In part one of this series we discovered three of Canada’s Most Haunted: Hotels & Hostels. In part 2, we are going to explore three of Canada’s Most Haunted: Historical Sites. Now, historical sites are obviously going to be some of the most haunted locations in the world, but the places on this list are sure to send chills straight down your spine. 

From bloody battlegrounds to brutal murder scenes, here are Canada’s most haunted historical sites.

1. Bytown Museum – Ottawa, Ontario

In Canada’s capital, there stands an old stone building that is now used as a museum. The Bytown Museum, housed in Ottawa’s oldest stone building, explores the stories of the capital city and its occupants from when it was simply called “Bytown” to modern day Ottawa. The building was originally used as a store house and treasury during the construction of the Rideau Canal; a 202 kilometre long river that connects the Ottawa river to Lake Ontario.

The building is said to be haunted by a construction supply manager named Duncan McNab, who worked in the building back in its golden days, as well as Lieutenant-Colonel John By; the founder of Bytown, Ontario.

Although many visitors to the museum claim to hear doors creaking and have their phones and other electronics malfunction on the regular, there seems to be something much more sinister at work here.

Some of the most frequent experiences of paranormal investigators and employees alike include reports of flickering lights, crying sounds coming from porcelain dolls (yeah, that’s why I don’t like china dolls) on display and even the feeling of being followed by a medium sized dog on the second floor of the building. One employee claims that as they were closing up one night a door started to shake so violently that it almost came off of its hinges right before they were chased out of the building by loud, booming footsteps.

Are these things the acts of Bytown’s founder, unhappy with the way his building is being treated? Or Duncan McNab getting revenge on those who took over the land where he used to make a living? Perhaps there are things about the Bytown Museum that we will never truly understand, but the best way to find out, is to visit for yourself!

2. The Plains of Abraham – Quebec City, Quebec

The Plains of Abraham is to Quebec City what Central Park is to New York City. Now known as “Battlefield Park”, this was the site of the infamous Battle of the Plains of Abraham of the Seven Years War. September 13, 1759 was a pivotal day for both the British and French alike and helped to shape the history of Canada.

British troops, lead by General James Wolfe defeated the French troops, lead by Marquis de Montcalm which eventually lead to the surrender of Quebec to Britain. And although Canadians are known as polite, kind people worldwide, our battles were certainly just as gruesome  and horrible as any other battle known to mankind. Despite the fact that this battle literally only lasted 15 minutes, both Generals were fatally wounded and 1302 soldiers on either side were either killed or severely injured as a result.

Now, unlike most of the places on these lists, there are no specific occurrences that make Battlefield Park particularly scary as the fact that this was a brutal war zone, tends to take the cake. The tunnels in the area are known to be haunted with spectral soldiers rushing past visitors in a hurry to get to the surface as well as the sounds of bombs being heard overhead as you travel along. At night, Quebec City residents have reported sounds of cannon balls being launched and guns being shot from the site of the battle.

Probably most disturbing occurrence, in my opinion, is the one thing that wouldn’t even phase most people. Many guests to the park have reported coming into casual contact with “young veterans” whom they thank for their services and continue on their way; just to turn to look again moments later to see that this man that they have spoken to is either gone completely, or oddly transparent to the human eye.

Can you imagine being in a place that’s so haunted that you can’t even tell their reality apart from ours? Spooky.

3. Gibraltar Point Lighthouse – Toronto Islands, Ontario

Gibraltar Point Lighthouse is a common tourist destination on the Toronto Islands, as is Centreville Amusement Park. However, this lighthouse on Gibraltar Point, has not seen quite as happy memories as the play place nearby.

The lighthouse was build in 1808, when it was determined that the island needed a source of light to help guide mariners to shore as they were sailing towards the harbour. Originally built at 52 feet tall, the structure was raised to a whopping 82 feet in 1832. Although the structure and its surroundings are exceptionally beautiful, the history behind what happened here surely is not. Please keep in mind that this ghost story is so well known, that it’s even mentioned on the Lighthouse’s Wikipedia page.

The first keeper of this beautiful lighthouse was a German-born man by the name of John Paul Radelmüller. Radelmüller is the sole spirit residing in this building who continuously sends chills down the spines of all who visit. The lore states that on the evening of January 2nd, 1815, soldiers from the nearby Fort York went to the Lighthouse to visit John Paul in hopes of obtaining some of his bootlegged beer. The evening started off as pleasant as any, as the boys enjoyed a few drinks, they shared stories of their time in battle. Unfortunately, a few drinks turned into a few too many and a simple disagreement resulted in the brutal murder of John Paul. The drunken soldiers panicked and began dismembering the man before burying him in the soil beside the lighthouse.

The keeper who was appointed in 1893 decided to look for the body of the deceased man to see if the “legend” was true. He discovered a jaw bone and fragments of a coffin in the dirt nearest the door of the lighthouse.

Although there has remained much speculation over the years as to whether or not this story is true, new research has proven that on January 2, 1815, fifty-two-year-old John Paul Radelmüller suffered a violent death and was buried on Gibraltar Point. Two men were exposed as the murderers, but were later acquitted of the crime, which left poor John Paul without any sort of justice for his untimely death.

It is said that his soul will not rest until he receives the justice he deserves. He has made himself known to visitors of the lighthouse through his ghostly apparition which can be seen pacing back and forth at the top of the building, and through deep, saddened moans that are heard through the winter months by many who visit the site.

That’s it for this segment of Canada’s Most Haunted! Only one more post to go before the end of the series. Did you like this blog series? If you did, make sure you follow along as I will be posting many scary stories to come. If you have your own story that you would like to share, please send me a message through the Contact page.

Until next time, keep it spooky!