Take a walk on the dark side
It seems we Canadians have a serious appetite for the heebie-jeebies. You know, things that make your skin crawl and keep you up at night? In fact, when Canadians were asked in a Booking.com survey if they would stay overnight in a haunted building, half said they would and almost one in five (16 per cent) said they hoped to see a ghost. As Halloween approaches, we wanted to satisfy your curiosity for the supernatural and explore the "dark side" of Toronto. It might be Canada's biggest metropolis, but the 6ix has its share of hair-raising stories!
Scarborough's Guild Inn is considered one of the most haunted buildings in Ontario. Those who have stayed overnight at the old, boarded-up inn have reported hearing loud noises and vibrations along the walls and floor. Fluctuating room temperatures, rattling door handles and images of a young soldier with one blue eye and one brown have also been reported. Talk about SCARY!
Hockey's greatest legends share the same space as Dorothy the ghost at the Hockey Hall of Fame. She has been described as a lonely bank teller when the building was Bank of Montreal. Dorothy apparently took her own life after she was romantically shunned by the bank manager of the day. Visitors today claim they have heard a woman sobbing while touring the exhibits.
Christie Mansion
A secret mistress lies at the heart of the paranormal activity at what is now Regis College. Robert Christie, the son of William Mellis Christie, inherited Christie Mansion. He allegedly had a secret chamber built for his mistress, who lived in secret for years until he broke up the relationship and she hung herself. It's said if you enter Room 29 alone at night, the door will swing shut on its own.
Old City Hall
Ever noticed this grand building while walking over to the Eaton Centre? This story will make you look twice! Now a courthouse, at certain times you can hear the moans coming from empty holding cells in the basement. Phantom footsteps can be heard and the working judges have gotten quite the fright when their robes are invisibly pulled by inexplicable forces. Courtroom 33 boasts scary encounters of the spirits of what could be the last men sentenced to hang in Canada. The room is in demand every Halloween by "ghosthunters," many of whom haven't been able to stay the full night, because of the weird noises and cool fogs that left them "glued to the floor."
Old Don Jail
If the Old Don Jail could speak, what a tale it would tell. It is home to the ghosts of the prisoners who were executed or murdered, or who took their own lives. Part of the Don remains as the administrative offices for the Bridgepoint hospital. It was the site of numerous hangings and abuse of inmates. The ghost of an angry female inmate who hung herself in her cell once haunted the jail.
Lower Bay Station
Closed for 51 years, this abandoned TTC station allegedly has a ghost dubbed the "Lady in Red" who glides along in a red dress with no feet or eyes, haunting the dark tunnels of Lower Bay. Used frequently for TV and movie production, workers have reported seeing a distraught lady in a red dress gliding towards them. Other reports include hearing a woman's voice singing at night.
Keg Mansion
Once owned by the powerful Massey family, the Keg Mansion rates high on the radar of Halloween thrill-seekers and ghost enthusiasts! A maid working for the Masseys was found dead above the main staircase and it's said some nights you can see her hanging from a rope above the front entrance. Other sightings include weird happenings in the women's washroom, a young boy playing on the staircase and children frolicking upstairs and in the kitchen.
Imagine waking up to the sounds of the piano, playing only to realize there's no one playing it. Creepy, right? Toronto's oldest continually-operating hotel, the Gladstone is rumoured to be haunted by a piano-playing ghost. The hotel opened in 1889 across from the Parkdale railroad station, which serviced the three main railway systems at the time. Besides the mysterious sounds, the hotel's décor and features like the hand-operated elevator can give anyone the chills.
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