'Canada's largest little city': Miniature exhibit to feature landmarks, skylines from across the country

CTV National News: 'Little Canada' A miniature model of Canada's most recognizable landmarks will be on display in Toronto. John Vennavally-Rao has more.

TORONTO — A new exhibit in Toronto features miniature landmarks and skylines from across Canada in a unique homage to the country.

Dubbed Little Canada, Jean-Louis Brenninkmeijer told CTV National News the idea for the animated mini replica of the nation’s familiar sites came from displays he’d seen while growing up in Europe.

The founder and president of Little Canada says he’s also loved model trains since he was 12 years old.

"Anything that's miniature, I just grew a passion for," Brenninkmeijer said.

Brenninkmeijer and his team of 50 model makers have essentially built a $24 million train set that switches from day to night with state-of-the-art LED lighting.

Housed in downtown Toronto, the exhibit is expected to open to the public in the coming weeks once COVID-19 restrictions are further eased.

Once it does finally open, the team hopes their little display will offer visitors and residents a stronger connection to Canada.

The exhibit currently includes five destinations: Little Niagara, Little Golden Horseshoe, Little Toronto, Little Ottawa and Petit Quebec.

While the exhibit currently displays less than half the country, its creators say there is still plenty to see.

"Welcome to little Toronto -- Canada's largest little city," Little Canada General Manager John Phillipson said, giving CTV News a sneak peak of the exhibit.

From a normally bustling Union Station, with the Toronto skyline lit up behind it, to Parliament Hill on Rideau Canal in Ottawa, the exhibit is highly detailed.

"When you walk through Little Canada, you will see famous landmarks like of course Niagara Falls, the Horseshoe Falls, the Chateau Frontenac, the CN tower the Rogers Centre with the dome opening and closing," Phillipson explained.

However, Little Canada isn’t just about the sites. The creators have also put an effort to show Canadians going about their daily lives around these sites.

The exhibit even includes tiny cyclists pedalling through the streets and mini hockey games in play.

"Everything moves in Little Canada, so we of course have moving trains, but we have moving cars and trucks, we have moving boats on the great waterways -- everything moves through the city," Phillipson said.

"At night time it’s magical as you watch the lights on cars move through the streets," he added.

In order to create Little Canada, the team has been using 3D printers as well as making certain portions by hand such as some of the monuments seen in Montreal.

It’s a massive project -- though small in scale -- that Brenninkmeijer started back in 2011.

"I'm very excited, it's been a long journey 10 years in the making," Brenninkmeijer said.

The team is working to add Northern Canada to the display and then plans to incorporate Canada's East Coast, followed by the Prairies.

"To the Rockies right out to the West Coast until Little Canada crosses from coast to coast to coast," Phillipson said.

Little Canada is slated to open summer 2021 with tickets expected to go on sale soon.