Sunday, October 25, 2009

Ghost Stories of Old

I went through the old newspapers looking for ghost stories. Partly to see how long some ghost stories have been around. But also to see if there were stories that we have since stopped telling.

The 1923 Lethbridge Herald has 2 ghost stories related to the North West Mounted Police. One, that takes place at the Big Bend detachment north east of Wateron, has a horse and rider coming up to the house in the middle of the night. When the rider knocks on the door, the Mounties bid him to enter but no one does. After having the noctural visitor knock three times on the door, the Mounties go out and look for him. They find no sign of a horse or a rider. They also find no tracks of man or beast in the freshly fallen, pristine snow.

The other takes place at the Standoff Detachment. The sergeant there invited a friend out to the detachment for Easter. In the evening after supper the men went outside to smoke. They noted a light and fire in an empty building. As they investigated the light and fire abruptly vanished. And the stove in the house was stone cold and covered in years of dust.

There was also a 1962 story of a ghost in Fleetwood School. According to the article kids at the school reported a Blue Ghost, a mysterious blue light that appeared and glimmered at the top of the building. The story went like wildfire through the student population. Some kids even claimed that 2 children were in hospital because of the ghost. A Herald reporter and photographer went and investigated and found that on a full moon, when the moon was just in the right place, the Blue Ghost appeared. But they realized that when they took a photograph of it, it was simply the moon creating the ghost (at least on that night). Was it always just the moon or did Fleetwood school really have a ghost? If you were a child in Lethbridge during the 1960s do you remember hearing about the Fleetwood ghost? If you have a story, please don't hesitate to share it.

Thursday, October 22, 2009

Is Highway 36 haunted?

It's funny what triggers a memory. I was out tonight waiting for a tour to arrive and for some reason I got thinking of hitchhiking ghosts. And then I remembered a story I was once told (unfortunately I don't remember who told me so I don't have all of the details) of a hitchhiking ghost that is seen and picked up along highway 36 between Vauxhall and Brooks near the Oasis.

Does anyone know more about this ghost?

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Nicholas Sheran Ghost?

I hadn't thought of this ghost story for a very long time until someone asked me about it today. We were talking today about the death of Nicholas Sheran, who drowned in the Oldman River in 1882. His body was never recovered. Someone asked if there was a ghost story with him. The story I've heard is that there are reports of a grey ghost, dripping wet, seen walking through Indian Battle Park. I can only assume that the ghost is meant to be Nicholas Sheran (especially the dripping wet).

I don't have many details about this story. Has anyone seen it? Is it only at a certain time of the month such as a full moon? Or is it one for foggy days?

Wednesday, October 7, 2009

Why does Lethbridge have so many ghost stories?

What is it about Lethbridge? I can think of at least 17 places that have ghost stories attached to them. Hmmm. Maybe it's the wind.

One place I recently heard of related to a ghost story was the old Isolation Hospital on 7th Avenue South. Someone reported seeing a woman dressed as a nurse and said she could feel herself back in time. Anyone else have any stories about that place?

I've also heard rumours of ghost stories for the college. But only that they think it's haunted. I've never had a really good story for that place. So if you have a good college story, don't hesitate to share.

Monday, October 5, 2009

Looking for Ghosts of southern Alberta

Well, not quite.

Actually I'm looking for ghost stories from southern Alberta. I've decided it's time to finally write them down in one place. I have collected a lot over the years but I know there's a lot more out there. And I hope to write them into a type of book that you can sit around a camp fire and enjoy a bit of a scare (whether or not you're a believer).

If you have a ghost story that you're willing to share, please let me know.