Toronto is considered a young city when compared to other world cities like London or New York. But although our city’s history is considerably brief, nevertheless, it’s filled with plenty murder, mayhem and ghosts. So as the evening of all things scary approaches, in the sprit of Halloween…and real estate, I thought I’d draw your attention to some of the city’s most haunted establishments. Happy Halloween!
Gooderham & Worts Distillery known as the Distillery District not only looks eerie, it’s also said to be haunted. Apparently, James Worts continues to show up for work at the former mill, opening and closing doors, banging around, playing with the lights, and giving workmen and visitors some scary surprises.
Colborne Lodge in High Park was named after Sir John Colborne, Lieutenant-Governor of Upper Canada from 1828 to 1836 but the house was built by John George Howard, a city surveyor, to house himself and his wife Jemima Frances Meikle. This home has been host to a number of unexplained sightings, some of which have been identified as resembling Mrs. Howard. The area to the east of Grenadier Pond has also seen some activity from what have appeared to be phantom soldiers, possibly dating back to 1813.
Old Fort York saw much horrible carnage over three separate battles, and visitors and staff have reported odd noises, presences, and visitations including a ghostly woman visiting the Officer’s Quarters, and a red-coated guard near the entrance and in the barracks.
St. Michael’s Hospital is Toronto’s most haunted hospital, with reports of a male figure walking up and down through the back filing room in the Medical Records office. If you happen to be on the seventh floor of the hospital, watch out for a faceless nun—Sister Vincenza or ‘Vinnie’ to her colleagues—who visits the patients, pulling blankets over them and keeping watch through the night.
The Hockey Hall of Fame, formerly the Bank of Montreal, has long suffered from inexplicable occurrences, including the appearance of a young woman, said to be a bank teller named Dorothy who shot herself in the bank washroom when she was just 19.
Humber College Lakeshore Campus, before it was a setting for the Police Academy movies, it was know as the Lakeshore Psychiatric Hospital. Students and staff have reported their share of unusual occurrences. People have heard voices humming, smelled mysterious floral scents, and seen unexplained figures and presences.
