8 haunted places across Canada you have to visit

Spooky season—otherwise known as October—wouldn’t be complete without a visit to a place with some haunted history. The storied spots on this list are a must for those eager to experience the paranormal. Just like trick-or-treating or seeing the fall colours, October wouldn’t be the same without a brush with the supernatural. Here are eight haunted places you have to check out:

The Hochelaga Inn in Kingston, Ont.

Steps away from the Queen’s University campus, The Hochelaga Inn was originally built in 1876 as a residence for a prominent Kingston lawyer who later became the city’s mayor. It’s the ghostly body of his wife, however, who is rumoured to haunt the halls of this Victorian-era mansion. Previous owners and guests have caught glimpses of a woman dressed in black, either standing at their bedside or stalking the halls.

The Churchill Mansion Inn in Yarmouth in N.S.

This historic building on the shores of the Atlantic ocean was once a summer home for Aaron Flint Churchill, a sea captain and prominent businessman in the area. Being out on the water was a much more dangerous endeavour back then, with many loved ones waiting anxiously by the shore for their partners to return. It’s one of these worried women from the past whose spirit lingers at the Inn: Aaron Flint’s wife, whom locals have claimed to see pacing on the porch or sitting in a rocking chair.

Windermere House in Muskoka, Ont.

Nestled in beautiful Muskoka, Windermere House is a sprawling haunted place that was originally purchased as farmland by local businessman Thomas Aitken, and eventually became a vacation lodge that attracted tourists from all over the country. Although much of the original building was tragically lost to a fire in the 1990s, spirits from its early days have lingered. Employees have reported furniture moving and creaking at random, and the front desk has received calls from the third floor, which was demolished years ago.

Fulford Place in Brockville, Ont.

An easy day trip from Ottawa and its surrounding cottage country, this old, opulent domain of newspaper and pharmaceutical magnate Senator George Taylor Fulford actually runs ghost tours, inspired by the property’s reported spooky encounters. Fulford’s widow is said to continue to haunt this 118-year old home, seen looking out of windows and wandering through the halls late into the night.

West Point Lighthouse in O’Leary, P.E.I.

Situated in a rugged, windswept part of P.E.I., West Point Lighthouse has a claim to fame as Canada’s first active lighthouse; it’s also the tallest on the island, unique in its shape and paint colours. But that’s not the only reason to visit — if you’re looking for its more shadowy history, you may catch sight of the rumoured ghost, former lighthouse operator nicknamed “Lighthouse Willie.” You can visit the lighthouse during the day or stay in the attached Inn, if you dare.

Peggy’s Cove, N.S.

Visitors flock to Peggy’s Cove each year to take in some of the most iconic scenery on Canada’s East Coast, but when the sun goes down, the area’s lively history is said to come to life — again. Known to be a lady dressed in blue, the so-called spirit of Peggy’s cove was an immigrant to the area, whose husband died after falling from the rocky shore. As the legend goes, she stalks the shoreline, as though she’s about to jump into the water; if you try to intervene, she disappears.

La Corriveau Forest in Saint-Joseph-de-la-Pointe-de-Lévy, Que.

An adventure for the truly brave, this entire forest is said to be haunted. The legend of what’s commonly known as la Corriveau details the hanging of a woman named Marie-Josephte Corriveau, accused of the murder of her two husbands in the 1700s. Her ghost is said to appear still in the cage and chains it was wrapped in, luring travellers from the road.

The Marr Residence in Saskatoon, Sask.

One of the oldest buildings in Saskatoon, a furious ghost allegedly inhabits this haunted place. Some believe it’s a previous resident, or perhaps a patient from the days when this home was used as a field hospital. The Residence functions as a museum and can be visited by the general public during the day.

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