Komus - Haunted Winnipeg: ghost stories from the heart of the continent

A n unseen audience cheers on an unseen performance at the empty Burton Cummings Theatre. Heavy footsteps are heard walking on the porch of Seven Oaks House but when the museum guide goes to welcome the visitor no one is found. A ghost of a young girl appears as a warning to guests of the Marlborough Hotel. These are just a few of the unexplained and strange happenings taking place in some of Winnipegs most historic buildings.

The vast majority of the supernatural tales you will hear about in the following chapters are from Winnipegs earliest days. Early Winnipeg was a very different place from todays city. In a short amount of time a small village at Portage and Main would grow into the third largest city in all of Canada. In fifty years time the population exploded from only 100 people in 1870 to 175,000 people by 1920.

The city had become the Gateway to the West. Goods and people travelling to western Canada all had to pass through the city, and all goods and people heading back East once again passed through Winnipeg. It was a city full of optimism as tens of thousands of people permanently settled down. Farmers, businessmen, railroaders, labourers, and many others all came to the centre of Canada. Many were dirt poor but others brought vast fortunes. They came from all across North America and Europe, bringing with them new languages and traditions. Everyone was looking for a new start in life and believed the West was full of opportunity.

The early years of Winnipeg had a great many highs. They were also marked by many lows. Early Winnipeg saw far more violence than most cities in Canada. It began with Louis Riel and the Red River Rebellion and roughly fifty years later concluded with the Winnipeg General Strike. The city suffered through droughts, economic depressions, wars and influenza outbreaks. For every settler that made a fortune, far more lost everything. The citys reputation was not helped by Canadas largest newspapers, based in the East, referring to Winnipeg as the wickedest place in the Dominion.

With all of these ups and downs in the citys history, it is no wonder Winnipeg is a haunted city. Its history has created a community full of energy and people believe it is this energy that attracts the supernatural. When this energy is combined with no shortage of murders, cheating lovers and tragic accidents, the setting is perfect for ghostly visitors. So much so that Winnipeg has a reputation of being one of the most haunted cities in all of Canada. In fact, when Winnipeg was only a few years old there were already reports of ghost stories and haunted buildings appearing in the local newspapers.

The citys reputation for ghosts is directly connected to the vast collection of historic buildings in Winnipeg. These buildings let us experience the lives of their previous owners and visitors; we can still wander through their rooms and see where they lived and died. In a physical sense these former residents long ago left their buildings but in a spiritual sense, many believe their souls have remained behind.

The buildings featured in the following chapters are all recognizable Winnipeg places. Some are well-known haunted buildings many readers may already be familiar with, like the Fort Garry Hotel and the Masonic Temple. Other buildings are not so well known such as Fire Hall No. 3 or Seven Oaks House. Each description is based on extensive background research and interviews. The book is more than just a collection of tales. The history of each place and its occupants are portrayed in detail. Once the background is set, we then hear of the strange and spooky activity that turn these historic relics into haunted buildings. So, close the curtains, turn up the lights and enjoy these tales of Haunted Winnipeg.

Winnipeg stands very high among the places
we have visited for its psychic possibilities.
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

matthew sinclair