Page 91 - The 'X' Chronicles Newspaper - October / November 2018

12 Frightening Facts About Canada 91

Why Some People See of Canadian competition. Native Canadian disturbances and other unexplained mischief-
legends and current day believers speak of lake making within the structure’s walls.
Ghosts and Other monsters playing hide and seek in British

Columbia (Lake Okanagan’s Ogopogo), 7. There is One Job That’s Always in Demand
Presences
Manitoba (Lake Manitoba’s Manipogo), Quebec in Canada
(Lake Champlain’s Champie and Lake In 2010, Canada had 13,684 people
Continued from Page 90 Memphremagog’s Memphre). working in the funeral industry. Between 1996
and 2006, the number of female funeral
2. Stay the Night in a Haunted Jail Cell directors and embalmers almost doubled: in
Rites of Passage
Night terrors or sweet dreams? Take 1996, 720 women worked in this profession as
your pick at HI-Ottawa Jail Hostel. This compared to 1,365 women in 2006. Some jobs
Many societies feature a period of isolation and
imposing building in the heart of Canada’s come and go. For job security, join the funeral
unusual environmental stimulation as a rite of
capital served as the Carleton County Gaol from biz.8.
passage from adolescence to adulthood. The
1862 to 1972. Hidden behind its dank walls lie
transcendental altering of consciousness may be
many secrets and apparently, several ghosts. 8. Werewolves Stalk La Belle Province
an important part of such experiences, as well as
Many prisoners spent their last days here locked A 19th century Québec legend warns
physical hardship or even torture. In such rituals,
behind bars, and a select few even gasped their residents about the frightful loup-garou—a
sometimes referred to as vision quests or spirit
final breaths from the hangman’s noose. Today, vicious, snarling werewolf prowling through the
quests, seekers hope to encounter a spirit or
the former jail’s gallows still shock and terrify province’s dense forests. According to French-
being that will provide them with guidance and
visitors, but don’t let a little spookiness get in Canadian folklore, loup-garou creeps through
advice. In some Native American tribes, a young the way of a good night’s sleep. Travellers can the darkness searching for a hearty meal of
man would receive his adult name from such a
catch forty winks in a private or shared jail cell, unsuspecting hunters and trappers.
being during his vision quest. These spirit quests
and enjoy the meals, pub, and Wi-Fi that this
involve solitude in harsh environments or
unique hostel offers. 9. Bone-chilling Shenanigans in the Hockey
intense sensory bombardment—drumming,
Hall of Fame
sweating, chanting, or dancing—in a confined
3. There are Plenty of Scary (Sounding) The screams and cries bouncing off the
area. Both approaches to the quest have included
Places in Canada walls of the Hockey Hall of Fame building
starvation, thirst, and sleeplessness as means of
Canada has some creepy-sounding aren’t coming from Toronto’s disgruntled Maple
further altering arousal levels and conjuring an
communities lurking within its borders. Leafs fans. The creepy noises, flickering lights
encounter with a spirit. Travellers may feel their hair stand on end when and window slamming are the work of a ghost
The sensed presence is a very real,
passing through the chillingly-named Bloodvein named Dorothy. In 1953 when the structure was
perceptual experience for those individuals who
River, Poison Creek, Burnt Arm, Destruction a bustling branch of the Bank of Montréal, 19-
have experienced it, and it can be very hard to
Bay, Goblin, Skull Creek, Hatchet Cove, Bone year-old Dorothy worked as a teller. After a love
convince them that it was anything other than
Town, Gore Bay and Coffin Cove. Brrr! affair gone wrong, the despondent woman shot
what they believe it to be. When evaluating self-
herself in the 2nd floor bathroom. Since her
reports from individuals who have had an
4. Crime Always Spikes on Halloween in suicide, phantom footsteps, eerie noises and
extraordinary experience, ranging from an alien
Canada even a ghostly pat on a shoulder have left
abduction to a visit from a supernatural being, it
Police services across Canada report a visitors and employees spooked.
may be difficult to know how to proceed.
general increase in the number of criminal
incidents on October 31st. In 2010, for instance, 10. The Burning Ship of Northumberland
There are really only three
there was a 51 per cent increase in weapon- Strait
possibilities: related offences, trespassing, disturbing the Countries around the world have tales of
peace and indecent acts. Looks like there was unearthly ghost ships sailing along their shores.
1. The event really happened, just as the more tricking than treating going on during All Canada’s spine-tingling watercraft goes one
person has reported. Hallows’ Eve. better—it’s fully engulfed in flames from bow to
2. The person truly believes that the stern. Blazing its path along the Northumberland
event has happened, but it has not. 5. Phantoms of Old Montreal Strait between Nova Scotia and Prince Edward
3. The person is fabricating a story for Old Montréal is beloved around the Island, the multiple-masted schooner seems to
some reason. world for its beautiful architecture and quaint appear when a storm is on the approach.
cobbled streets. It’s also notorious for its
The best we can do under the circumstances is to plethora of supernatural residents. Tortured 11. Goblins Patrol in Droves
evaluate the relative probability of each of these souls who met their untimely demise through In 2011, there were 3,723,644 little
options and choose the one that appears most misadventure, criminal events, or public witches, goblins and superheroes swarming
likely. executions are said to wander the streets and Canadian streets seeking either tricks or treats. A
sights of Old Montréal including Saint similar horde of candy hunters will be on the
12 Frightening Facts You Gabriel’s—the city’s oldest inn—home to the prowl this year, so be sure to stock up for their
ghost of a little girl who perished in a fire, and invasion.
Didn’t Know About Canada
Place Jacques Cartier where the decapitated
ghost of murdered prostitute Mary Gallagher 12. Niagara Falls’ Screaming Tunnel
From the screaming tunnel of Niagara Falls to searches for her lost head.
the phantoms of Old Montreal, the Great White No, the screaming tunnel isn’t a new amusement
North has more than its share of spooky lore and 6. Grab a Drink with a Ghost park ride to entice Niagara Falls tourists. The
legends. To get you into Halloween spirit—and Calgary’s Hose and Hound pub is the 125-foot long passageway was originally
bring you out in goosebumps—we’ve rounded HQ for ghostly monkey business. Serving as a constructed in the early 1900s as a path for
up 13 scary things you didn’t know about fire hall from 1907 to 1952, the building played railroad cars. Today, it stretches beneath train
Canada. host to Calgary’s first fire chief, Cappy Smart. lines that connect Niagara Falls to Toronto and
The chief adored animals and kept a horse and New York City. According to local legend, if you
1. Canadian Lake Monsters Abound monkey on site as part of his menagerie. After an enter the tunnel after midnight and light a match,
You’ve heard the tales of curious unprovoked attack on a small child, Barney the the flame will mysteriously extinguish while
travellers flocking to Scotland in the hopes of monkey was put down. Following Barney’s screams of a young female ring in your ears.
catching a glimpse of the famous Loch Ness death, the establishment became a hotbed of This unsettling paranormal activity is reportedly
Monster. But did you know that Nessie isn’t the paranormal activity. Firehouse and pub connected to the grisly death of a young girl who
only sea monster mystery worthy of attention? employees have witnessed objects sailing was set ablaze inside the tunnel. []
Turns out, Scotland’s elusive serpent has plenty through the air, slamming doors, electrical