10 Of The Most Haunted Places In Canada

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Are ghosts real? Everyone has a different answer to that question, and it probably depends on their own personal experiences. Sure, there are shows like Ghost Hunters that give a bunch of “evidence” in favour of the existence of ghosts, but how trustworthy can a TV show really be? Luckily, if you want to find out for yourself whether ghosts are real, there are plenty of places in Canada to do a little ghost hunting of your own. If these places don’t at least open you up to the possibility that ghosts are real, nothing will.

Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel - Banff, Alberta

 

This luxury hotel in Banff National Park, Alberta was built in the 19th century as one of Canada’s grand railway hotels. Although representatives from the hotel of course insist it isn’t haunted, the ghost of a young woman dressed in a wedding dress has been seen dancing in the ballroom. Supposedly, she was walking down a staircase that was lit with candles when her dress caught on fire and in a panic she tripped and fell down the stairs, breaking her neck.

Even more mysterious is room 873. According to stories, a family was murdered in the room and after guests who stayed there started hearing and seeing strange things, hotel management decided to block off the room and pretend it never existed. The ghost of a former bellman named Sam has also been spotted by numerous hotel guests and staff.

The Old Spaghetti Factory - Vancouver, British Columbia

 

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The Old Spaghetti Factory was built in the Gastown area of Vancouver in 1970. There’s an old trolley car called Number 53 inside the restaurant that is supposedly haunted by a train conductor. Various staff members have seen him sitting at the same table inside the trolley late at night, after the restaurant has closed. Random cold spots and moving table settings have also been reported.

Three more ghosts have been spotted inside the restaurant, including a young boy who scared a female server so badly that she quit on the spot. A psychic who visited the restaurant said that many of the building’s historical artifacts that were brought in as decoration have spirits attached to them. There might also be a vortex in the building that acts as a portal to other dimensions and allows spirits to come into our world.

Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario

 

Niagara-on-the-Lake is well known for being “Canada’s most haunted town”. The area was a central landmark for the War of 1812, so it’s no surprise it’s reportedly haunted by many ghosts of former soldiers. There’s also the legend of the “Watcher”, a blue light (or orb) that floats through the town nightly. Residents speculate that it’s the spirit of a long-dead town constable who’s still protecting the town.

The Olde Angel Inn is one of the most famously haunted landmarks in the town. The ghost of Captain Colin Swayze, a British soldier who was killed when the American forces took over the town, is said to wander the halls of the hotel. According to legend, his ghost will remain harmless as long as the British flag flies over the inn, which as of right now, it still does. You can even stay at the Brockamour Manor bed and breakfast and reserve the room that used to belong to “Sobbing Sophia”, a ghost who has been heard crying over the loss of her one true love, General Isaac Brock.

Charles Camsell Hospital - Edmonton, Alberta

 

This former hospital for mostly aboriginal patients suffering from tuberculosis was built in 1967, and remained open for only 30 years. Most of the patients were brought there against their will and the fourth floor, the psychiatric wing, was where shock treatments, forced isolation, and experimental surgical procedures took place. The building was condemned in 1996, but paranormal investigators have found evidence of hauntings there.

People have reported a feeling of being watched from the windows of the building. Screams have been recorded on the fourth floor, as well as patients calling for help from their rooms. A psychic even identified the ghost of a teenage girl who had torn all her fingernails out. The building is now in the process of being renovated into a residential building.

Dunvegan Provincial Park - Fairview, Alberta

 

Dunvegan Provincial Park was one of Alberta’s earliest fur trade posts, and is now the site of numerous ghost stories. One ghost is a woman who froze to death searching for her husband during a snow storm. People report seeing a lantern flickering on the North Hill where her body was found. Another well known ghost is the priest in the rectory who has been seen sitting at a desk and also standing at the window.

People report feeling like they’re being watched in various areas of the park including on the Dunvegan bridge. A woman in a long white hooded cloak and bare feet has been spotted there and in the mists coming from the river.

Glendon College - Toronto, Ontario

 

This bilingual liberal arts college associated with York University is located in Toronto’s midtown Lawrence Park neighbourhood. The Toronto Ghosts and Hauntings Research Society have recognized several ghosts that lurk around the campus, including a little girl and a little boy who have been spotted playing on the grounds.

There’s also an angry, malicious spirit that haunts a gazebo near the campus ravine. Theories suggest he or she probably died in or near the water. People walking in the area report feeling like they’re being shoved by someone, or something. There’s also a ghost of a young woman who committed suicide that haunts the library and has appeared in photos taken on the grounds. She’s also been seen looking out the first floor and basement windows.

Fort Garry Hotel - Winnipeg, Manitoba

 

Another one of Canada’s grand railway hotels is the Fort Garry in downtown Winnipeg. The most infamous ghost story is the one about the woman who, after hearing her husband had been killed in a car accident, hung herself in the closet of room 202. Guests have reported seeing a figure standing at the end of their beds, watching them, and maids have even claimed to have seen blood seeping from the walls.

There are also stories of a woman in a ball gown who roams the hallways and a man named Theodore who sits in the dining room, completely unaware of anything around him. Not to mention the strange moaning noises that seem to come from nowhere.

The Plains of Abraham - Quebec City, Quebec

 

The site for the 11759 Battle of the Plains of Abraham, this historic area is said to be haunted by the solider who lost their lives that day. The one reported most often is a soldier spotted at the entrance of Tunnel 1 on warm evenings. He is often accompanied by the smell and sound of cannon fire. Many people have experienced the sounds of battle while visiting the park, and some people even report the smell of sulphur.

St. Francis Xavier University - Antigonish, Nova Scotia

 

The undergraduate university in Antigonish has been reported to be home to an anonymous ghostly man who watches students and various lectures and has also been seen climbing a certain spiral staircase. There are also many reports of elevators moving from floor to floor with no one in them, sounds of footsteps walking the halls at night, and disembodied voices in hallways and empty rooms.

Gilmora Hall is rumoured to be haunted by a nun who committed suicide by jumping from a balcony because she felt so guilty for having fallen in love with a priest. Some stories say her priest also committed suicide by hanging, and he haunts the grounds alongside her.

Ottawa Jail Hostel - Ottawa Ontario

 

Now a hostel run by Hostelling International, the building was originally The Nicholas Street Gaol, the main jail in Ottawa for over a century. The jail was the site of numerous executions and the gallows is still intact. Guests of the hostel report seeing spirits standing at the ends of their beds and wandering the halls.

Inmates in the prison included murderers and the mentally ill. The conditions were considered inhumane, and numerous unmarked graves were found during excavation. The building has been a hostel since the early 1970’s, but much of the original structure has been maintained so guests can experience spending the night “in jail”. Just watch out for the ghost of Patrick J. Whelan, a man who was hanged there in 1869 and supposedly never left.