Members of the Methanex team work on their build inspired by Donkey Kong and Mario video games. (Photo Courtesy Bob Schneider)

By Chris Brown

Canstruction builds support for Root Cellar

Mar 23, 2023 | 1:14 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB – Four teams had a can-do attitude and a lot of cans to give back to the community today at the Root Cellar Food & Wellness Hub.

Teams from CF Industries, Methanex, BILD Medicine Hat and Crescent Heights High School took part in Canstruction, an international program that supports local food banks.

Teams fundraise to purchase canned food and then build a structure out of those cans. Canstruction has a different theme each year and this year’s is games,

The Methanex crew went old-school video games and got started early on Thursday.

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“So we’re building Donkey Kong and Mario going back to the old video games and we have a wall with an old Nintendo 64 controller in the back,” explains Ian McLean.

The other early starter, CF Industries, built based on its contributions to the agriculture sector.

“The theme is the farm, farming like a farming game. It’s called farming game so we’re building a barn and a silo and grass and all that kind of stuff,” says Craig Vik.

The BILD Medicine Hat and Crescent Heights High School teams started later on Thursday morning.

The canned foods used by all the teams include many of the items on the Root Cellar’s basic needs list like soups, vegetables and peanut butter. After the building is done, the items will go to the Root Cellar’s emergency food pantry.

McLean and Vik both say Canstruction is a fun way to help out in the community.

Teams have been working on their designs for weeks, starting with planning and drawings, then making trips to city grocery stores to find the right size and colour of cans.

Public viewing of the complete structures is open Thursday from 5-8 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Canstruction is a competition and winners can go on to compete internationally. The local judging will take place and awards will be handed out Friday morning.