My moving to Edmonton in May of 2003 was a whirlwind affair. The guy I was seeing at the time mentioned his plan to move here for welding work, and I told him that he wasn't leaving BC without me. I sold my car to the boyfriend's brother, as I didn't think it would've passed the out of province inspection, and it gave me the cash needed to make the transition from BC to Alberta. The next day we packed up his "Twinkie" car and were on our way. I was an inexperienced 21 year old and left my parents a note telling them what I was in the process of doing.
I didn't really know much about Edmonton prior to moving here, I had never been to Edmonton before. I knew that my Dad's Aunt lived here... That this is where the Oilers played, and clearly at one point Gretzky and Messier had played here too... I had heard of the massive West Edmonton Mall, but obviously having never been here, I'd never been to the 6 block mall... As my seven and a half years in Edmonton wind down, I've found myself reflecting on my time here.
We're heading into what would've been my 8th winter here... Let me tell you, the winters here are something I'd like to forget but never will. Edmonton's the first and only place I've experienced such bitter cold in the later part of the year. (That's not to say I haven't experienced cold weather, just not like this.) Last year, Edmontonians were subjected to the second coldest place on the planet honors.... (I think we hit -50 or somewhere around there. Ya, it sucked serious toes man!) We were second only to a place in Siberia... (And that place knows how to rock the damn cold!) My first winter here it took some serious adjustment from what I was used to in BC. I grew up in Vernon, so I was used to snow and I'd seen maybe -20 to -25 that I remember... I called my Mum on her birthday at the end of October in 2003. I had to hang up with her so I could go have a hot shower to turn my purple feet back to a humanly colour. I won't sit here and say that I enjoy the winters here in Edmonton, but I'd have to say I've acclimatized.
The rest of the seasons in Edmonton aren't bad like the winters... The only qualm I have is with the City of Edmonton is in the Spring. The whole "joke" about "If you dont' like the weather in Alberta, wait five minutes" can be applied to Edmonton. I've seen snow under the most bizarre of circumstances... But why the hell does it take the City until May, even June, to clean the sand and crud off the streets after the bulk of the snow is gone in late March/early April? Edmonton could be one of the most beautiful Cities on the planet... But instead, with regret I say, Edmonton is a dirty city. Between the streets being dirty, and in dire need of repair, to the litter and homeless on every corner... Edmonton is just dirty. I know that other Cities and Towns have the same sort of problems with litter and homeless, but send out a street sweep already!
Edmontonians have perplexed me for the entire time I've been here... I've run into people here who were the nicest people in the world, and would bend over backwards to help you. Others are just so cold, fake, self serving and rude it makes you want to punch them in the face. Again, I realize there are people like this everywhere and its not solely an Edmonton issue. Just don't mention the shittiness of Eskimos or Oilers, that may get you a tongue lashing at the very least. (Actually, I remember being at a bar in Edmonton, and a guy with a blood shot eye that was almost swollen shut and an otherwise bruised and swollen face walked in for a beer.... The story went that he was down in a Calgary Bar to watch the Oilers Vs Flames game, he wearing an Oilers shirt and the Flames fans beat on him when he went out for a smoke. Maybe that says more about Calgary though?) One pay day, my first year here, I headed to the bank to deposit my cheque after my shift. It was winter, so it was dark earlier, and I walked out of the bank with a wallet full of $20's on my way to pay my rent... Some guy attempted to take my purse but I managed not to lose it. It wound up costing me a coffee for the guy, who just happened to be hungry... Bizarre to say the least!
All Edmonton/Edmontonian cutting down aside, if Edmonton was so bad - I guarantee you - I would not have stayed as long as I have. Edmonton has given me the resume I have. Just before I moved here I had just graduated from College and was raring to get into the working world. I papered the town, meaning Kelowna and Vernon, and got one call back saying "Thanks for your interest in our company, we'll keep you on file." Within a week of moving to Edmonton, I had a few interviews and was hired and working. Edmonton's economy, over the years I've been here, has allowed me to feed my job "A.D.D" in that if I got bored or frustrated at one job, it was easy enough to go out and find another. I have job hopped here, and it's given me a diverse set of skills and experience that I may not have otherwise had.
I've gone back to school here and graduated in April of 2009 from Grant MacEwan College. (Now Grant MacEwan University.) It was quite a trip to go back after 5 years of being out of school mode. The course I took introduced me to a wide variety of characters through my classmates. The time spent at Grant Mac was definitely a benchmark and a time in my life that I'll never forget. If I were anywhere other than Edmonton, I doubt I would have gone back to school... To be honest, I don't even know if the course I took is offered anywhere other than Grant MacEwan.... Makes it that much more memorable... Even if it is partially due to the student loans which are now in the repayment stages.
Being that Edmonton is one of Canada's more major centers, it opens up some events that I may not have otherwise enjoyed partaking in. I don't ever remember there being fireworks in Vernon for New Year's for example. As pathetic as it may be, I've never been to an Oilers game... It's a little ironic that I have been to an Eskimos game though... Edmonton is one of the festival capitals of Canada, and for that I'm grateful. Some festivals don't cost a dime and are a great way to kill an afternoon when broke. Others do cost but I've been told they are well worth the price of admission. My personal fave has always been the Heritage Festival. The Heritage Festival asks for donations to the food bank as admission, but it doesn't seem to be a mandatory admission. There are pavilions for different countries that feature food, clothing, dancing, art and basically anything you can think of to show off a particular country's culture. I can't explain it, I just know that I love it.
For all the crappy people I've met and had to deal with, I've met a few really cool people that I am now fortunate enough to call friends. Some I met through work, others school, and the most interesting are those I met quite by accident in a random event. Either way, these are the people I will miss and carry with me until the end of my days. My first friend in Edmonton was Missy. I had been talking to her for a couple years because she had emailed a boyfriend of mine and I knew she was the ex. So I laced into her telling her to move on and leave my boyfriend alone. It turns out, we now have the same ex - as he's no longer my boyfriend either - and we talk to each other, but not that ex. Anyhow, after a couple years of chatting, it took me moving to Edmonton to actually meet. She bailed my ass out a time or four. She moved back to BC years ago, unfortunately. Van, Ian and my other CFF friends managed to show me what it meant to work but how to have fun while doing it. The local hang out for some of the CFF crew was a bar called the H2O. I've only had "happy birthday" sung to me once, and it was from my H2O crew. This is also where I met my roommate called Candy Apple. No she's not a hooker, or a stripper, and yes - that's her real name. She and I had a riot living together...
Finally, the on again/off again guy in my life, Klaus. I actually met him while at work for CFF. He was, and still is, a driver for the company and I was an office worker. He always thought I only wrote the bad things about him, but he's also given me some good things to report too. He's bailed my ass out of situations it shouldn't have been in. He drove me to the Okanagan over the Labour Day long weekend last year, without me even having to ask. He's taken me camping numerous times, and actually - he's the first one to ever take me fishing. He's brought me home Christmas trees even though I know damn well he hates Christmas. (His birthday's Christmas Eve, and if that was your birthday - I think you'd probably hate Christmas too.) He's made me laugh (almost as much as he's made me cry) and I've don't ever doubt the fact that he loves me.
Now I've got what's left of today, and part of tomorrow, to endure before I can say I'm done with my current job... Trust me, this one was an easy one to quit... I've got about 3 and a half days left in Edmonton... Though I am guilty of calling this place Deadmonton, Hellberta, - Edmonton will always have a piece of my heart.
It's not always about me; I have a feeling I'll be back one day.
Showing posts with label Edmonton. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Edmonton. Show all posts
Wednesday, 24 November 2010
Wednesday, 20 October 2010
The Abandoned Charles Camsell Hospital Story : A Haunted One?
Call me crazy, but I believe in Ghosts, Spirits, and all that "mumbo jumbo." I've always been fascinated with the paranormal and have had a few experiences that has confirmed my belief. (Yes these experiences could have happened by coincidence, but I don't think so.)
When I first moved to Edmonton, I worked in the West End of the City and lived in Chinatown. To put that in perspective, it would take me about an hour and a half by bus to get to or from work each day. (It was about three-quarters of the way across the city.) The bus route that took me to work went through an area of town called Inglewood and past an old abandoned building each day. I wasn't sure what the building used to be, all I knew is whenever we went passed it, I got this creepy feeling that someone was peering out the windows and staring as the bus passed. I didn't think much of it, I figured it was my over active, still half asleep imagination. After I quit my job in the West End, for a job with better pay and closer to home, I almost completely forgot about the condemned building.
A few months ago, I got a book from the public library called Encyclopedia of Haunted Places by Jeff Belanger, as I was on a ghost story kick at the time. I noticed in the Table of Contents that there were three stories from Edmonton. Of course, I b-lined right for the local stories first, only to find an address that was familiar. It turned out that the building that used to make me a little rattled is, in fact, an abandoned "haunted" hospital, called the Charles Camsell Hospital. I googled the name shortly there after. I have found two accounts, other than the Encyclopedia of Haunted Places. Some facts seem to overlap, while others seem to be on opposite sides of the spectrum. I have summed up all three, you can decide which you believe.
The Encyclopedia of Haunted Places, after a Paranormal Investigation, gives history as:
In 1967, the Hospital was built only to close it's doors almost 30 years later, in 1996. A tuberculosis sanatorium, mainly taking care of aboriginal patients, was housed in the original part of the building in the 1950's. Some patients were forcibly brought to the hospital where some were also sterilized due to "defects". The sterilization was also done involuntarily, just as the hospitalization was.
The second floor was the surgical ward, according to the book, half the floor in one room is stained with blood. The fourth floor was the psychiatric wing, where it was said that shock treatments were forced upon patients, as well was isolation in special rooms. In 1982, a younger man fell to his death from the roof he was working to repair. The book states that the paranormal investigation performed yielded evidence of ghostly activity. An elevator in the morgue operates on it's own, voices and screams not belonging to anyone on the investigative team were recorded.
According to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inglewood,_Edmonton , the hospital's story looks like this:
In 1946, the hospital opened and was named after Charles Camsell, a geologist and map-maker who explored Canada's North. The Charles Camsell Hospital was originally a hospital dedicated to those suffering from Tuberculosis. In the years between 1945 & 1967, the hospital was used for Occupational Therapy for Aboriginal Peoples. The Royal Museum, also in Edmonton, received over 400 pieces of arts and crafts in the early 1990's as donated by the Charles Camsell Hospital. Those 400 plus pieces were created by the patients in the Therapy program.
The hospital shifted from that of a Tuberculosis hospital to that of an "experimental" one run by the United Church and the Department of Indian Affairs. We can only imagine the horrors that took place behind the walls of the Charles Camsell. There are reports of abuse and murder taking place here, and a denied rumour says that there is a mass grave of aboriginal children located on the south side of the building, in what used to be the staff garden.
In 1996, the building was abandoned and condemned, reportedly due in part by asbestos. Over the past 14 years, the building has changed hands with the idea of development on the property. 2004's movie "White Coats" was filmed at the Charles Camsell. (I don't remember ever hearing of the movie, but Dan Akroyd, Dave Thomas - as in the MacKenzie Brothers from SCTV- and Dave Foley - of Kids In The Hall fame - starred in it.)
The history provided by http://www.suite101.com/content/urban-decay-in-alberta-a181516, seems a little more complete, while denouncing any haunting as factual:
In 1913, a Jesuit College for boys was originally built on the site. By 1942, the college was used by the American Army as a center for personnel and engineers working on the construction of the Alaska Highway. After the completion of the highway in 1944, the property was sold to the (Canadian) Federal Government. The site became the Edmonton Military Hospital, more structures were added and were interconnected with the main building through a series of corridors.
In 1945, the main building was turned into a tuberculosis hospital dedicated to the First Nations and Inuit community of Alberta, Yukon and NWT. This site acknowledges the report of a mass grave of Aboriginal children, the grave was the result of the experiments that they were subjected to at the hospital in the 22 years between 1945 & 1967. (From what I gather off this site, an investigation has not formally taken place.)
The military hospital and tuberculosis hospital jointly operated on site for several months and in 1946, the property was transferred to the Department of National Health and Welfare, establishing the Charles Camsell Hospital. (According to this site, it was named after Charles Camsell, a geologist turned Deputy Minister of Mines and Resources.) The hospital functioned out of the Jesuit College building until 1967, when it moved into the building that still stands on the site today. The old college was subsequently demolished. In the '70's, the Charles Camsell Hospital became a regular treatment hospital due to the lack of need for a tuberculosis hospital. The Hospital, according to this site, was de-established in 1993 after a merge with the Royal Alexandra Hospital here in Edmonton.
This past weekend, I decided to check out the hospital as much as I could for myself. (Without getting in trouble, I guess there are hefty fines for those caught trespassing.) The day was bright and sunny, big blue sky with a few wispy white clouds, warm enough for just a sweatshirt. (So it wasn't dark and gloomy, cold and blustery by any means.) I didn't get the feeling like I was being watched like I had in the past, I just got the sad feeling that might be associated with the building. It could have been the fact that the place was boarded up and literally rusted and crumbling. Windows were broken - not sure if that was vandal's work like the graffiti or if it was due to past construction. (The broken window's were a few floors up, so it could go either way.) The old parking lot was dishevelled and over grown by weeds. There is a large, chain link fence around most of the decaying property. The fence looks like the kind construction crews rent when working on a site.
I snapped off pictures from all 4 sides of the building, and varying angles in between. I have no picture evidence to show, no shadows in the windows or video with screams or voices. There was no sign anywhere on the property to indicate what the old building had been at one time. (There was one sign that I saw, it was a City of Edmonton sign indicating what might be done with the property in the future. And of course it included a warning of Danger and not to trespass.)
In it's seemingly short history, the Charles Camsell Hospital has a rumoured and tragic story to tell. Fourteen years after it closed it's doors, the hospital still stands alone and broken. I'm glad that I found out why the place seemed to stare at me those years ago - though I wish the abuse that reportedly happened there, hadn't happened at all. Which ever version of the Charles Camsell History you buy into, we'll never know for sure what really happened. It still is a decaying piece of history, no matter how you cut it.
It's not always about me... But I was creeped out for a while.......
When I first moved to Edmonton, I worked in the West End of the City and lived in Chinatown. To put that in perspective, it would take me about an hour and a half by bus to get to or from work each day. (It was about three-quarters of the way across the city.) The bus route that took me to work went through an area of town called Inglewood and past an old abandoned building each day. I wasn't sure what the building used to be, all I knew is whenever we went passed it, I got this creepy feeling that someone was peering out the windows and staring as the bus passed. I didn't think much of it, I figured it was my over active, still half asleep imagination. After I quit my job in the West End, for a job with better pay and closer to home, I almost completely forgot about the condemned building.
A few months ago, I got a book from the public library called Encyclopedia of Haunted Places by Jeff Belanger, as I was on a ghost story kick at the time. I noticed in the Table of Contents that there were three stories from Edmonton. Of course, I b-lined right for the local stories first, only to find an address that was familiar. It turned out that the building that used to make me a little rattled is, in fact, an abandoned "haunted" hospital, called the Charles Camsell Hospital. I googled the name shortly there after. I have found two accounts, other than the Encyclopedia of Haunted Places. Some facts seem to overlap, while others seem to be on opposite sides of the spectrum. I have summed up all three, you can decide which you believe.
 |
| Charles Camsell Hospital As of October 17, 2010 |
The Encyclopedia of Haunted Places, after a Paranormal Investigation, gives history as:
In 1967, the Hospital was built only to close it's doors almost 30 years later, in 1996. A tuberculosis sanatorium, mainly taking care of aboriginal patients, was housed in the original part of the building in the 1950's. Some patients were forcibly brought to the hospital where some were also sterilized due to "defects". The sterilization was also done involuntarily, just as the hospitalization was.
 |
| North and East side of the building |
The second floor was the surgical ward, according to the book, half the floor in one room is stained with blood. The fourth floor was the psychiatric wing, where it was said that shock treatments were forced upon patients, as well was isolation in special rooms. In 1982, a younger man fell to his death from the roof he was working to repair. The book states that the paranormal investigation performed yielded evidence of ghostly activity. An elevator in the morgue operates on it's own, voices and screams not belonging to anyone on the investigative team were recorded.
According to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inglewood,_Edmonton , the hospital's story looks like this:
In 1946, the hospital opened and was named after Charles Camsell, a geologist and map-maker who explored Canada's North. The Charles Camsell Hospital was originally a hospital dedicated to those suffering from Tuberculosis. In the years between 1945 & 1967, the hospital was used for Occupational Therapy for Aboriginal Peoples. The Royal Museum, also in Edmonton, received over 400 pieces of arts and crafts in the early 1990's as donated by the Charles Camsell Hospital. Those 400 plus pieces were created by the patients in the Therapy program.
 |
| South Side of the Building |
In 1996, the building was abandoned and condemned, reportedly due in part by asbestos. Over the past 14 years, the building has changed hands with the idea of development on the property. 2004's movie "White Coats" was filmed at the Charles Camsell. (I don't remember ever hearing of the movie, but Dan Akroyd, Dave Thomas - as in the MacKenzie Brothers from SCTV- and Dave Foley - of Kids In The Hall fame - starred in it.)
The history provided by http://www.suite101.com/content/urban-decay-in-alberta-a181516, seems a little more complete, while denouncing any haunting as factual:
In 1913, a Jesuit College for boys was originally built on the site. By 1942, the college was used by the American Army as a center for personnel and engineers working on the construction of the Alaska Highway. After the completion of the highway in 1944, the property was sold to the (Canadian) Federal Government. The site became the Edmonton Military Hospital, more structures were added and were interconnected with the main building through a series of corridors.
In 1945, the main building was turned into a tuberculosis hospital dedicated to the First Nations and Inuit community of Alberta, Yukon and NWT. This site acknowledges the report of a mass grave of Aboriginal children, the grave was the result of the experiments that they were subjected to at the hospital in the 22 years between 1945 & 1967. (From what I gather off this site, an investigation has not formally taken place.)
 |
| Further away, still on the South Side of the Building |
This past weekend, I decided to check out the hospital as much as I could for myself. (Without getting in trouble, I guess there are hefty fines for those caught trespassing.) The day was bright and sunny, big blue sky with a few wispy white clouds, warm enough for just a sweatshirt. (So it wasn't dark and gloomy, cold and blustery by any means.) I didn't get the feeling like I was being watched like I had in the past, I just got the sad feeling that might be associated with the building. It could have been the fact that the place was boarded up and literally rusted and crumbling. Windows were broken - not sure if that was vandal's work like the graffiti or if it was due to past construction. (The broken window's were a few floors up, so it could go either way.) The old parking lot was dishevelled and over grown by weeds. There is a large, chain link fence around most of the decaying property. The fence looks like the kind construction crews rent when working on a site.
 |
| The North view - The broken windows are a little more visible |
In it's seemingly short history, the Charles Camsell Hospital has a rumoured and tragic story to tell. Fourteen years after it closed it's doors, the hospital still stands alone and broken. I'm glad that I found out why the place seemed to stare at me those years ago - though I wish the abuse that reportedly happened there, hadn't happened at all. Which ever version of the Charles Camsell History you buy into, we'll never know for sure what really happened. It still is a decaying piece of history, no matter how you cut it.
It's not always about me... But I was creeped out for a while.......
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