Talk about being in the right place at the right time!

With a major renovation on the go at home, RRU visual communications coordinator Kirsty Armstrong - a graduate of the university’s project management program- dropped in to check out a new Langford store recently. She was looking for a window but instead was startled to spot on the counter a very familiar-looking door knob.

Kirsty Armstong (left) knew right away she'd seen this door knob before. Here, Dan Ludvigson lets her have a better look at the heritage hardware complete with the key to a castle.  _______________

“I knew right away I’d seen it before,” she says. “It was identical to the one on the door of Hatley Castle!”

Armstrong persuaded store manager, Dan Ludvigson, to hold onto the item while she checked to see if the university wanted to buy it back.

Ludvigson, as serendipity would have it, is also a graduate of RRU and holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree. 
 
"I was prepared to buy the knob if the university didn’t but it would look a little strange on my 1940’s bungalow," says Armstrong of the $135 bargain.

When Kari Frazer, director of development for Habitat for Humanity Victoria and – lo and behold – a graduate of RRU’s MA in Leadership program, heard about the historic hardware, she offered to donate it back to its rightful place.

“Dan and I know how challenging it is to run a non-profit organization so we’re happy to help another one – especially when it happens to be our alma mater!” she says.

ReStore, aptly-named, sells new and used building materials to raise money for Habitat for Humanity. How did the door knob get to the store which just opened at 849 Orono Avenue in Langford?

PROCEEDS FROM RESTORE GO TO AFFORDABLE HOUSING ReStore recently moved from a small Douglas Street location to a 14,000 square foot warehouse-style building at 849 Orono Avenue in Langford. Operated by Habitat for Humanity Victoria, it sells new and used building supplies with proceeds helping to build safe, affordable homes for low-income working families. Since incorporation in 1990, Habitat for Humanity Victoria has built 16 homes in Greater Victoria. Now, with increased capacity from the new ReStore combined with more volunteers and community partners, Habitat hopes to build five new homes per year starting in 2010.

It’s not entirely clear but what is known is that it was found in the bottom of a box of materials donated to ReStore early in September. Staff do not know the donor’s name – only that he was clearing out his father-in-law’s house.

Chances are, says a heritage expert, the door knob was removed during renovation of the castle by the Department of National Defence.

Now the knob is part of RRU’s heritage inventory to be used when necessary to replace or repair the other knobs.

“ReStore had priced it at $135 but to us it’s priceless,” says Doug Pletsch, director of physical and environmental resources at Royal Roads University. “These are one-of-a kind fixtures so if we ever have to replace them, it’s difficult and expensive because they have to be custom-crafted. It’s nice to have an extra.”

Pletsch adds he would like to hear from the donor if he has any more information about the history of the door knob.

“We’re also on the lookout for a mirror that used to hang in the castle drawing room when the estate belonged to James and Laura Dunsmuir,” he says. “So if anyone has any information on the whereabouts of the mirror, we’d like to know that, too!”

Hatley Castle heritage sleuths can contact the RRU community relations department at 250-391-2712 or email community.relations@hatleypark.ca.