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.

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?

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 (??)

Bring on the Medicine Hat Ghost [Stories]

Medicine Hat, I must admit I'm impressed. I have a large number of stories from southwestern Alberta but I haven't looked much further east than Taber. But recently friends from Medicine Hat have suggested I come there and collect some stories from the Hat for the book. So I decided to look on-line to see what sort of stories are being told about Medicine Hat and whether it would be worth the drive.

When I started looking around at sites, I could not believe how many places in Medicine Hat had stories connected with them. I thought there were lots of haunted places associated with Lethbridge, but this completely blew me away. Why do you have so many ghost stories? Any theories?

Reading through some of the places said to be haunted, not at all surprised that there are stories associated with the POW camp, especially considering the murders there. But why the Stampede Grounds? Why Connaught School? What are the stories behind these places?

I'm only going to be in Medicine Hat for one day (hopefully a Saturday in November) so which ones do you consider the very best? Which stories do I absolutely have to track down? Who are the best people in Medicine Hat to talk to?

Any help is appreciated.

Guardian Spirits

September may be my favourite time of the year but October is certainly one of my busiest so sorry for not posting anything for a while. I have in the meantime been able to conduct several interviews with people who have ghost stories of southern Alberta and I have heard some amazing ones.

I have found a ghost (well, actually, two ghosts) with purpose!

When I started collecting these stories I knew that I wanted to take a folklore approach -- write them down so they're preserved for future generations, write them down so people can see if changes have been made to the stories, write them down so there's an understanding of southern Alberta through the stories we tell.

In order to do this respectfully and properly, I read many folklore studies done in other parts of the world. And one thing several writers in Europe notes is that the "purposeful ghost" seems to be on the decline. Hundreds of years ago a lot of ghost stories were about ghosts that came back for a reason -- revenge, to help someone right a wrong, to show someone where the treasure was and so much more.

But the stories of the past 100 or so years were more about ghosts that didn't seem to have any more purpose than to just be -- to hang around, to startle people, etc but not to "DO" anything.

One of the people I interviewed last night said that two of the spirits of the Galt Museum (the old Galt Hospital) were there as "guardians" to protect the building and make certain it was taken care of. She said they had a true affinity for the building and wanted it protected and preserved.

As a historian and a person who thinks historic buildings are among our greatest assets, I am so glad to think that this building, and maybe others?, have guardian spirits.

Crowsnest Pass

I had an incredible 90 minute phone call today with a woman from the Crowsnest Pass who was able to provide a great many stories of places in the Pass that have strange occurrences associated with them. I knew there had to be stories from the Pass -- any place where the Frank Slide occurred and the worst underground coal mine disaster in Canadian history is sure to be a place of restless spirits.

And it didn't disappoint. Sitting here in a well lit room in Lethbridge simply being told the stories, I had goosebumps and the hair rising on the back of my neck!

Bellevue Mine does tours around Halloween each year and the person I spoke with assists with those. She said that, waiting in the dark mine for tours, she has heard the chirping of canaries. There are certainly no canaries in the mine today but in years past they would have been taken down as an early warning sign for carbon monoxide poisoning. Do ghost birds continue to keep the mine safe?

On another evening, again sitting in there in the full, overwhelming darkness of the mine, she heard the entrance door open and heard the quiet mumbling of voices. She expected any minute to see the lanterns as the tour approached. But none appeared. But the voices stayed. And then she realized. It was a school group they were expecting and rather than hearing the bright, light voices of children, the voices she heard were the low rumbling of adult men. For minutes she could hear the voices but no one approached her and there was no sign of the tour. Then, she heard again the door opening and wondered what had happened that the tour was leaving. Almost immediately she heard children's voices and soon saw lights appearing -- the tour had just arrived!

Between tours she and others were in the hut warming up and she asked why the tour had started and then went out and re-started. Everyone turned and looked at her like she was crazy and she was promptly told that had happened. And even though there were others in the mine she was the only one who heard the door open and the men's voices. And they realized what time it was -- back in the days when the mine had been operational it would be have been lunch time and the men were coming into the mine and back to work!

These are certainly not the only stories she told me. I'm still processing the one of the haunted house where they claim to have caught on tape the voice of a teenage boy mimicing howls to the family dog as he teased and hassled the dog. The same teenage boy appeared as a full apparition in a mirror and liked to play with the lights. But that one will have to wait for another time...

Odds and Ends

It's funny what you find when you research. And today's blog is bits and pieces from various research areas.

The first is from the 1913 City Council Records. When we look at "Haunted History" some of the same themes keep coming up from the earliest times of Lethbridge history.

"That Mrs. J.F. Jackson be advised that the license for the practice of palmistry and clairvoyance is $250.00 per year without rebates for any shorter period. The last permit dates back some years."

In 1909, both the Fire Chief and Police Chief were earning $125.00 per month so that was a rather expensive business licence. There is no information as to whether or not Mrs. Jackson agreed to the cost and paid it.

Secondly, back in October 2009 one of my early blogs was about a ghost story told about Highway 36 between Vauxhall and Brooks. I have searched all year to try and find someone who can add something to that story. But no matter who I talked to, I could never find someone who could provide details. I have come to the conclusion that this story is likely an Urban Legend that has been identified with this lonely stretch of road. What do you think? Is it truly a ghost story? Or not?

And, last, another location that I'm starting to get some good stories about but which I would love to get a great deal more. The Lethbridge Health Unit (which used to, of course, be the train station) has had many strange things occur there. One staff said that when she starts there she was told by co-workes that strange things happen there and she has experienced the footsteps and noises from the attic. And, she's quick to add, she knows no one was up in the attic as the door going to the attic is in her office!

While most people only experience noises at the train station, I was also given a story of someone who went for a vaccine and reported seeing a woman in Victorian dress standing outside waiting for a train that never arrived...

Talking to the other side?

I had a chance this past week to speak to a medium who was incredibly helpful with my research. She is hesitant about talking to anyone and has asked me to use a pseudonym when referring to her so I'll call her Edith.

What I enjoyed about Edith's stories was how random were the messages she received and which she passed on to living relatives. In one case someone presented her the image of standing in a kitchen and making Nestle Quik cocoa. She found out from talking to his mother that this man (who died as an adult) had as a child made himself a glass every day when he got home from school. On another instant the person told her he was all right but that he missed the noodles. Edith later found out from his wife that noodles were his favourite home-made meal. And in a third instance the person showed her three raised vegetable beds which, sure enough, existed in the backyard of his home.

Another thing for me to think about and more stories for me to add in my continuing research into the haunted history (and folklore) of southern Alberta. And, don't forget, keep sending me your stories. The collection gets longer and better every week.

Haunted Picture Butte

If you drive through Picture Butte you will probably notice the old hospital building standing there -- empty and run-down. But is it really empty? Or do the strange sounds that staff heard when the place was a hospital still pervade the hallways and rooms? Have all of the patients actually left the building?

I have had the opportunity to talk with several of the people who worked as staff and they have graciously provided several stories. Two staff were working the night shift. Late in the night and after all patients were in bed, as they were sitting at the nurses' station they both heard shuffling feet walking down the hallway. They looked at each other and realized that they were both hearing it. Each tried to convince the other to get up and check on the noise. Finally, they went and had a look. The hallway was empty. They checked all of the patients' rooms to make certain no one had got up in the middle of the night. Everyone was sleeping. When I asked past staff to describe if they had any experiences the person who told me this story above remembered it as clearly as if it had happened yesterday.

Other staff who worked there mentioned also hearing footsteps but said that sometimes it was not just a person walking but that you could clearly hear the sound of a walker going down the hallway. But the hallway was always empty...

Any other ghosts at Picture Butte? Well, you'll just have to wait and see. Or, if you have stories to share, you'll have to get in touch with me so your stories can be told.

Would you want to live in a haunted house?

I'm curious. Would you want to live in a haunted house?

Considering some of the things people have told me about some of their houses, I must admit, I would want to move. What about you? Would you stay? Or, more importantly, have you stayed? Do you have stories of a haunted house in southern Alberta? Or a house with unexplained and weird happenings? If you do, please share.

The following is from a report I was given about a house south-east of Lethbridge. This haunting seemed to affect the women of the house much more than it ever did the men who lived there.

The first reports of noises and strange footsteps came when a new bride came to the house as a newlywed. Her first night in the house she heard footsteps upstairs, walking the full length of the house, shuffling around the upstairs and coming to a stop at the top of the stairs that lead down into the kitchen. Over the years she was not the only one to hear the steps as visitors to the home also heard the ghostly walker.

The strangest occurrence came years later. The family was painting the downstairs and so were sleeping upstairs on this occasion. The baby's crib was left in the upstairs hallway. In the middle of the night, the baby started to cry. Before the parents could react and get out to the child, they heard the footsteps walk down the hall and stop by the crib. And then very quietly they heard a gentle voice say "shush, be quiet." The baby calmed and returned to sleep. But everyone else in the house had a very restless night, indeed!

Stories from 50+ places in southern Alberta

Yeah! I have now collected stories from over 50 places from across southern Alberta -- houses, garages, hospitals, theatres, hotels, schools, parks, and so many more. But I'm certainly looking for more so please get in contact with me if you have stories you want to share -- don't worry, you can be anonymous!

It's always interesting to me where I get stories. I was talking to someone this weekend, someone I see quite often, and she sheepishly (and finally) told me about a story she had. She was on a tour of a historic building and, though she has never had the experience before or afterwards, she felt a deep, insistent, gut feeling or voice deep inside her that said -- "you gotta move, you gotta move, you gotta move, I want to see." She said that she responded immediately to its deep urging and moved to the side and the voice and the feeling both instantly disappeared. I asked her what she thought the voice was about and she felt that it was curious about what we were doing and wanted to get inside our group. She felt it wanted to see and hear what we were doing. Since she was standing in a part of the building that has had many other reports, it was interesting to connect her story with all of the others I've been collecting.

I also had someone come forward about her house west of Taber. Her son has reported seeing people walk through the house. She has reported several times a woman peeking around the kitchen door and watching her as she watches TV in the living room. She has also had someone tap repeatedly on the shower curtain when she was in the shower (even though she was the only one home). And late at night the blender started all by itself...

So, keep the stories coming. I can't wait to hear what else is happening around southern Alberta.

Why are schools so often reported as haunted?

First, Happy Friday the 13th!

Many of our local schools have ghost stories associated with them. And one of my friends asked me why. Why are there so many ghost stories from schools?

I think it's partly to do with all of the emotions and activities that take place in schools. I think it also has a lot to do with the fact that schools are full of kids and kids can create some great stories.

Let me explain. Galbraith School is said to be haunted.

Well, a few weeks ago I had a group of young people in the museum and one burst out that there was a ghost at Galbraith School. I replied that, yes, I had heard that but no one could ever provide me with background as to who the ghost was supposed to be.

He told me the first principal of the school had gone crazy, murdered his family and then killed himself -- and that he now haunts the school.

At that point, I had to laugh. I told him the first principal had been killed in action during the First World War and that none of that was true.

He looked at me quietly and then said, well, then it was the second principal. I said, no, the second principal was a woman and only was principal for 6 months before she moved to Ontario. And, before he could say anything, I said and no, it's not the 3rd principal either. The 3rd principal was also a woman and was principal for 20 years before she, too, moved to Ontario.

I felt a little guilty bursting his bubble (but I really can't allow people to misrepresent history) and I really had to chuckle how incredibly detailed, fabulous and spooky his story was -- even if none of it was true.

My Friend's Grandmother Was a Psychic

This one isn't a ghost story, but I found it so interesting when she told it to me, that I had to share it. But I can only share it with the extreme understanding that my friend (and her grandmother) remain anonymous.

I was telling this friend about how I'm trying to collect ghost stories from southern Alberta and she said that she didn't have any experiences with ghosts but that her grandmother had predicted a fire and a murder. Needless to say, she had me hooked and I wanted to know more.

When her grandmother was a child, she mentioned to her mother (friend's great-grandmother) that the school was on fire. Her mother hushed her saying that it wasn't true and it wasn't funny. The daughter looked at her mother and asked what time it was. The Mom said around noon. The daughter said something to the effect of, well, at 1 o'clock the school will be on fire. The great grandmother told her to stop joking and sent her off to school. When the young girl arrived at the school, the fire bells were ringing and the school was on fire. The time was exactly 1 o'clock.

Many years later, now an adult and married, she had a premonition/dream about this young woman that she knew who was calling for help. When she woke up, she was horrified to read the paper and found out this girl was missing. She told her husband that they should go to Park Lake, because the woman needed help. Or at least to tell the police that they should go to Park Lake. Her husband told her not to do anything because they would think she was nuts. So she reluctantly left it alone. A few days later the police found the young woman's murdered body at Park Lake.

Ghost Stories -- many leads to track down

Just the past weekend I heard 6 more ghost stories from across southern Alberta -- one in Picture Butte, one near Taber, two around Vauxhall, one in Brooks, and one in Rolling Hills. Added to the one I heard last month from the Enchant/Lomond area, this makes for a lot of fun research in the next while. Now I have to follow up with these people and get them to email me the details.

One site is a hospital. No surprise there -- people report the elevator working when there was no one around, hearing a walker move up and down the hallway after everyone had gone to bed, strange footsteps. There's always a lot of strange occurrences reported in hospitals.

But what rather surprised me is that two of the ghost stories (one in Rolling Hills and one in Vauxhall) were about garages. In the Rolling Hills case, it appears that the owner of the garage (who died on the property) was not willing to leave and he remained to protect the garage. Strange occurrences happened such as a fire that started and stopped repeatedly and with no explanation. People hearing someone walking through the snow but with no one ever appearing and no footprints in the snow. The other garage, from Vauxhall, is supposed to have a woman ghost. Haven't heard yet any explanation for why she's supposed to be there.

Had a couple of ghost stories associated with houses. And one building that's now a day care. That should be an interesting one to track down.

So many great stories to follow up on. And, as always, if you have a great story to pass along, don't hesitate to contact me.

Oh, the things I've heard

I haven't posted for the last while as I've been busy delivering ghost stories at various places and life itself has just kept me busy.

One of my favourite times of year is when I get to go and talk ghost stories to groups from around the area. Because not only do I get to share ghost stories, but I get to hear a lot of ghost stories I hadn't heard of before as well as new stories for older haunted places.

I really have to do more now regarding the old Hamilton Junior High (which of course was once LCI but is now Allan Watson and the school board office). Every time I hear a new ghost story from that place it just gets creepier and creepier. While in a lot of places the ghosts are more about sounds and smells, at this place several people have reported full apparitions. And not just for a few seconds but have interacted with the apparition for minutes at a time. And the really neat thing is that it ranges from young kids to adults and everyone in between.

If you went to school there or have taught there or just know of strange occurrences, please don't hesitate to pass them along.

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.

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?

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?