GHOST STORIES from across Canada
The stories that haunt us — from Peggy’s Cove to Prince George, the Yukon to Algonquin — create a narrative that bridges past and present
Every small town, every city, every region has its stories. The ones that have evolved to explain curious circumstances. The ones that can’t be explained. The ones that help create the mythology of a place, that become legends. Author and researcher Barbara Smith has collected ghost stories from across this country in her book Great Canadian Ghost Stories: Legendary tales of Hauntings from Coast to Coast. Read three of them here.
Peggy Cove’s The Lady in Blue
With its iconic lighthouse, Nova Scotia’s picturesque Peggy’s Cove is one of Canada’s most recognizable locales. Less than 50 kilometres from Halifax, the quaint fishing village draws tourists from all over the world. A few of those visitors see more than the natural beauty. They also see a supernatural image: The Lady in Blue.
The wraith walks forlornly along the shoreline, the hem of her blue frock fluttering about her legs as the sea breezes blow around her. She looks down at the waves and then lifts her head and scans the vast expanse of water as though searching for someone or something. She’s a heartbreaking image; her sorrow is so deep that it permeates the air around her. Anyone who sees the Lady in Blue feels her sadness.
Legend tells us that she is the ghost of a woman named Margaret who lived in the area back in the 1700s. Some say that the cove and the village are named after her, the name “Peggy” being a diminutive for Margaret. The young mother was the sole survivor of a shipwreck. She later died in the area, apparently of a broken heart. Her soul, though, has never stopped looking for her children, who were lost when the ship they were on wrecked against the rocks.
Occasionally the Lady in Blue appears aware of the living and actually tries to speak to a tourist who’s come to admire the view. Any who have had this experience say that they haven’t been able to understand what she was trying to say, that it seemed as if the grieving mother’s words were swept away by a gust of wind. The people who’ve shared such an encounter all say that she seems to be reaching out across time, imploring them to help her.
Then the image in the blue dress slowly begins to fade away, leaving witnesses with only the beautiful scenery to look at.
Toronto’s Ghost Station
The subway system in Toronto, Ontario, transports millions of passengers over dozens of routes every year. The system is well marked with signs and works efficiently.
That’s why it’s odd that, in 1966, authorities permanently closed a connecting station just six months after opening it. Two explanations were given. The first was that if there were a breakdown on one line, it would cause delays throughout the system. The second, much less likely, reason was that passengers were getting confused about how to get into and out of the new lower station.
Whatever the reason, the station was abandoned. Since then it has only been used for storage and is occasionally rented out as a backdrop for television and movie productions. Many people who’ve spent time in the abandoned station swear that it’s haunted.
Like the old Chris de Burgh love song, the ghost in the abandoned station is known as the Lady in Red. It seems she is just as unforgettable, but for all the wrong reasons. She floats slowly along in mid-air, her empty eye sockets like bottomless black holes and her red dress flowing behind her. And then, just as slowly, she vanishes from sight.
No one knows who the entity is or why she haunts the abandoned subway station. History buffs, though, are quick to point out that in preparation to excavate for the subway, an old “potter’s field,” a burial ground for the poor, was dug up, and the corpses were moved to another cemetery. Perhaps the removal disturbed at least one soul who had previously been resting in peace.
Vancouver’s The Headless Brakeman
Hub Clark was a railway brakeman. On a particularly cold and rainy night, Hub was assigned to inspect the rails on Granville Street rail yard in downtown Vancouver, British Columbia. Dressed in traditional black and white striped overalls, Hub walked along on the wet, slippery gravel beside the tracks, carrying a lantern to light his way. All was well until the poor man lost his footing and fell. Tragically, he hit his head on the track and knocked himself out. Moments later, a passenger train came barreling down the track and ran over poor Hub, decapitating him instantly.
Since then, there have been sightings of a strange light swaying back and forth on cold rainy nights, as if someone is holding a lantern while walking along those tracks. A few brave and curious folks have dared to linger, watching the strange glow as it approaches. Their patience and courage have been rewarded by a fleeting glimpse of a headless man wearing black and white striped overalls. Perhaps poor Hub is looking for his head — or doing his job into eternity, warning people away from the treacherous wet gravel near the tracks. Like the old Chris de Burgh love song, the ghost in the abandoned station is known as the Lady in Red.