Gibraltar Point Lighthouse, Toronto Islands.
Gibraltar tower first opened in 1808; it would become the first lighthouse to be permanently built anywhere on the Great Lakes. At the top of the lighthouse, a bright lantern shone out as a beacon to the ships sailing through the dark waters at night. As Toronto’s first light keeper, Radelmüller’s job was to light the lamp every evening and extinguish it at dawn. Plus, he would be in charge of signaling the city every time a big ship pulled into the harbour. He lived a very quiet and peaceful life; he even started to make his own beer in a German style he learned to make back home. Around that time, the war of 1812 had begun. Just a few short years after Radelmüller had started his new job as our city’s first light keeper, Toronto was in the middle of a war zone. The Gibraltar Point Lighthouse was suddenly even more important. The Great Lakes were a key battleground. Control of Lake Ontario was most important of all. Keeping the British fleet safe from the shoals near the harbour was an essential job — one lost ship could turn the tide of the entire war. Tragically, he wouldn’t live to see the end of it. On Christmas Eve of 1814, a peace treaty was finally signed. But negotiations were held in Belgium, which meant that it would take weeks for the news to cross the ocean and finally reach Toronto
Some of the hauntings seen:
John Paul Radelmüller's Ghost: There are many variations on this story, but the most common one is as followed. On a cold January night, two soldiers came over for a visit. John had been providing them with his homemade beer, and everything seemed to be going well. At one point in the evening, he cut off the soldiers, and they got angry with him. Trying to flee, Rademüller climbed up the stairs and barricaded himself in the highest point of the tower. The soldiers followed him up and broke down the door. After a scuffle, John fell from the top of the lighthouse to his death. The soldiers in a panic decided they needed to do something with his body since the punishment for murder was death. They grabbed an axe and chopped his body into pieces and started to hide his body. To this day you can still hear him moaning somewhere in the distance. On others, you might hear him walking up the steps of the old lighthouse, even though there’s no one there — or see a ghostly light shining up top, even when the lantern isn’t lit. Sometimes, you might find his fresh blood spilled on those old wooden stairs. Or even catch a glimpse of him yourself: a specter stalking through the undergrowth, or wandering the paths around the lighthouse, bloodied and beaten, his arms missing.
Banff Springs Hotel, Alberta.
Known as one of the most haunted structure in Alberta, several people are drawn to the hotel on an annual basis. This hotel was constructed back in 1988, by a man by the name of William Van Horne. In 1926, there was a terrible fire that burnt down the wooden structure of the hotel. By 1930, the hotel was up and running again, and the paranormal experiences started off soon after that.
Some of the hauntings seen:
The secret room: When the hotel was constructed, there was a room with no windows or even room for a door. It was a room that was made to cover up a mistake, but after the fire, the room was discovered. Now, individuals have said that there are strange sounds and apparitions that are linked to where this old room was.
Room 873: Years ago, a family was found dead in the room. After the investigation was over, the staff set out to clean the room. Only to find a set of fingerprints on the mirror from one of the children, that wouldn't go away. The owners have now blocked off this room, but many guests say they see apparitions roaming the hallway.
Young Bride: This is probably one of the saddest things I've ever heard. On the day of her wedding, a young bride was walking down the stairs. Due to unforeseen circumstances, the bride tripped on her dress and died instantly. She can now be seen emerging down the stairs, in that same beautiful white dress she wore on her wedding day.