Do you ever wonder what your life would be like at a 1:87 ratio of your current scale? I would stand 0.75” tall and my voice would probably sound like this.
Today I am speaking with Mark Domanski, Director of Destinations, at Little Canada.
Mark oversees the build and expansion of the immersive miniature exhibits that bring Canada to life. As a student of civil engineering at Carleton University, his path brought him to Little Canada in its very earliest stages, when it was just a series of model miniatures and a dream in a Mississauga warehouse. Initially joining the project as a hired hand to help with construction and design, Mark quickly earned a reputation as the go-to guy for complex structures and building intricate models, including the iconic Toronto skyline you see in Little Canada today. Now in his 11th year with the company, you can find him putting his engineering degree to good use at Little Canada’s permanent home at Yonge & Dundas, leading the destinations team in the creation of Little Niagara, Little Toronto, Little Golden Horseshoe, Little Ottawa, Pétit Québec, Little East Coast and the newly launched Little West Coast, with Little North set to debut in 2025.
In this conversation, you’ll hear about the design and creative collaboration within Little Canada, as well as the attraction’s origin story. You’ll learn about the interdisciplinary nature of the build team, and materials and techniques used to create the models.
You’ll hear how storytelling happens in the space, including the incorporation of Indigenous voices, in consultation with Indigenous communities. Finally, Mark shares his ‘not to be missed’ list of what to see when you check out the space for yourself.
A quick note that this episode isn’t sponsored — as always I’m just a curious human trying to connect with interesting, creative projects out in the world.
Let’s listen in…
About Our Guest:
Mark Domanski oversees the build and expansion of the immersive miniature exhibits that bring Canada to life. As a student of civil engineering at Carleton University, his path brought him to Little Canada in its very earliest stages, when it was just a series of model miniatures and a dream in a Mississauga warehouse. Initially joining the project as a hired hand to help with construction and design, Mark quickly earned a reputation as the go-to guy for complex structures and building intricate models, including the iconic Toronto skyline you see in Little Canada today. Now in his 11th year with the company, you can find him putting his engineering degree to good use at Little Canada’s permanent home at Yonge & Dundas, leading the destinations team in the creation of Little Niagara, Little Toronto, Little Golden Horseshoe, Little Ottawa,
Pétit Québec, Little East Coast and the newly launched Little West Coast, with Little North set to debut in 2025.
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Music:
A Kwela Fella - John Bartmann licensed under a CC0 1.0 Universal License
Talk Paper Scissors Theme Music: Retro Quirky Upbeat Funk by Lewis Sound Production via Audio Jungle