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.

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.