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Spooky tales of the dead
have always fascinated the living, many of whom even seek out opportunities
to encounter a ghost personally. And it would seem there are plenty of opportunities
to do so across Canada,
including the option of staying overnight at a haunted hotel. Canada's alleged
haunted hotels are often majestic buildings rich in history; many of the luxurious
Fairmont hotels were built at the turn of the 20th century, so it's no surprise
that some of them have a haunting reputation. A hotel's history—including
past guests and employees—contributes to its unique character, and those
featured on WorldWeb.com's list
of top 10 Canadian haunted hotels are sure to provide a memorable visit, whether
guests encounter a ghost or not.
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The
Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel Stands Solitude in the Mountains1 |
FAIRMONT
BANFF SPRINGS HOTEL
Reminiscent of a grand Scottish castle, the Fairmont
Banff Springs Hotel stands solitude among the pine trees in Alberta's
Rocky Mountains. More than a century old, this regal former railway
hotel is set in Banff
National Park and offers breathtaking views, a championship golf course
and indulgent spa services. It may also be home to a ghost or two. Sam the Bellman—a
former hotel employee—reportedly loved the hotel so much that he couldn't
bear to retire, even after his death in 1976. Hotel staff claim that Sam will
sometimes appear to help guests into their room. And a bride who supposedly
fell to her death down a staircase at the hotel in 1932 is rumoured to dance
alone in the ballroom and haunt the aforementioned stairs.
CARIBOU HOTEL
The Caribou
Hotel has a long and interesting history. It was established in 1901
in Carcross, Yukon
and owned by celebrated gold seeker Dawson Charlie (whose discovery of gold
in 1896 sparked the Klondike Gold Rush) from 1903 until his death in 1908. The
hotel was consumed by fire on Christmas Eve of the following year, rebuilt in
1910 by Edwin and Bessie Gideon. The Caribou became home to famous parrot Polly
in 1918, when Captain James Alexander and his wife asked the Gideons to mind
the bird while they went abroad—a trip from which they never returned alive.
Bessie Gideon died in the hotel in 1933 and it is her shy spirit that is said
to haunt the third floor of the hotel, gazing out the windows and banging on
the floorboards.
FAIRMONT ALGONQUIN
The elegant Fairmont
Algonquin reflects the old-world Maritime charm of historic resort town
St. Andrews-by-the-Sea,
New Brunswick in
which it is located. This Tudor-style, oceanfront hotel was first opened to
guests in 1889 and has been providing a sumptuous setting for rest and relaxation
ever since. Perhaps not so calming is the number of eerie tales concerning various
ghosts. Such stories tell of an expired night watchman clanging keys on stairway
railings, a friendly winter bellman who evaporates into thin air, and a solitary
woman rearranging table settings in the dining room. However, room 473 is considered
the spookiest spot in the hotel, home to the weeping bride who apparently died
there in the early 1900s. Unsettled guests can welcome back tranquility at the
on-site spa.
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| The
Château Frontenac Aglow at Night2 |
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FAIRMONT
CHÂTEAU FRONTENAC
Lording over Old
Québec from atop a cliff on the St.
Lawrence River, the Fairmont
Château Frontenac is an iconic symbol of Québec
City and a United Nations World Heritage Site. Steeped in history, this
'castle' opened as a Canadian Pacific Railway hotel in 1893 and since then has
accommodated many elite guests, from film stars to British royalty. It may also
accommodate the ghost of Louis de Baude, Count of Frontenac—the governor
of New France from 1672 to 1698 and namesake of the hotel. He is sometimes seen
wandering the hallways, scouting the ballroom and peering at guests in their
beds, searching for his fiance, so the story goes. Guests can discover the secrets
of the Château Frontenac on a guided tour of the hotel.
JAMES BAY INN
Opened in 1911, the James
Bay Inn is the third oldest hotel in Victoria,
British Columbia. This popular
and centrally located hotel briefly served as Saint Mary's Priory, where the
sick and wounded were cared for during WWII. Among the patients was famous Canadian
artist and writer, Emily Carr. Emily spent her final days on the property, dying
of a heart attack there on March 2, 1945. Since then, various guests have reported
feeling unexplained chills, answering late-night phone calls with nobody on
the line, and the TV volume increasing on its own accord. Guests staying at
the James Bay Inn should perhaps watch what they say about Emily Carr's artwork.
FORT GARRY HOTEL
The Fort
Garry Hotel in downtown Winnipeg,
Manitoba was built in
1913 by the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway. This National Historic Site is renowned
for its luxurious grandeur and paranormal activity. It has played host to various
VIPs, such as Lawrence Olivier, Louis Armstrong and Queen Elizabeth, and is
rumoured to play host to spooky apparitions too, perhaps the spirits of previous
guests indulging in an extended stay. This hotel's resident ghosts like to hover
at the end of beds, especially on the second floor. Room 202 is popularly requested
by those seeking thrills and chills. It is apparently haunted by the spirit
of a woman who took her own life in the closet upon hearing the news that her
husband was killed in a car accident.
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Is
the Fort Garry Hotel Home to Ghosts?3 |
FAIRMONT CHÂTEAU
LAURIER
The first of the Canadian
Pacific chain of hotels, which also includes the Banff Springs
Hotel, Chateau Frontenac and Hotel
Vancouver, the Fairmont
Château Laurier in Ottawa,
Ontario is the definition
of opulence. An impressive edifice built of limestone in French Renaissance
style and complete with turrets, it is at once majestic and sombre. Charles
Melville Hays, the general manager of the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway of Canada,
commissioned the luxury hotel in 1907 but sadly never lived to see it to fruition,
dying aboard the Titanic when it sank just days before the grand hotel was scheduled
to open. Could Hay's spirit be the cause of room objects allegedly moving about
or apparitions on the stairwell as he tries to fulfill his dreams from beyond
the grave?
HI OTTAWA JAIL HOSTEL
Set in a Victorian-era jail, the HI
Ottawa Jail Hostel in Ottawa,
Ontario served as a prison
from 1862 to 1972, and seems the ideal haunt for phantoms trapped between this
world and the next. Unlike the jail's mistreated inmates, today's guests can
expect a friendly welcome, modern amenities and clean beds, albeit many of which
are set in original cells. Should guests also expect the ghostly sound of rattling
chains in the dead of night? Maybe. In 1869, Canada's last public hanging was
conducted here as Patrick James Whelan was executed for the murder of Thomas
D'Arcy McGee. With 110 years of unpleasant history behind it, the HI Ottawa
Jail Hostel has the trappings for catching visitors in a web of ghostly rumours.
Evening tours of the hostel are run daily.
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| The
Fairmont Hotel Vancouver is Famous for Paranormal Activity4 |
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AUBERGE WILLOW PLACE
INN
The Auberge
Willow Place Inn in Hudson,
Québec was originally
built as an extravagant private home circa 1820. Before becoming an inn, the
property served as a store and meeting place for a group of men planning a military
uprising during the 1830s. This same group of men allegedly murdered a young
servant girl, burying her in the basement. Apparently the girl's mischievous
ghost, nicknamed Maude, comes out to play in November, singing in the hallways,
knocking things over and stacking rocks at the door of room eight. But not even
rumours of a little ghost deter potential guests from staying at this elegant
and intimate inn sitting pretty as a picture on the shore of the Lake
of Two Mountains.
FAIRMONT HOTEL VANCOUVER
A Vancouver,
British Columbia landmark,
the Fairmont
Hotel Vancouver is actually the third rendition of the hotel. The magnificent
present-day building was constructed over 11 years, opening in 1939. Like other
Fairmont hotels, the extravagant Hotel Vancouver places guests in the lap of
luxury, and perhaps in the presence of a stylish spirit. Infamous among locals
and visitors, the Lady in Red purportedly floats along the corridors of the
14th floor. Guests staying higher may find that the elevator stops randomly
at this paranormal level on the way.
Sleep well.
If you enjoyed this feature, take a look at these great WorldWeb.com
articles:
• Canada's
Historic Railway Hotels
• USA's
Top 10 Spooktacular Halloween Attractions
PHOTOS COURTESY OF:
- Fairmont Banff Springs
Hotel; Banff, AB, Canada
- Germán Rodríguez
Pazo; Fairmont Château Frontenac; Quebec City, QC, Canada
- Fort Garry Hotel;
Winnipeg, MB, Canada
- Fairmont Hotel Vancouver;
Vancouver, BC, Canada
Canada
