle through them and buy characters from the new Halloween and Dreamzzz inspired selection. I was thrilled, especially with this year’s Halloween witch.

Overall, I enjoyed the Alberta LEGO® scene. Additionally, I managed to collect all three LEGO® Store passport stamps from the province. There was at least one official store and one reseller in both Edmonton and Calgary. It gives nice shopping options and community building opportunities. There are no stores like the Brick Bin in Montreal, and I wish there were. And the West Edmonton Mall store? Awesome. If you ever have the chance, check it out. If anyone from the LEGO® Group is reading this, there is a new mall opening in Montreal. It will offer all sorts of high-end stores and experiences for customers. Please open a flagship store there. 😉

Until next time,

-Tom

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