Saturday, November 19, 2011

You're the Woman Who Tells the Scary Stories

Such was how I was greeted by a young student when she saw me at the Bright Lights Festival last evening in Galt Gardens. This made me laugh. She has probably seen me present on local history dozens of times but it's the ghost stories she remembers me for.

Ah, well. There are worse things to be called than the lady who tells the scary stories.

I must admit that I do enjoy telling scary stories. I also have to admit that sometimes when I work late a night typing up some of the stories people send me, it even gets me a little bit scared. I like to think I can handle anything but these stories get into your brain.

Last night I had an update on the Taber Health Centre. There was a residence beside the old Taber Hospital. Eventually the residence came to be abandoned and stood empty for quite some time. Many, many nurses reported looking out from the hospital across at the attic of the old residence and glimpsed a light on in the attic. When they looked back, the light was gone.

Staff at the Taber Health Centre also believe that the ghost who haunts the new site came with them from the old site. Because, as they say, the site seemed to have a ghost the day it opened. This ghost has my favourite name for any ghost in southern Alberta. They call him Maynard. I don't know the reason behind the name but if you have the answer, I'd love to hear the story.

But the story that interested me the most was about the Grim Reaper visting the Taber Hospital. Two ladies who were in residence in the longterm care wing would occasionally comment to the staff that the Grim Reaper had been in their room but that he hadn't come for them. On the days the ladies reported he had visited, inevitably someone in the hospital would die that night. Creepy.

Keep the stories coming.

Saturday, November 5, 2011

My Computer Talked to Me

Yes, as I type this I realize it sounds crazy. And I'm sure it has a plausible explanation. But it's also a fun story to share.

A few years ago my colleague and I were both sitting at our desks working. I was at my desk but working beside my computer (not actively using the computer at the time). All of a sudden my computer said "hello." Startled, I looked at my computer. My colleague called out (she was on the other side of a short wall), "was that your computer talking?" I told her, yes, and then we both heard it again call out "hello."

That was it. After that, nothing. Until recently.

Then just two weeks ago my computer did it again. I was logging out of my computer and after I logged out, my computer started talking. It was reciting some instructions on a computer program that I wasn't even aware was on my computer and which I never turned on (or at least I don't think I did). It kept talking for a few minutes (fortunately more my sanity, was heard by another colleague so I know it wasn't just me hearing it) telling me about buttons I should push on the computer (even though it was logged out).

I like to think it was someone in our IT department with either a wicked sense of humour or a wicked sense of timing. Or that I should more carefully read all of the instructions that come with my computers.

But I still haven't figured out what (if anything) made my computer talk to me on those two occasions. I do know it was weird. I also wish I had been smart enough the first time to say hello back. Who knows where that conversation could have led?

Monday, October 31, 2011

Things to Do, Stories to Find

In between handing out candy tonight, I put together a list of some of the places I still need to research in southern Alberta. These are places where I've heard rumours and stories or have had little pieces of information provided but not much. Or I've just had people say "is it true there's a ghost in such and such?" but they have no details or information. So these are on my to-do list for the next few months.

Please email or contact me if you have anything you wish to add to these places.

Basement of 54 (??)
FLVT (??)
Champion Hotel (??)
old Carol's Care on 8th Street (dishes being broken)
Sandman Inn (crying child reported)
Owl Acoustic Lounge (??)
old Fire Hall No 1 (??)
Cecil Hotel in Fort Macleod (??)
Youth Treatment Centre (??)

Sunday, October 30, 2011

Ghosts May not Sleep but Ghost Story Hunting Takes a Break, Sometimes

Someone asked me the other day if I picked up any new stories at all in the last while (maybe because I haven't been posting on the BLOG as regularly as I once did). I could only smile and say "well, only about 10 just this past week." While I haven't had much time of late to share stories, I have certainly had the opportunity to collect them.

One told to me in September was about the old Schweitzer Bakery building on London Road in Lethbridge. Two of the staff were working when one noted that a man walked past here and to the back of the building. She wasn't too worried because she knew another staff was back there and would redirect the man. The other person heard the man, went to speak to him but there was no one there (even though there was no other exit out of the room).

Just this past week I had another story told to me of a place along the Enchant Highway between Enchant and Vauxhall. Years ago, when I was in High School, I had heard some weird whisperings about this place. But this time I was told the complete story.

The house on the property had burned down years ago but there was a garage left. Two men, Bill and Clifford, were working on a car in the garage. They had a light on above the car which suddenly went off. When they went to check, they saw the light had been unplugged from the wall (though there was no one else around). They plugged it back in and returned to work -- only to have the light once again unplugged! After this occurred several times the two men decided that they had to get out of there.

They went outside and saw in the yard a woman completely dressed in white carrying two suitcases. As they watched, she floated upwards and disappeared. Considering that one of the rumours of the property was that the husband had murdered his wife and hidden the body they of course quickly left after that.

I was also told of a Daycare in Lethbridge that I should check into. A hotel. A restaurant. And quite a number of other buildings. The hunt for ghost stories of southern Alberta continues.

Monday, October 3, 2011

Lethbridge YWCA

Well, I've been on a bit of an hiatus from writing the blog. But I've been busy this last summer collecting stories.

Had a fabulous time visiting with several staff from the YWCA collecting stories of their building. They were a little surprised that one of the ghosts said to haunt the place was a man. Imagine my surprise when I researched the history of the property only to find that a man died and had his funeral there! One of the homes knocked down for the YWCA was the home of Dr. Robert McClure, first permanent dentist of Lethbridge. He suffered ill health for several years and passed away there in 1915. Perhaps he's the reason people have reported a strong male presence on the 4th floor?

I also heard of a woman and child who are seen in the building. Toys are found moved when staff return in the morning and it is said that one of the ghosts was even caught on the camera.