Elaine Knight, the owner of a castle in Cape Breton, is seeking financial assistance through Kickstarter to open her property to the public faster. With plans to turn the 10-bedroom, 18-bathroom fortress into a bed and breakfast and events center, Knight has struggled to find investors who share her vision of making the property open to the community. In response to this, she has turned to Kickstarter as a way for entrepreneurs to support other entrepreneurs and has already received significant interest from people looking to rent or stay at the castle for various events such as meetings, conferences, weddings, LARPing murder mysteries, and music video shoots.
Knight purchased the castle for $1 million and is now seeking an additional $750,000 from backers on Kickstarter to help launch the property. She emphasizes that this is not a typical crowdfunding campaign seeking donations, as those who pledge funding will be pre-booking discounted packages for when the castle is open to the public. The fundraising goal must be met within 30 days, or no one will be charged, and Knight will have to consider other options, such as finding a new partner. Some of the funds raised will go towards Kickstarter fees and taxes.
The castle, located on a 163-acre property with private access to Bras d’Or Lake, was built in 1992 and was formerly known as Castle Moffet before Knight purchased it and renamed it Castle Knight. Currently living in London, Ontario, she plans to move to Cape Breton for retirement, as she has family roots in the area. Knight purchased the property as is, with all the antique furniture included, and plans to maintain the historical charm while updating plumbing, electrical systems, and refurbishing the exterior walls of the castle.
Phase one of renovations has already been completed, with the outside walls replaced, and two more phases are planned to replace the windows and update the interior to include a games room. Knight has no major changes planned for the castle but aims to enhance its charm and make it a more cost-effective space inside. She is optimistic about the potential of the property and the interest it has garnered for various events and accommodations. The Kickstarter campaign offers discounted pre-booking packages that are valid until 2027 as a way for backers to support the project and receive value in return.
