Star Wars collector’s convention comes to Oakville this weekend
Published July 31, 2023 at 12:41 pm
The force will be strong in Oakville this weekend.
The second annual May the North Be With You collector-run Canadian Star Wars convention get started Friday night (Aug. 4) and runs through to Sunday (Aug. 6) at the Holiday Inn, located on 590 Argus Rd.
The Star Wars themed event features special guests and this year a vintage and modern Star Wards toy show has been added on the Sunday.
The non-profit event is organized by the Ontario Star Wars Collectors Alliance (OSWCA). All funds from the charity raffles and auctions will be donated to Sick Kids Hospital.
Here’s a breakdown of what those attending the event can expect this weekend:
Friday, Aug. 4th
A casual dinner at the hotel with the convention’s special guests opens the weekend. This provides those attending a chance to get an early look at exhibits, meet fellow collectors and chat with special guests before the main event. Dinner tickets required.
Saturday, Aug. 5th
The day features panel discussions with some of the key people who designed and developed the vintage Star Wars universe. This includes former employees of Kenner and Irwin Toy/Kenner Canada, a reunion of Nelvana alumni who worked on the Star Wars Holiday Special, Droids & Ewoks cartoons and more.
All special guests will also be available for autographs (extra costs apply) and pictures. The evening will includes a trivia competition, colouring contest, charity raffles and auction. Those in attendance are welcome to bring any Star Wars stuff they want to buy, sell or trade. Saturday convention tickets also include early bird access to the toy show on Sunday.
Sunday, Aug. 6th
Done in partnership with Canadian ToyCon, the toy show is scheduled from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. with early bird entry at 9:30 a.m. There will be two rooms of vendors to shop from. Vintage and modern Star Wars toys and collectibles will be available. The toy show is open to the public.
All MTNBWY guests will also be available for autographs (extra costs apply). Collector Archive Services will also be on site and will be accepting in-person submissions for grading. Dealer/vendor table are available by emailing [email protected].
Special guests this year include:
John Celestri – Illustrator, Nelvana (Star Wars Holiday Special)
Celestri’s animation career has included working on shows such as He-Man, She-Ra, Carebears, and X-Men: Evolution. As the Directing Animator for Nelvana, he worked with George Lucas to illustrate Boba Fett’s iconic first appearance in the Star Wars Holiday Special (1978).
Brian Lemay – Layout Artist, Nelvana (Droids & Ewoks)
Lemay was a layout artist for the Droids and Ewoks animated series. He has worked in the field for more than three decades on shows like Inspector Gadget, Smurfs, and Care Bears, also branching out into drawing comic characters and sculpting. He is a teacher and has written several books on animation.
Lawrence Jacobs – Animator, Assistant Director (The Star Wars Holiday Special & Ewoks)
Jacobs started working at Nelvana in 1977. He was an Animator on The Star Wars Holiday Special Boba Fett cartoon (1978) and was an Assistant Director on the Ewoks series (1985).
For more information, see here.
