A FARNAM LEGO LEGACY
Saskatoon artist Sandie Irvine has spent two years recreating a Lego model of the old Farnam Block. Her creation is on display at Turning the Tide bookstore.
Q Where did the idea come from?
A The idea for this came from the resounding impact of the Farnam Block being torn down. The community, I feel, really responded to that event. A lot of stories started to surface at the time. I work here at Turning the Tide and many people would come into the shop and tell their stories of their time, mostly at Lydia’s, but also at other businesses that occupied the building, as well as the Merry Mansion, which is the little red house.
Q What went through your mind when you heard the Farnam Block was going to be torn down?
A I was pissed. I was really angry. I understand that the state of the Farnam Block was becoming more and more unstable but I was pissed that it wasn’t going to be rehabilitated and saved. Because it was a unique feature of the Broadway area and really brought a lot of culture to our street. I feel like it was a big loss.
Q What did those buildings mean to you?
A I’m from Saskatoon. I spent a lot of time at Lydia’s, like many others. I used to get my violin maintenance at Ed’s Musical Repair and Alterations. So the Lydia’s building was a really big deal for me — my mom took me out for lunch as my coming of age to Lydia’s. The Merry Mansion, it was also significant in my life. My favourite band when I was in my 20s was Humphrey and the Dump Trucks, which was a little odd for a 20-year old. There were a lot of stories about them occupying that house. There’s a lot of really deep connections in my life to both of these buildings.
Q Why use Lego for the model?
A Lego is something my son and I shared as an activity together. He also worked at Turning the Tide, so when we got together that Christmas (2014) we spent some time together working on our Lego and we really felt moved to create this building together. He did abandon me after about three days, so the rest was my project.
Q What went into making it?
A For this particular building I looked at a lot of photographs and just reconstituted what it would look like ... Just working with that and then reworking it, putting everything in and editing it out and trying to match it historically. So it’s circa 1990, according to the photographs.
Q What does it mean for you to have a little piece of the Farnam Block brought back to life?
A What means the most is that it helped me heal. It helped me process that loss by recreating it. With the reactions of people I’ve met so far — this was on display at the (Heritage Festival of Saskatoon) on Feb. 5 — a lot of response to the model has been joy. Remembering stories — one guy was like, ‘I met my wife there,’ — or ‘I played on that stage for the first time’ or things like that. So that’s been the biggest impact for me, is that it is helping people process that loss as well. And it’s fun; it’s a toy, right?