With the rise of paranornal tourism, each of these places draws multitudes of visitors who are looking for the story behind these ghosts. Luckily these are easily found with ghost tours in both Edmonton and Calgary, however, for those who like to explore on their own these are a few haunted sites that are definitely worth checking out.
The Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel
The Banff Springs Hotel, nestled in the heart of Rocky Mountains, is home to several ghosts. The hotel was built in 1886 by William Cornelius Van Home, and as it was being constructed, contractors accidentally built a room with no windows or doors. They covered up their mistake and for the next forty years, strange phenomena occurred in and around the room, including the appearance of a bellhop who has been affectionately named Sam. After a fire in 1926, the hotel was rebuilt without the empty room and these spirits moved on, however, Sam has been seen around the hotel since. And he's not the only ghost roaming the halls, he is joined by a bride who fell and broke her neck on the stairway, a headless bagpiper, disembodied carollers and a barkeeper who tells lounge patrons when they've had too much.
The Fairmont Hotel Macdonald
Built in 1915, the Hotel Macdonald is a Chateau-styled resort similar to other railway hotels. The sound of a horse-drawn carriage has been heard on the top floor of all places. The carriage, however, has never been seen, only heard and no one can explain why it has only ever been heard on the top floor.
Jasper Park Lodge
Built in 1915,the Jasper Park Lodge is another grand railway hotel that has a resident spirit. It is said that a man was climbing a steep staircase when he fell and broke his neck. Since then his presence has been felt around the staircase and visitors report being pushed down the stairs, feeling cold gusts and getting an eerie feeling. He is not alone though as guests have also seen an old couple sitting or dancing in the dinning room.
La Boheme Bed and Breakfast
Originally a luxury apartment building in the river valley of Edmonton, it was built in 1912. The building is haunted by a former female employee that was murdered and dragged down three sets of stairs before being chopped up and fed into the furnace. Visitors have heard the sound of her head bouncing off each step in the night.
The Bow River
At various spots along the Bow River in Calgary there have been sightings of a middle-aged woman walking in the shallow water. It is believed that she drowned in the river somewhere in the early 1900s. She is most seen in the area where another woman almost suffered the same fate but was saved, but has also been seen standing in the middle of the bike path that runs along the river.
The Stampede Park Grandstand
The home of the world-famous Calgary Stampede, the grandstand has a guest that doesn't go home when the park closes. The ghost's footsteps can be heard at night and he has been known to turn on taps and lights and close doors. Most people believe that it is the spirit of a construction worker that fell into the concrete that was poured for the thick outer walls. Although there are no records that this accident ever happened.
The Walterdale Theater
Built as a fire hall in Edmonton during the 20s, the Walterdale was converted into a theater in the 60s. Strange things began happening that can be attributed to the ghost which has been affectionately named Walt. His presence is usually felt in the back staircase and the Green room and he has been known to help people up the stairs, create cold breezes, move props, turn lights off, play the piano, and cause the sound of heavy footsteps. Also there is often the unexplained smell of horse manure as the building once had a stable.
The Galt Museum
Originally a hospital, it was turned into a museum in 1967. When it was a hospital, a man was killed in an elevator accident. Since then people have heard his slippers in the night. The elevator also occasionally opens when someone walks by it.
The Guilty Martini
Built at the turn of the century in the Old Strathcona area of Edmonton, the Guilty Martini was originally a carriage house. The resident apparition is a gentleman dressed in black, although no one knows exactly who he is. Some of the things that have occurred at the lounge are shoulders being touched, hair pulled, bottles and glasses clanking or being rearranged, black shadows on the wall, lights going on and off and the sound of a person going up and down the stairs.
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