October
17
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Haunted Canada
Halloween’s youthful ghouls will soon ring doorbells and sing a short refrain of ‘Trick or Treat.’ Costumed kids began knocking on doors in North America around the 1940’s for tasty treats, yet the origin is rooted in the British middle ages. ‘Soul Cakes’ were traditionally set out as offerings to ancestors on ‘All Hallows Eve’ the night before ‘All Saints Day’, November 1st, which is when children and the poor would sing or beg for the savoury delights.
While singing for Halloween treats has an interesting history, the Five Fisherman Restaurant in Halifax, Nova Scotia, is said to exhibit some unique features of a spirited sort. The favoured eatery of locals and travellers was built in 1817 and housed two schools. Used also as a mortuary for some of the fatalities from the 1912 Titanic sinking and the 1917 explosion of the SS Mont-Blanc is perhaps why locals believe the building to be haunted.
Most occurrences, such as a glass flying off a shelf or if cutlery shifting on tables then falls to the floor happen before the restaurant opens or after it closes when there are few people around. An assistant manager recalls working alone in the mid-afternoon responding to reservation phone calls. As he spotted an elderly man standing on the landing below the dinning room he shouted, “Excuse me sir, I’ll be right with you.” Finishing his call the manager returned to help the older gentleman, but couldn’t find him anywhere. After checking the doors, the manager discovered all were locked and no possible way anyone physically could get in. Later recounting the event to other staff, another member recalled a similar experience with an elderly man in a long dark coat.
Halifax also is rumoured to be home of Canada’s presumably most haunted national historic site. ‘The Citadel’ is a star shaped fortress, dating back to 1749, and is situated on the summit of a small hill in the heart of the city. It has recorded hundreds of sightings over the years.
When Parks Canada began operations at Fort George on Citadel Hill in the 1950’s, staff and visitors both began reporting apparitions walking the grounds. Some witnessed a soldier in uniform enter a room in the old prison before vanishing upon investigation. Other visitors to the fort have reportedly seen ghostly figures of a man in a red cloak and an older lady appearing in mirrors.
One spectre appears more mischievous with guests who take part in the guided ‘Ghost Tours.’ Many of these accounts are reported of a small little girl following the tour with some experiencing her holding their hands, before she vanishes by the end of the tour.
On one night, a security guard stationed overlooking the second floor balcony saw a woman in a long white dress on the veranda pass beneath him, turned around a corner of the building and disappeared upon his investigation.
In the mid 1980s, a new night security guard spotted a woman in an old fashioned grey dress in the third floor window of the Citadel’s Cavalier building. After quickly climbing the stairs he discovered no one in the room. Reporting this to his fellow security guards, they informed him about the ‘Grey Lady’ who often visits the Cavalier building.
Is the ‘Grey Lady’ Cassie Allan, the fiancé of Sergeant Edward a soldier who was so distraught at being late for their wedding that he shot himself in the doorway of his Citadel barracks on November 14, 1900? Whether his death was by accident or intention, his bride waited at the Trinity Church alter before becoming hysterical upon hearing of his demise. Another security guard who regularly reported a thin woman in a white dress enter the Cavalier building only to disappear. Researching his sightings it was discovered that most occurances happened, when he sat on one of a pair of the antique chairs made from the salvaged wood of the altar.
A Dancing Bride and a Helpful Bellman
Canadians love ghost stories, as this year the Royal Canadian Mint issued its first 25 cent coin depicting the haunted tale and it was sold-out within hours. The coin depicts the legend of a Dancing Bride haunting the Banff Spring Hotel.
The Castle in the Mountains as locals refer to it, opened its doors on June 1, 1888, as a luxury stop point on the Canadian Pacific Railway. As a favoured place for wealth Canadians many chose the spectacular setting to celebrate their wedding day. Local lore is of a bride in the 1920’s, who descending the marble stairs to Cascade Ballroom caught her heel in the hem of her dress, or some movement caused her dress to brush up against a candle’s flame. She then suddenly stumbled and fell down the stairs meeting her demise. For years, stories have circulated about an apparition in a white wedding dress that moves quietly up and down the staircase. Since the 1930’s some guests of the hotel claim to have seen this otherworldly bride dancing alone in the solitude seeking to relive that fateful day, when death denied their first dance as husband and wife.
Better yet is the story most locals tell of former bellman, Samuel McAuley, who arrived from Scotland in the 1930s. Often joking with staff and guests that he would return to the hotel after his death. Reports soon began after is death in 1975 of an elderly bellman with a thick Scottish voice assisting guests with their luggage or wake up calls. Before any tip can be offer, the bellman vanishes. Perhaps he has been waiting for a special coin!
INFO BOX
Fort George, Citadel Hill, National Historic Site of Canada, 5425 Sackville Street, Halifax; T: (902) 426-5080; http://www.pc.gc.ca/lhn-nhs/ns/halifax/index.aspx
Ghost Tours, Citadel Hill, National Historic Site of Canada, 5425 Sackville Street, Halifax; T: (902) 426-1990; E: bookings@regimental.com; http://www.pc.gc.ca/eng/lhn-nhs/ns/halifax/activ/visit9/visit9b.aspx. Tours are offered (weather permitting) Friday and Saturday evenings from mid-July through to October 31, with additional tours available in September and October.
Five Fishermen Restaurant, 1740 Argyle Street, Halifax; T: (902) 422-4421; E: fivefishermen@graftonconnor.com; http://www.fivefishermen.com
Banff Springs Hotel / Rundle Lounge, If staying in the hotel this Halloween and you’re looking for a treat try the Rundle Lounge. It serves a mouth-watering Sirloin Burger with bacon, aged white cheddar and garlic aioli. The perfect precaution to keep any vampires at bay this Halloween. Location: 405 Spray Avenue, Banff; T: (866) 540 4406; http://www.fairmont.com/banff-springs
Royal Canadian Mint, Haunted Canada coins, http://www.mint.ca/store/coin/haunted-canada-ghost-bride-2014-prod2000029#.VD02T76ME6y
MORE CANADIAN HAUNTS
If you’re seeking a good Canadian ghost story, here is a short list of places to consider:
In Edmonton, Alberta
- Firkins House, Fort Edmonton Park
- Hotel Macdonald
- La Bohème Restaurant Bed and Breakfast
- Walterdale Playhouse in Old Strathcona
In Jasper, Alberta
- Jasper Park Lodge
In Victoria, Bitish Columbia
- Craigdarroch Castle
- The Empress Hotel
In Vancouver, Bitish Columbia
- Hotel Vancouver
- The Old Spaghetti Factory in Gastown
- Vogue Theatre
In Winnipeg, Manitoba
- Burton Cummings Theatre in Winnipeg
- Fort Garry Hotel
In St. John’s, Newfoundland
- Chez Briann Restaurant
In Halifax, Nova Scotia
- Alexander Keith’s Brewery
In Ottawa, Ontario
- Bytown Museum
- Château Laurier Hotel
- Ottawa Jail Hostel
In or near Toronto, Ontario
- Fairmont Royal York
- Hockey Hall of Fame
- Fort York and Fort George in Niagara-on-the-Lake
In Montreal, Quebec
- Auberge Le Saint-Gabriel
- Queen Elizabeth Hotel
In Quebec City, Quebec
- Château Frontenac
- Plains of Abraham
In Saskatoon, Saskatshewan
- Delta Bessborough
In Regina, Saskatchewan
- Hotel Saskatchewan
Dawson City, Yukon
- Commissioner’s House in Dawson City
- Westminster Hotel in Dawson City
TravelKorner 
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