If you love a good ghost story, Canada has plenty. The country is home to so many spooky haunted places, from restaurants where you might be dining with the dead, to hotels where you may not be sleeping alone.
If you want to come face-to-face with a ghost, these are the places you'll want to visit. There have been so many sightings of phantoms and spirits that some have even gained national fame, like the ghost bride of Alberta, who has been commemorated on a Canada Post stamp.
Whether you're ghost hunting or want to add a spooky thrill to your next outing, here are eight haunted places in Canada that you'll want to visit.
Fairmont Banff Springs
Address: 405 Spray Ave., Banff, AB
Why You Need To Go: It turns out that of the many guests who made the Fairmont Banff their temporary home over the years, some may have never left.
The hotel opened in 1888. Since that time, it's said that there have been many stories of "guests who never left and staff who came back."
Many have reported seeing a "ghost bride" in the hotel, dancing in the hotel's ballroom or walking down the staircase.
The story is so well-known that Canada Post even featured the ghost bride on a stamp, while the Royal Canadian Mint issued a coin depicting the female phantom.
Another well-known spectre at the hotel is a bellman. Sam McAuley, or "Sam the Bellman," Sam died in 1975, but it seems he never left the Fairmont.
The helpful spirit is said to still be assisting guests, with visitors reporting being helped by an elderly Scottish bellman in decades-old period garb, despite there being no such person on staff.
Another story tells of the strange history of Room 873, which is said to have been sealed shut after "countless bone-chilling experiences."
The Keg Mansion
Address: 515 Jarvis St., Toronto, ON
Why You Need To Go: You can get your steak served with a side of ghost stories at the Keg Mansion in Toronto.
Located on Jarvis Street in a historic mansion built in 1867 by Arthur McMaster, (the nephew of William McMaster, aka the founder of McMaster University), it's said that unexplainable occurrences have been reported on the property since the 1950s.
With the gothic-style building's arched entryways, castle-like features, grand staircases and fireplaces, as well as its exterior covered in creeping vines, it's one of those places that just looks like it should be haunted.
Here, you can ask your server for tales of the mansion's resident ghosts, or even peruse a book of ghost stories that you can request to have brought to your table.
Some of the spirits said to haunt the premises include a woman who guests and staff report seeing in a washroom on the second floor of the mansion, who some believe to be the spirit of Lilian Massey, the daughter of Hart Massey, who purchased the mansion in 1882.
Another tale tells of a ghost boy seen playing on the stairs of the restaurant. Sadly, the boy is said to have fallen down the stairs and died at some point after the Massey family lived in the mansion.
Other ghostly occurrences here include flickering lights and bottles tipping off shelves all on their own.
The Old Spaghetti Factory
Address: 53 Water St., Vancouver, BC
Why You Need To Go: The Old Spaghetti Factory in Vancouver's Gastown is said to have several spirits who linger in and around the restaurant both day and night.
According to the Gastown BIA, restaurant staff have reported seeing the ghost of a tram conductor (in full uniform) inside the old "Number 53" trolley cart parked in the eatery. Some believe the conductor died in an underground collision beneath the restaurant, while others say his ghost started appearing when the tram was installed.
Other spirits include the ghost of a young boy seen running around the restaurant by staff, and a young girl sitting a table and holding a balloon, who disappeared when approached.
If that's not spooky enough, apparently, a visiting psychic confirmed the presence of phantoms in the restaurant, attributing the ghostly activity to a vortex found at the back of the restaurant and attachments to the historical artifacts used in the Old Spaghetti Factory as decor.
Hockey Hall of Fame
Address: 30 Yonge St., Toronto, ON
Why You Need To Go: Toronto's Hockey Hall of Fame is where you can see the world’s largest hockey collection and larger-than-life sculptures of hockey legends, but apparently, it's also where you might spot a spectre or two.
The building, located on the corner of Yonge and Front Street, was formerly a branch of the Bank of Montreal. Built in 1888 for BMO, the building remained a branch of the bank until 1993, when it became the Hockey Hall of Fame.
Today, the building is thought to be haunted by the ghost of a bank employee named "Dorothy," who was confirmed by The Toronto Star to be Dorothea Mae Elliott, 19.
As the Star reported, Dorothea sadly shot herself on March 11, 1953, in the women's washroom on the second floor of the bank, later dying at St. Michael's Hospital, located just down the street.
According to the Haunted Walk of Toronto, since then, bank employees would feel a presence watching them in the upstairs bathroom. Visitors to the now-Hockey Hall of Fame have also reported seeing Dorothea.
Fairmont Château Laurier
Address: 1 Rideau St., Ottawa, ON
Why You Need To Go: Ottawa's grandest hotel may also be one of its spookiest.
According to Fairmont, the hotel was set to open on April 26, 1912, but was postponed to mourn the death of Charles Melville Hays, the "visionary" behind the Fairmont Château Laurier.
Sadly, Hays died on board the Titanic when returning from London. But that apparently didn't stop him from getting back to the hotel -- it's said that his spirit lives within the walls of the Fairmont Château Laurier, with his ghost keeping an eye on the hotel's operations.
According to Global News, staff and guests of the hotel have reported hearing rattling and shaking as well as furniture that has been moved after a staff member has already left the room.
Saint-Paul Street, Old Montreal
Address: Saint-Paul Street, Montreal, QC
Why You Need To Go: As the oldest street in Montreal, Saint-Paul Street has seen a lot. Maybe it makes sense then, that it's also considered to be the most haunted street in the city.
With cobblestone paths and century-old buildings, it's not hard to imagine that you might run into a spirit here.
According to Tourisme Montreal, the street is "known to have many ghosts." Some of the most common spectral sightings include a phantom horse-drawn carriage and the ghost of a slave woman who, accused of arson in 1734, is thought to be seeking revenge for her unlawful execution.
Algonquin Resort
Address: 184 Adolphus St, St. Andrews, NB
Why You Need To Go: Room with a view? How about a room with a ghost?
The Algonquin is a resort hotel in New Brunswick that's the "perfect backdrop for ghost stories."
Unlike other haunted spots on this list, the Algonquin is said to not have been the site of any gruesome deaths or unhappy events that lead to hauntings — rather, some guests loved the resort so much that they apparently never left.
According to the resort, some of its most well-known spirits include a helpful ghostly bellhop, who is said to disappear into thin air after offering his services, and the ghost of an older woman who has been seen arranging restaurant place settings at night.
Another famous spectre is that of a "weepy, jilted bride," who can apparently be heard sobbing in Room 473.
It also says that some have reported seeing a ghostly "woman in white" in the resort's rooftop tower. However, there's nothing to fear — according to the resort, all of its ghosts are friendly!
If you want to hear about the resort's ghostly residents for yourself, you can join the Algonquin's bellhop every evening at 7 p.m. to hear tales of the supernatural and visit the resort's haunted sites.
Before you get going, check out our Responsible Travel Guide so you can be informed, be safe, be smart, and most of all, be respectful on your adventure.
