Echoes of the Past: 4 Canadian Ghost Stories Come Alive
- Oct 28, 2025
- Canadiana
- 5 min read
As the crisp autumn air sends a chill down your spine, Canada’s haunted heritage comes alive. Our latest Haunted Canada coin shines a (black) light on one chapter of that past with the Lady in White lingering over Montmorency Falls.
But that is merely one of the eerie tales of lingering spirits that is recounted from local lore across the country every October. And though they may be just hocus-pocus, these stories peer into our past and connect us to historical places and events that have helped shape Canada.
We wouldn’t dare, however, explore these mysterious locations without a guide. So, we’ve enlisted the expertise of Nadine Bailey, Edmonton Ghost Tour guide and host of the Haunted Canada podcast.
“In almost every Canadian city you visit, there's going to be a ghost story. There's always a fabulous history and spooky tales waiting to be shared.”
Join us as we step into the shadows and uncover four of Canada’s most haunted places—where the past refuses to rest and spirits still stir.
As the crisp autumn air sends a chill down your spine, Canada’s haunted heritage comes alive. Our latest Haunted Canada coin shines a (black) light on one chapter of that past with the Lady in White lingering over Montmorency Falls.
But that is merely one of the eerie tales of lingering spirits that is recounted from local lore across the country every October. And though they may be just hocus-pocus, these stories peer into our past and connect us to historical places and events that have helped shape Canada.
We wouldn’t dare, however, explore these mysterious locations without a guide. So, we’ve enlisted the expertise of Nadine Bailey, Edmonton Ghost Tour guide and host of the Haunted Canada podcast.
“In almost every Canadian city you visit, there's going to be a ghost story. There's always a fabulous history and spooky tales waiting to be shared.”
Join us as we step into the shadows and uncover four of Canada’s most haunted places—where the past refuses to rest and spirits still stir.
Fort Garry Hotel – Winnipeg, MB
Opened in 1913 by the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway to accommodate wealthy passengers, the Fort Garry Hotel stands as the only surviving railway hotel in Winnipeg. Unfortunately, not all of its guests survived their luxurious stays.
Legend has it that a young bride and her new husband checked into room 202 on their wedding night. Part way through the evening, the bride fell ill, and the husband left to get something to help her ailments. On his travels, he was fatally hit by a car. Upon hearing the horrible news, the bride, grief stricken, took her own life in the closet of room 202.
Those who now stay in that storied room have said they’ve noticed temperature drops, the closet light flickering, and a sense that someone is crawling into bed with them throughout the night. Nadine is one of the few guests who requested that room and her experience was quite mysterious.
"I had a surprisingly restful sleep in room 202, but distinctly remember waking up cold at times—shivering—only to feel something or someone gently pull the duvet back over me, almost as if I were being tucked in. It wasn’t frightening… just strange.”
Kingston Penitentiary – Kingston, ON
A federal prison is never a comforting place, but the Kingston Penitentiary was especially gruesome during the first century of its existence. In 1897, George Hewell, a violent inmate, was killed during a fight with one of the guards. As he lay dying on the cold ground, he vowed revenge on his combatant and exclaimed that he would haunt the prison forevermore.
Officially shuttered in 2013, the prison now hosts guided tours where former staff share first-hand accounts. Some have said to have seen what they believed to be an old prisoner dressed in the uniform of that time, wandering the corridors.
“People doing the tour have even claimed that in George’s old cell they could see the impression of his bed going down. Like he’s still there, keeping watch as he promised,” Nadine explains.
5 Fishermen Restaurant – Halifax, NS
Many visitors looking for an extraordinary dining experience in Halifax make their way to the 5 Fishermen. Now a restaurant known for fabulous food, this heritage building once housed Snow & Company Undertakers. During two of Atlantic Canada’s most tragic events of the 20th century, the sinking of the Titanic (1912) and the Halifax Explosion (1917), this funeral home received many of the victims.
Staff and guests of the restaurant claim to have felt pockets of cold air, heard swinging doors in the kitchen, and some have even seen the spirit of a young girl floating over the third-floor staircase. While our guide Nadine has dined at the 5 Fishermen, she did not experience anything paranormal. A quick chat with a staff member, however, revealed a more frightful encounter.
“One of the staff told me that during his first night shift, while closing the restaurant, he kept hearing his name being called. When he looked over, he saw a woman, a ghostly apparition, in early 1900s clothing sitting by the window, crying. When he approached to ask her to leave, she vanished.”
Montmorency Falls – Quebec City, QC
Whether you’re peering over the suspension bridge from above, or watching from below, you’ll be mesmerized by the beauty of the Montmorency Falls.
If you look carefully, you might even catch a glimpse of something—or someone—unexpected in its mist: the spirit of Mathilde Robin. This grief-stricken bride-to-be who, dressed in her white wedding gown, plunged into the tumbling waters after her beloved was killed nearby in the Battle of Beauport (1759).
It’s said that her body was never found, but many visitors still claim to hear her cries or see her ghost leap from the top of the falls, as she did in life—she is the Lady in White. With the help of black light technology, we’ve brought the legend back to life on this Haunted Canada coin.
So, whether you’re a believer or a skeptic, these historic, and perhaps haunted, places offer a glimpse into the mysterious corners of our country. Take it from our super(natural) guide, Nadine, “Strange things that we can't explain happen all the time. Listen to the story, hear the facts, and come up with your own beliefs. Just keep an open mind.”
If you’re feeling brave this spooky season, why not visit one of these eerie landmarks? And if you’re looking for more historical hauntings near you, subscribe to Nadine’s podcast Haunted Canada on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.