Whether a person prefers to peek out from behind a blanket during a horror movie or if they prefer to bring out a Ouija board at a party, they have something in common: the paranormal intrigues them.
Though some may not like the hair-raising, creepy tales of ghosts and ghouls that are told around campfires, others enjoy the chill that goes down their spine when they’re heard. If ghost enthusiasts ever find themselves in Montreal, there is a plethora of places to satisfy their penchant for a good scare.
1. Mary Gallagher in Griffintown
Arguably one of the city’s most well-known ghost stories is that of Mary Gallagher, a young prostitute murdered by Susan Kennedy, her friend and fellow prostitute. The friends are said to have gone for drinks in Griffintown, a small suburb of Montreal. That evening, Gallagher attracted more clients than Kennedy.
Angry with Gallagher’s successes, Kennedy reportedly swung an axe at her upon returning to her apartment. Kennedy continued to chop her up in a drunken rage which prompted a neighbour to phone the police.
Upon their arrival, the police arrested Kennedy for the murder and disembodiment of Gallagher. Kennedy was eventually found guilty of the crime.
Exactly seven years to the day after Gallagher’s murder, multiple sightings of a headless woman outside of Kennedy’s apartment building emerged. No one reported seeing anything again for seven years, and then no one reported seeing her for another seven years after that. Gallagher’s ghost became a seven-year only apparition.
Her appearances became so popular that even to this day, every seven years, June 27th is known as Mary Gallagher day in Griffintown, despite the fact that the last known report of Gallagher’s ghost was in 1928. The next Mary Gallagher day is set for 2019.
2. Simon McTavish on Mount Royal
One of Montreal’s wealthiest fur traders from the 1700s might still be among us.
Prior to his unexpected death in 1804, Simon McTavish followed his business from Scotland to Montreal as it grew exponentially. When he established himself as a successful trader in the city, McTavish began building a Mount Royal mansion to live in.
Before the home could be completed, McTavish passed away and was buried in a mausoleum on the property. Sightings of the fur trader quickly emerged and were frequently reported.
According to the Haunted Walk of Montreal, the majority of McTavish sightings are of him tobogganing down the hill in his own coffin.
When the city covered his mausoleum with earth in the 1870s in attempt to deter grave robbers, they appeared to have buried the McTavish sightings as well.
In 1839, the city made the decision to tear down the house. While working on the project, a worker fell three stories to his death. Coincidence? You decide.
Due to his historic contributions to the city of Montreal, archaeologists began excavating the site in 2010 and his ghost has been seen yet again sliding down the mountain.
3. The Royal Victoria Hospital
In Montreal, the Royal Victoria Hospital has by far the most paranormal sightings.
Established in 1893, countless people have lost their lives within the hospital’s walls. There are so many records of ghostly activities in this building that their website has a small page dedicated to their ghosts.
“In the spirit of Halloween this week, we would like to share some chilling ghost stories that were submitted by our MUHC staff,” the page reads.
It goes on to tell the story of a painting who’s subject was known to make frequent trips out of her frame. According to the webpage, “the painting was so disturbing to the patients and the staff that they decided to remove it from the wall.”
The page also recounts a time when a room was locked from the inside- but the patient to whom the room had been assigned had already died a few hours prior.
4. Club le Cinq
Club le Cinq- formerly Club 1234- was not originally constructed as a nightclub. It was briefly owned by a wealthy businessman who opened the Wray Funeral Home. The home operated for seven years before it officially became a club in 1978.
Other than the balls of light often reported by employees, the most common appearance is of a nude woman sporting a y-shaped scar in the club’s basement- as if she had been autopsied. She frequently appears in the washroom, which used to serve as the home’s mortuary.
While some may believe that these encounters should be taken with a grain of salt seeing as how they usually come after a night of heavy drinking, the owner of the club disagrees.
According to an article published by the Montreal Gazette in 2014, the owner once encountered a woman with no face while working the bar.