Edmonton Bound Spirits: A Few More Haunted Places



Edmonton General
'Mother D'Youville'



My fascination with Haunted Places, Ghosts/Spirits and History in general has led me to some spirited places as I played tourist in my own City. I'm no ghost hunter, I don't have high tech gadgets, I don't stay in cemeteries over night or anything like that. I'm more of a "backseat driver" - I read about the place and if it's easy enough to get to, I'll go check out the supposedly haunted place. I believe in ghosts and spirits, if you think its a pile o' horse pucky - that's OK, you're not the first I've met. To keep with the Halloween feel of things, though, here's another post on supposedly haunted places in Edmonton.



Edmonton General Hospital
11111 Jasper Avenue

I've already told you the story of the Charles Camsell Hospital (12812 115 Avenue) and I promise this post will not be as extensive as that Hospital's History. There is a second hospital in Edmonton that is reported to be Haunted as well. That Hospital is located on one of Edmonton's main drags and is known simply as Edmonton General (or EGH). The hospital is divided into four wings, simply named the "A", "B", "C" and "Y" wings. The "A" Wing was the first to be built (Late 1800-Early 1900's depending on the source) and the rest soon followed. The "B" wing was once used as the surgical ward and while the wing hasn't been used in a decade - it is said that you can still smell the sick that were treated on the ward. A man working on the "B" ward's basement was killed as he worked. It is said that the area in which he perished is still a strong vortex of energy. The 8th floor used to house the old pediatric wing, it is rumoured to still be active with children, as they are heard to be crying. The wing later bedded Alzheimer Patients who didn't enjoy the company of crying children. A disappearing mother wanders the halls of the 6th and 8th floor in desperate search of her dead children. Her sobs far outlast the sight of her spirit.

McKay Avenue School
10429 - 99 Avenue

Another haunted place is the McKay Avenue School. (I took pictures here this past summer, and until about 5 minutes ago - I had no idea it's potential hauntings. What can I say? I'm drawn to old, beautiful buildings because of the potential history of them.) Construction on the building began in 1904. By 1906-07, the school served as the site for the first two sessions of Alberta Legislature. The third floor assembly hall was where the decision to make Edmonton Alberta's capital was made. By 1983, McKay School's student enrollment dropped to 59 students and soon after, the school was closed. McKay Avenue school is said to be the oldest still standing brick schoolhouse in Edmonton. It is said that there is an apparition of a child seen running past doors. A spirit of either a maintainence man, or a man who helped construct the original building, has been seen pacing the halls of the school. Phantom laughs of children can still be heard ringing through the halls. Within minutes, rooms have also been torn apart by hands that can't be seen. A brief history of the school can be found at http://archives.epsb.net/history.htm 



The Fairmont MacDonald
10056 - 100 Street

Finally, the building that seems to be every one's favorite, The (Fairmont) MacDonald Hotel. The Hotel looks over Edmonton's River Valley and looks almost like a Gothic-ish Castle. It's one of the few buildings here in Edmonton that I have fallen in love with. It is rumoured that a horse and buggy can be heard racing through the halls of the top floor. The driver must be on the shy side, as it's only been heard but never visually seen. The building is quite fancy, even on the outside. It seems to loom, so it's mildly disappointing that the horse-drawn carriage is the only story of a haunt.  

Other supposedly Haunted Buildings in Edmonton include John A. McDougall Elementary School (10930-107 Street), La'Boheme Bed & Breakfast (6427 112 Avenue) , The Wee Book (10310 Whyte Avenue), The Guilty Martini (10338 81st Avenue) , Victoria School of Performing and Visual Arts (10210 108 Avenue), Concordia University College of Alberta (7128 Ada Boulevard), and the Walterdale Theater (10322 83 Avenue). Fort Edmonton Park (Fox Drive & Whitemud Drive) - the city's namesake - is reportedly haunted as well.

It's not always about me; maybe I'll come back and haunt a place or two though... You never know!

If you have interest in any of the Haunted places listed above, both the following websites have a brief run through of some of the histories or stories of these places. Well worth taking a look at if you are intersted in learning more. :

http://hauntednorthamerica.webs.com/northernalberta.htm 

http://www.angelfire.com/scary/hauntedcanada/alberta.htm