Notre-Dame Cathedral reopens - to the great joy of this fervent fan from Canada
Emily MacKinnon, 29, moved to France to found a Notre-Dame dedicated tour-guide company. She collects everything she can about the cathedral - and even has six Notre-Dame related tattoos
Emily MacKinnon's love for Notre-Dame began when she was just 12Emily MacKinnon
Canadian Emily MacKinnon will be one of the several thousands of people expected to attend Notre-Dame’s cathedral reopening ceremony tomorrow - from a distance.
Ms MacKinnon, who will turn 30 on Wednesday, is not your average spectator. Her obsession with the cathedral was born when she was only 12 and she is one of its most fervent fans.
She has collected CDs, DVDs, figurines, backpacks, necklaces, goodies, attended conferences, exhibitions, shows, befriended participants of these events and even has six Notre-Dame related tattoos on her body.
The Canadian booked a room on the top floor of the Esmeralda, a hotel nearby with a view on Notre-Dame, where she plans to watch the ceremony from a balcony.
“I just had to be there. It could not happen without me,” she told The Connexion.
She hopes the grand re-opening to be the beginning of her biggest dream: “I hope to be the Emily of Notre-Dame,” she said with a laugh.
Her interest in Notre-Dame is a combination of many passions, she said.
These include The Hunchback of Notre-Dame and its main character Quasimodo created by French writer Victor Hugo and the stories of the many different trades involved in the restoration and renovation effort.
Emily MacKinnon cosplaying as Esmaralda in front of the cathedralEmily MacKinnon
Ms MacKinnon said she was at work in Canada when she heard about the blaze that burnt down the spire of Notre-Dame in 2019.
She had visited Paris for a second time the previous summer, when she promised herself she would start her entrepreneurial journey by the summer of 2019.
Quasimodo and His Cathedral
The fire postponed her plan as did the Covid pandemic with the ensuing travel restrictions and the Olympics.
She finally moved to France in September 2024 on a 12-month renewable ‘self employed person or liberal activity’ visa, leaving more than 1,000 items related to Notre-Dame behind in boxes in her bedroom.
She founded her company Quasimodo & His Cathedral, which provides “private, personalized, immersive walking tours of Notre Dame de Paris with a focus on the cathedral's architectural history, the restoration and its role in art, media & literature,” her Facebook page states.
“I want it to be a dialogue and have people asking questions and be part of the tour,” she said about her tours and company.
