8 Creepy Urban Legends You Can Test Out With Your Friends In Toronto
Toronto is somewhat a breeding ground for ghosts and paranormal beings because it is home to so many historic sites and buildings. This makes the city fun to explore; especially if you get a thrill out of being spooked.
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If you're a fan of ghost stories, you'll definitely enjoy the following creepy urban legends that you can test out with your friends in the city. Whether they're actually real or not, you're sure to have a spine-chilling adventure!
(Note: Explore at your own risk.)
The Ghost of Old Finch Road
This Scarborough myth tells the story of a young girl who was murdered on her birthday at the Old Finch bridge near Morningside. According to the legend, if you sing "Happy Birthday" while on the bridge, you will hear her bloodcurdling scream coming from all directions.
Another myth says that if you park your car by the train tracks near the bridge and turn off the engine, your car will be pushed to safety by the ghosts of children who were past victims of a school bus crash in the 1970s. It's also said that after you've been pushed, you will see the hand prints of the children plastered all over your car...
The Underground Alien in Cabbagetown
A longwithstanding rumour in Cabbagetown claims that an alien lives in a hidden underground base beneath Parliament Street. Reports of suspicious magnetic forces emanating from the area have been made, and it is believed that those forces were the cause of several past accidents on the street above.
In the 1970s, a man ventured into a small tunnel in the area to look for his lost cat. During his search, he claimed to have encountered a three-foot tall humanoid that warned him to "get out". Many believe that the alien still lurks the underground area today.
The Lady In Red at Lower Bay Station
The abandoned subway station beneath Bay isn't just a place for storage or movie shoots; it's also said to be haunted by the ghost of a once-passenger.
Some people who have explored Lower Bay Station in the past claim to have seen the ghost; describing her as a lady in a long, red dress with pitch black eyes and no legs.
The Leaping Lawyer of the TD Centre
This myth is actually backed by true events. In 1993, a lawyer named Garry Hoy was giving a tour of his office on the 24th floor of the TD Centre. As part of his tour, he attempted to demonstrate the tensile strength of the glass windows by running towards them at full speed.
While the glass did not crack, the frame holding the window was not able to take his weight and the window ended up popping out of its casing. Garry Hoy was sent falling to his death, and it is believed that his ghost still roams around the TD Centre today. You can still visit the office where it happened; just avoid the windows - you might feel a slight push...
The Humber College Lakeshore Campus
Humber College's Lakeshore Campus now sits on the site that was once a psychiatric hospital, so it's only natural that there be ghost stories about the area. When the psychiatric hospital (formerly known as Mimico Insane Asylum) was still operating, doctors would use underground tunnels to get from one building complex to another. Today, staff at Humber College utilize those tunnels, and several of them have reported odd occurrences during their shifts.
Many of these reports involve run-ins with the ghosts of patients that crawl on the floor and the walls, or faceless nurses that float throughout the dimly lit corridors of the building. Other disturbing stories include seeing ghosts of children, as it is also said that a mass grave of aborted fetuses and child patients lies underneath the former orchard along the Lakeshore campus.
The Lavender Lady at the Elgin and Winter Garden Theatre
The Elgin and Winter Garden Theatre is said to be haunted by a ghost referred to as the Lavender Lady. According to legend, she was viciously attacked in the ladies' washroom and somehow managed to narrowly escape her attacker using the theatre elevators; however, she died as the elevator made its way to the top floors.
Today, many workers claim to smell the scent of lavender in the upper levels of the theatre. Others have reported that the elevators sometimes rise to the 5th floor and open to empty rooms that lead to nowhere.
The Ghosts of Mackenzie House
The Mackenzie House is known to be one of Canada's most haunted buildings. The house is said to be haunted by once-Toronto mayor William Lyon Mackenzie and an unknown woman.
Visitors of the area have reported to experience paranormal occurrences while at the house, including being slapped by an unknown force, seeing rocking chairs in the basement rock by themselves, or hearing the old printing press starting up on its own. Several other ghosts have also been sighted in Mackenzie's daughters' bedroom.
The Hauntings at One Toronto Street
One Toronto Street operates today as an office building; however, it is said to be haunted by paranormal beings because it sits on a site that was once a 19th-century jail and hanging yard. Historical figures such as Samuel Lount and Peter Matthews were executed there in 1838, and it is said that their ghosts still linger throughout the building, causing people who work there to see disturbing visions.
Aside from sightings of eerie white figures that roam the halls during the night, some people have also reported seeing bloody, hanging nooses in the lobby and second floor.
