'Bizarre' doll discovered behind Oak Bay wall connected to former German toy designer
A song about exploring the Northwest Passage was playing over the construction site speaker when Will discovered something unexpected behind a wall that made him shriek.
“But in excitement,” Will clarifies, before laughing. “Not eeek!”
Will had uncovered many things during renovations before, including a licence plate from 1914. But the owner of Shane Murray Contracting says Will’s reaction was different this time.
“He thought here’s an animal [behind the wall],” Shane says. “A scary animal.”
But Will’s fears subsided when he took a closer look and realized the creature was clothed.
“It’s kinda scary,” Will says, considering the character’s turned-up nose and disheveled hair. “But kinda cute too”
And definitely a mystery. So Shane posted a picture of the doll from the wall on social media, searching for answers.
“People said, ‘Bury it right away,'” Shane says, summarizing the scared responses. "'It’s the beginning of the end!'"
Others said “freaky,” “bizarre,” and “trigger warning,” before a woman named Ines posted a picture of a similar looking doll on display in her home.
“Mecki is an absolute icon,” Ines smiles. “He’s a hedgehog!”
She says Mecki was the equivalent of Mickey Mouse for generations growing up in Germany.
“A lot of children loved this figure,” Ines says, before laughing that there’s no need for anybody to be scared of him.
Ines says one of her happiest memories as a child was watching the animatronic window displays created by the company that made Mecki.
“We would just stand mesmerized in front of it,” she recalls. “And as it so happens, my husband ended up working for [the company]!”
Klaus created the sets for the Steiff toy company’s 25-metre-long displays, transporting Mecki and his friends to fantastical places, ensuring the mood was playful and the architecture accurate.
“Keep in mind this was before you could Google everything,” Klaus says, showing me photographs and drawings of his past productions. “Either you knew the [details] or you didn’t.”
Looking back on his elaborate designs, ranging from jungle adventures to Wild West towns, Klaus says the best part was sparking children’s imaginations.
“I think it’s the best job I ever had in my entire life,” he smiles, before showing me a huge hot air balloon that he made with Mecki riding inside.
Which brings us back to the renovation site, where Will was also inspired to build something for Mecki – a tiny house created from construction scraps.
It’s a transitional space with a bed (made from COVID-19 masks) and a beverage (a Starbucks coffee cup), where Mecki can acclimatize to his inevitable life beyond the wall.
“We’re looking to adopt him out,” Shane smiles.
If not his original owner, they hope their Mecki can find a little person with a big imagination. Someone who’s hankering for a hedgehog that’s no doubt hungry for adventures to the Northwest Passage and beyond.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
There's actually no such thing as vegetables. Here's why you should eat them anyway
The rumours are true: Vegetables aren't real — that is, in botany, anyway. While the term fruit is recognized botanically as anything that contains a seed or seeds, vegetable is actually a broad umbrella term.
'It looked so legit': Ontario man pays $7,700 for luxury villa found on Booking.com, but the listing was fake
An Ontario man says he paid more than $7,700 for a luxury villa he found on a popular travel website -- but the listing was fake.
The Met Gala was in full bloom with Zendaya, Jennifer Lopez, Mindy Kaling among the standout stars
The Met Gala and its fashionista A-listers on Monday included Jennifer Lopez, Zendaya and a parade of others in a swirl of flora and fauna looks on a green-tinged carpet lined by live foliage.
Israeli forces seize Rafah border crossing in Gaza, putting ceasefire talks on knife's edge
Israeli tanks seized control of Gaza's vital Rafah border crossing on Tuesday as Israel brushed off urgent warnings from close allies and moved into the southern city even as cease-fire negotiations with Hamas remained on a knife's edge.
Canadian cadets rock mullets and place second at U.S. military competition
Sporting mullets, Canadian Armed Forces officer cadets placed second in an annual military skills competition in the U.S.
Noelia Voigt resigns as Miss USA, citing her mental health
Noelia Voigt, who was crowned Miss USA in November 2023, has announced she is resigning from her role, saying the decision is in the best interest of her mental health.
Putin begins his fifth term as president, more in control of Russia than ever
Vladimir Putin began his fifth term Tuesday as Russian leader at a glittering Kremlin inauguration, setting out on another six years in office after destroying his political opponents, launching a devastating war in Ukraine and concentrating all power in his hands.
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
Mediterranean staple may lower your risk of death from dementia, study finds
A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists.