Ontario’s Most Haunted
Written by Emily Santos
Monday, 02 November 2009 10:09
In my search to find the most haunted places in Ontario, I noticed that there is just about a ghost everywhere in this province. Whether you are stuck in a small town or you have the big city beneath your toes, you are sure to find a creepy story close by.
But if you’re feeling more adventurous and have the time to take a trip this fall, here are the places I recommend for your ghostly hunting.
5. The Olde Angel Inn, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario
It is speculated that the Olde Angel Inn, a lively pub located in Niagara-on-the-Lake has a resident ghost: Captain Colin Swayze, a British officer who served in the War of 1812. The tale tells a story of American soldiers accidentally killing the Captain in the basement of the Inn.
The Olde Angel Inn proudly endorses their ghost. A plaque, located outside the front doors of the pub, tells Captain Swayze’s hauntingly intriguing story to the public. Along with a plaque, the Inn also boasts their ghost through their website – offering internet visitors the opportunity to view photographs of the Captain’s cellar.
It is said that Captain Swayze's ghost can be heard wandering the Inn late at night. As long as the British flag is flown over the Inn his ghost will remain harmless.
Located at 224 Regent Street, the current owners encourage guests to enjoy The Olde Angel’s casual dining, along with live music and if gutsy enough, to spend an overnight with the Captain himself.
4. Algonquin Park: Whitney, Ontario
In 1917, Canada lost honorary Group of Seven painter, Tom Thomson. Thomson, known for influential pieces like The Jack Pine, Northern River, and The West Wind died while canoeing in Algonquin Park.
Mystery surrounded his death. Thomson was known as an accomplished “canoer” and swimmer. Reports claimed the fishing line was tangled around him and while others stated he suffered a head injury. In the end, police ruled his death an accidental drowning.
Since then, a number of visitors to the park have reported seeing Thomson paddling his canoe quietly around Canoe Lake.
3. Old Psychiatric Hospital: Whitby, Ontario
It’s an ongoing debate in the Durham Region, was the old Whitby psychiatric hospital haunted or not? First constructed in the early 1900s, after the First World War, the original Whitby Psychiatric Hospital has now been replaced by a modern facility with new homes surrounding it. But while driving on Brock Street in the small town you can still see the remnants of the original hospital in the decrepit buildings beside the parking lot.
The vast majority of the buildings that formed the old medical care centre were connected through underground tunnels, leading right into Whibty’s old Court House, now a theatre.
Visitors have detected the presence of tortured souls. Various reports have been made of male ghosts - some wearing old uniforms and wandering aimlessly while others limp up and down the hallways.
The facility is private and is no longer open to the public due to health concerns, structural issues, and the rampant vandalism. Security guards and the police patrol it frequently. That said, it is still a very eerie site to take a late night drive past.
2. Gibraltar Point Lighthouse: Toronto, Ontario
Located in Toronto Islands, Gibraltar Point Lighthouse has been the centre of controversy for years and is a favourite tourist attraction.
On January 2nd, 1815, J. P. Radan Muller, the first keeper of Gibraltar Point and a beer brewer using his native German recipe, was murdered. The legend has it Radan Muller was brutally killed by three thirsty soldiers who had traveled from Fort York in the hopes of getting drunk off of Muller’s famous brew. After refusing to serve the drinks to the soldiers, Radan Muller was beaten, dragged to the top of the lighthouse
and thrown to his death. The story continues to say that Radan Muller’s dead body was chopped into pieces and scattered along the island. Those who have stopped by the lighthouse say they have seen a lonely man, believed to be Muller, wandering and searching for his lost limbs.
Today, a plaque stands outside of the lighthouse, retelling Radan Muller’s unsolved murder mystery and cautioning visitors about the ghostly sightings.
1. Fort George: Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario
Fort George is located amongst the beautiful and serene landscapes of a now calm and retreating Niagara. Unbeknownst to some tourists, 40 minutes from the breathtaking falls and the elaborate lights on Clifton Hill contains some of the world’s most famous ghost-sightings.
Fort George is located in Niagara-on-the-Lake on Queen’s Street. During the War of 1812, it served as the headquarters for the Centre Division of the British Army. Forces included British regulars, local militia, and Major General Sir Isaac Brock, “the savior of Upper Canada,” who was stationed at Fort George until his death during the Battle of Queenston Heights in October 1812.
Nearly two centuries after the war ended, Fort George has managed to gain quite a reputation. After being bombarded, destroyed, rebuilt and then left to fall into disrepair sightings ranging from ghost crews, dead soldiers peering through windows, and doctors carrying buckets of limbs have all been reported. Some witnesses even say they could still hear the screaming voices as they passed by the wells. Ghost tours for Niagara’s haunted battling grounds began October 16th and still run on Fridays and Saturdays through November. Tickets must be pre-purchased by calling 905-468-6621. The two-hour walking tour explores the scariest aspects of Fort George
