A Death Star made of 8,213 food cans has landed Sarnia on the international stage.
CF Industries' Star Wars-themed structure has earned international recognition, winning the People’s Choice Award in the 2024 CANstruction International competition.
The design, titled “CAN or CANnot, There is No Try,” featured a detailed Death Star scene with Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker, complete with light-up lightsabers, crafted from 8,213 non-perishable food items. The sculpture was built for Sarnia’s March 2024 CANstruction event, where it previously claimed three local honours: Judge’s Favourite, Best Use of Labels, and Structural Ingenuity.
Team members Maranda Jessup, Davina Anderson, Haley Cadwallader, Kyle Watson, Kevin Paul, Nick Burgel, Chris Dobbelaar, and Megan Burnett received their international award on June 24 from Myles Vanni, executive director of The Inn of the Good Shepherd.
“Communities around the world participate in CANstruction each year and each community may have six to 20 builds,” said Vanni. “Considering such a large field of competition, to be named International People’s Choice is a real testament to the team’s creativity, innovation and deep commitment to addressing hunger in our community.”
Sarnia was the only Canadian community recognized among this year’s international winners, which included teams from Hong Kong and the United States.
Kevin Paul of CF Industries said the award has energized the team. “The CF team looks forward to the event every year, as it is a great cause that generates meaningful support for our local foodbank and brings together team members from every department of our site,” he said. “Winning the international award has increased the excitement even further.”
Sarnia’s CANstruction event has continued to grow in scale and impact. In 2024, it brought in over 56,000 pounds of food and raised $20,000, a local record at the time. That momentum continued in 2025, with the Lambton Mall event drawing nine teams and collecting 31,500 pounds of food and over $26,000 in donations.
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