OHFA - AFPO

The weather was ominous with the clouds darkening the sky, and several short periods of thunder and rain. At 7:00pm, the students once again loaded the buses and departed from the Terry Fox Centre headed into downtown Ottawa. On tonight’s agenda, a ghost walk.

After being separated into four groups, the delegates departed for their tours. The students were enthralled as the guides, dressed in black capes, led the tours around the city. Though the weather was threatening to put a damper on the evening, the atmosphere was filled with excitement, the students being drawn into the stories of ghosts and hauntings. The tour guides created a mood of suspense and drama, the students visibly on edge as they awaited the cliff-hanger of each story.

The students stopped at several of Ottawa’s most prominent historical sites to learn of the various hauntings and mysterious events that have occurred, both past and present. The stories included historical accounts of the oldest cemetery in Ottawa and the haunting of the fountain named after Lt. Colonel John By. According to the guide, the fountain originally stood in Trafalgar Square in London, England, before being moved to Ottawa in 1955.

The most striking haunting story was that of the haunting at the majestic Chateau Laurier. As told by the guides, the Chateau Laurier is possibly haunted by Charles Hayes, the former president of the Grand Trunk Railway. Charles Hayes was instrumental in the construction of the hotel, located within close proximity to Ottawa’s Union Station. Originally, Hayes had intended to attend the official opening of the Chateau Laurier. However, he was in London, England prior to the scheduled opening. He had purchased a discounted ticket on the Titanic, intending to return to Canada shortly before the scheduled opening. Sadly, Hayes lost his life in the tragic sinking of the Titanic, never making it to the opening of the Chateau Laurier. Since this event, many accounts of hauntings have been reported on the fifth floor of the Chauteau Laurier, the same floor as the Charles Hayes suite. Patrick Watson has reported that, while staying at the Chauteau Laurier, his shaving kit was mysteriously moved around the room. He has also reported hearing loud noises, such as that of a gunshot, in the middle of the night. Two South American gentlemen have reported that they heard singing, with no one around at the time. The most disturbing haunting account was that of a husband and wife. According to the wife, she felt a person brush up against her arm, saw a door swing open, and felt a person touch her shoulder blade while in the shower. It is widely believed that the ghost of Charles Hayes is responsible for these inexplicable occurrences. Many believe that he appears as an old-fashioned, expensively dressed figure, appearing and disappearing within the hotel.

Once the haunted tour had wrapped up, the students were left to ponder the mystery behind the stories of the tour guide, forming their own opinion on the likelihood of ghosts and mysterious hauntings. Ghost stories were skilfully blended in with historical accounts of the places, people, and events that have built and shaped Ottawa. Above all, the haunted walk provided the students with a unique historical perspective of the nation’s capital.