“Thank you so much for giving me a little of your time, Mr. Buchanan,”I say. I wonder if we’re supposed to shake hands, but he makes no move, so I don’t, either.
“I hope I can help with your questions,” he replies.
I follow him through a door, down a flight of stairs, left, then right past more doors, until he reaches his own. It’s marked by a brass nameplate.
His spotless office is exactly what I imagined for an archivist: a plain desk for his laptop and a closed white binder, beside which I spy a magnifying glass. An ancient, cast-iron, goosenecked lamp is switched on at the corner of his desk. I think it’s ancient, anyway. They make some pretty convincing fakes these days. Three of the room’s walls are floor-to-ceiling bookshelves filled with identical binders. The fourth is a tasteful red brick, which makes the office feel a little less barren. There’s no sound at all in the room, other than us. It almost feels like a vacuum.
“So you’re interested in the Dominion Hotel?”
“I am, yes.”
I’m a little nervous introducing myself. He is quiet and introspective, different from so many of my business contacts, and he is clearly intelligent. I want to explain while projecting myself as professional as possible, even though my curiosity is purely amateur. It’s my own personal quest to learn more about the hotel, and I don’t want to waste this expert’s time.
“I’m with Vale’s, and I am inspecting the ongoing renovations. Making sure all is up to code while remaining true to the original historical concept.”
“?‘The original historical concept,’?” he echoes. “Yes, I see. How can I help?”
I have a rough list of questions. “May I sit?”
He sees the problem and panics. “I’m so sorry. Yes. Uh, would you…” He glances around, flustered. “One moment, please.”
He darts out of the office, and I hear him knock on the next door, then speak with someone inside. He returns, carrying a chair, which he places in front of his desk. I move in while he stands behind it—as if he’s a waiter, ready to push in my chair before dinner. Only after I’m seated does he returnto his own chair. It’s old-fashioned, but perfectly charming. I appreciate the chivalry.
“How may I help, Ms. Kelly?”
I hold up my phone. “Would you mind if I recorded our conversation? I’m sure I will forget things otherwise.” I flash a smile. “Nothing you say will be held against you in a court of law.”
His eyes widen briefly behind his lenses, figuring out my weak attempt at humour. They’re pale with long, dark lashes.
“Of course,” he says.
I can’t help thinking that it’s a shame to hide this man away in a basement office.
But I’m not here to daydream. I discipline myself and get back to business. I pressRECORDon the phone and set it on the desk.
“I’m not sure where to start, but I did want to say how glad I am that the hotel has been brought back, as much as possible, to its original splendour.”
“That was a major undertaking. Five years of work. Do you like the clock?”
I blank, startled to hear him ask a direct question. “I’m sorry?”
“The lobby clock. The new one. It’s one-of-a-kind, by the Rockwell Group in New York. They call it the ‘Ninetieth Anniversary Clock.’?”
“It’s stunning. So is Clockwork, the cocktail bar. The whole lobby glitters.”
He agrees. “It glittered then, and now it does again. The hotel is an icon.”
This feels like an invitation to gush a little. “There’s something so understated but luxurious about the exterior. The Châteauesque style is regal, then to blend it with Art Deco influences… The design is inspired.” I pause, embarrassed. “I’m sorry. I’m sort of a fan.”
“Please go on,” he says. “I rarely get to speak with fellow history buffs.”
“I thought people interested in history requested your help all the time.”
“You’d be surprised how rarely that happens. Most people are motivated by need, not interest.”
“It’s just that, well, I know the Art Deco style was popular for hotels around that time, but the Dominion really did it in a big way. Then there’s the inside, with the hand-painted ceilings, the gold and bronze accents, all that oak and marble. That lobby…”
“It is spectacular,” he agrees. “And the art as well. Did you see how they decorated the check-in counter with scenes depicting moments in Canadian history? I appreciate how it honours the Canadian Pacific Railway’s role in creating the country.”
