Tuesday 26 October 2010

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. :


19 comments:

Anonymous said...

The misericordia hospital is haunted

Anonymous said...

Yeah I heard it too

Jean said...

I went to Mackay Ave when it was open in the late 70's and I remember going to the girls side basement to the bathroom and seeing a dark shadow its believed to be one of the work men,as a rule us girls didn't go down alone to the bathroom always something weird will happen,I'm now in my late 40's and live in Calgary but the memory of Mackay Ave still is with me the funny thing my signature is still upstairs in what was the gym

Anonymous said...

The Walterdale Theatre used to be #6 firehall. My grandfather worked there when they had horses. He told me that one fireman was very cruel to the horses. One day this man was in between two of the large draft horses. The two horses moved together crushing to death the cruel fireman. He showed me where it happened. It was in the back lefthand side of the hall. anonymous

Anonymous said...

The McKay school actually has some really dark information about that haunting, and it's not a worker that died when the school was constructed (actually no deaths associated with that construction). Not the kind of "spirit" (if you can call it that) one wants to mess with. Talk with the folks that do the haunting tours - they know quite a lot about the school's resident haunter.

Anonymous said...

I went to Westmount Jr. High near Westmount Mall back in the 80's and this school is haunted.

Anonymous said...

Rutherford House is also haunted my brother with the cleaning company that did the Charles Camsell cleanup got the contract for Rutherford. His spirit still haunts there worst yet if you get to look thru the "family photos", you can see the shameless hangings of people. I'm not sure if the story tellers know but in some of those albums are some pretty revealing pics of who the real Mister Rutherford is. He was a slave driver and his spirit was content when we we're cleaning his home but during periods of breaks he likes to trap you in the elevator and draft last you on the way to the attic where more questionable photos remain...amazing what you find when your curious on a work break!

Anonymous said...

I've never been to these. places but i do believe in ghosts.i live in Edmonton so it will be easy for me to go to the only place i have interest in:Charles chamsell hospital. Edmonton general hospital.

Anonymous said...

i need to know if green nuns hospital is haunted or not

Beryle said...

Now, that's just silly. I worked at the General Hospital from 1973-78. I worked in Emergency/Admitting and later CCU. We did not have a pediatric station. Perhaps long, long ago there was but way before my time. As part of my job, after admitting a patient I took them to their rooms walking or by wheelchair. I was all over that hospital and never, ever felt it was spooky. Except the cafeteria in the basement, which seemed spooky because it was dimly lit. I absolutely LOVED working at the General. I got to be friends with the Sisters, knew the priest, knew the doctors and many other staff. I was in my early 20's then. I'm 63 now and the Edmonton General was my happiest work experience and favorite job. I always felt it was blessed because of the Statue of Jesus out front with his loving arms open wide. I have so many good memories and not a single bad one from EGH. So sad to see it reduced from a vibrant, exciting place of healing and teaching to warehousing folks my age and older. It deserved a better fate!

tomcat100 said...

Did not here about it

tomcat100 said...

Really maybe I'm in the wrong places

tomcat100 said...

I heard of good old Charles camsell

tomcat100 said...

So wat going on with that place anyway? Camsell. I here u can get hurt in there the paranormal go hard on u

tomcat100 said...

Will that hospital let u visit in the old 1

tomcat100 said...

I'm looking at Goin for a visit there to see

Anonymous said...

is there anyway to get into this building to wonder about it to see if it is haunted?

Anonymous said...

Stunning story there. What happened after? Thanks!

Anonymous said...

I like it when folks come together and share thoughts.
Great blog, keep it up!