(pictured the Keg Mansion in Toronto: Photo Trip Advisor)
Halloween is almost here and we like to focus on the spooky….so why not look at some of the SCARIEST WORKPLACES! Some of the places on this list will probably surprise you because you have been there before!
Let’s take a look!
Have you ever ate at the Keg Mansion in Toronto? Bet you didn’t know this! The Steakhouse on Jarvis Street was once home to the Massey family of Massey Hall fame. The story goes that after Lillian Massey died in 1915, a maid hanged herself at the top of the main staircase, either out of grief or out of fear that a secret she’d been keeping would be revealed after Lillian’s death. The maid is said to have been seen hanging from a noose at the top of the stairs. There have also been reports of strange occurrences in the second floor women’s bathroom, and of a little boy playing on the stairs.
Fairmont Royal York, Toronto, ON: The Royal York regularly makes lists of haunted locations. The spectres are said to include that of a grey-haired man walking the halls at night and that of a former employee who hanged himself on a staircase. There are stories that a very wealthy man visited the hotel on his honeymoon night, killed his new bride, and himself, and now both lurk around the hotel at night. The fine gentleman is often seen wearing a smoking jacket and carrying a pipe. He mostly dwells in the stairwells but his dead bride frequents the room where she was murdered. When you do a double shift at the Royal York you get to stay overnight.
Hockey Hall of Fame, Toronto, ON: A ghost named Dorothy has been haunting the Hall of Fame building since it was the Bank of Montreal. According to the Toronto Star, a 19-year-old bank teller named Dorothea Mae Elliot shot herself on the premises in 1953 after an affair with a married colleague or superior fell apart. Standard accounts of staff encounters with Dorothy include stories of cold spots, doors opening and closing, screams, moans, light flickering on and off, sightings of a woman in old fashioned dress, and ghostly hands touching people’s shoulders.
Old Spaghetti Factory, Vancouver, BC: A uniformed tram conductor has reportedly been seen at night, sitting at a table in the old trolley car parked inside the restaurant, while table settings have also been said to move about. Another apparition, known as the “little red man” reportedly enjoys pranking staff, and female customers in the restroom. Meanwhile, a little boy named Edward is said to hide under tables in the back of the restaurant. Finally, a little girl holding a balloon has reportedly been seen sitting at one of the front tables. “A friend of the restaurant’s general manager once had a conversation with her that lasted several minutes. The little girl explained to him that she was looking for her mother. When he returned to the table after telling the manager about her, she had disappeared.”
Banff Springs, Banff, AB: The best known ghost here is the “Doomed Bride.” Legend has it that she fell down the stairs and broke her neck after her gown caught fire from one of the candles lining the staircase, and now she haunts this Alberta Inn. Guests and staff have reportedly seen her on the stairs and dancing alone in the ballroom. There’s also Sam the Bellman, a staff member who died in 1976. He’s said to have loved the hotel so much he promised to come back and haunt it. Visitors say they have encountered a bellman in an old-fashioned uniform, who helps them to their rooms or unlocks doors when they get locked out. On a more malevolent note, a man is said to have killed his wife and daughter, and then himself, in room 873, after which a child’s bloody handprint supposedly kept appearing on the mirror. The room is said to have been permanently closed off.
Chateau Frontenac, Quebec City, QC: Two ghosts are said to keep residence in the Chateau. One is a woman in white, but this one supposedly gets in bed with guests, which is pretty terrifying. The other is a vanishing apparition said to be the spirit of Louis des Buade, Count of Frontenac, the 17th century governor general after whom the building was named. Staff say they have seen De Buade wandering the hotel, pining for the fiancee he left behind when he died.
Rouge Restaurant, Calgary, AB: Staff members say they have encountered the apparition of a little girl who runs around laughing and playing. According to Creepy Canada, one waiter followed her into a walk in freezer, where he found himself alone, and the door slammed shut, locking him inside. (Weirdly, the show doesn’t tell how the story ends. I assume he eventually got out.) The ghost is believed to be Lizzie, the youngest daughter of politician Alfred Ernest Cross. The restaurant was once home to the Cross family. Lizzie died of influenza as a child, and her father is also said to haunt the grounds and watch over her. The restaurant’s owner also says he has seen cookware moving around in its own.
The Algonquin, St. Andrews, NB: A young bride is said to have checked into room 473 on her wedding day only to be jilted by her groom, who never showed. She reportedly died of a broken heart, not at the hotel, but later returning, and has been seen moping about the room and wandering the grounds. A favourite pastime, according to Creepy Canada, is pranking the dining room staff by rearranging the silverware. Other stories include sightings of a bellhop who helps guests to their room then disappears. Doorknobs are said to turn by themselves and items have reportedly been known to go missing.
Vogue Theatre, Vancouver, BC: The movie theatre-turned music venue is said to house the ghost of a “severe” looking young man seen by staff members who refer to the narrow downstairs corridor as the “Haunted Highway.” The young man is said to make banging noises and slam doors. The former house manager told ghostsofvancouver.com that he has had many encounters with the spirit, including sightings of a shadow and an incident in which he heard someone playing a drum kit that was set up on stage even though the venue was empty. He’s quoted as saying, “It wasn’t the ghost of Buddy Rich. The playing was just not that good.” Patrons and performers have also reported seeing a young man appear then fade away.
Scary stuff!! But do you believe it?!
SOURCE: WORKOPOLIS
Do you have any stories about haunted workplaces? Share them with us.
To receive similar content, “Like” us on Facebook @ https://www.facebook.com/niagarabuzz.ca
