With over 600 documented ghost stories, Montreal is easily the most haunted city in Canada, if not all of North America. Haunted Montreal dedicates itself to researching these paranormal tales, and the Haunted Montreal Blog unveils a newly researched Montreal ghost story on the 13th of every month!

This service is free and you can sign up to our mailing list (top, right-hand corner for desktops and at the bottom for mobile devices) if you wish to receive it every month on the 13th! The blog is published in both English and French!

With the Halloween Season now over and colder weather setting in, Haunted Montreal is running our Haunted Pub Crawl every Sunday at 3 pm in English. For tours in French, these happen on the last Sunday of every month at 4 pm.

We have also extended our outdoor Haunted Old Montreal ghost tour and paranormal investigations until the end of November.

To learn more, see the schedule at the bottom of our home page and see more details in the Company News section below!

Private tours for all of our experiences (including outdoor tours) can be booked at any time based on the availability of our actors. Clients can request any date, time, language and operating tour. These tours start at $215 for small groups of up to 7 people.

Email info@hauntedmontreal.com to book a private tour!

Lastly, we have an online store for those interested in Haunted Montreal merchandise. More details are below in our Company News section!

This month we update information about Montreal’s dozens of haunted pubs and drinking establishments!

Haunted Research

In 2019, the Haunted Montreal Blog identified 40 haunted pubs, watering holes and other drinking establishments dotting the city. In the bar industry, places often fold and new businesses are born, including in haunted buildings. One common question is this: do the ghosts remain when a new owner takes over the drinking venue?

In 2024, the haunted drinking landscape has changed somewhat in Montreal. Some places have gone bankrupt and been reopened under new brands. Others were demolished and replaced with condos – and new haunted drinking establishments have also been discovered!

Starting with bars that have closed, these include Charlie’s American Bar, Club Le Cinq, Le Pionnier, the John Doe Pub and Maison Pierre du Calvet.

Le Pionnier was demolished and replaced with condos, Maison du Calvet is presently vacant and the others now host new establishments.

Charlie’s is now the 042 AFRO LOUNGE, Club Le Cinq has become the Yoko Luna Japanese Steakhouse and the John Doe Pub is now a branch of Tsukuyomi Ramen, a noodle joint.

Secondly, Ken McCaskill passed away in December, 2023. He was the Point Saint Charles Legion’s bartender who regaled his clients with ghost stories from the establishment. May he rest in peace.

Thirdly, Haunted Montreal has blogged several of the drinking establishments on our original list to provide more detailed information regarding their hauntings. These include Place Viger, Hotel Place d’Armes, Auberge Saint Gabriel and Hurley’s Irish Pub.

Last but not least, we have discovered two haunted drinking establishments we were not aware of!

The first one is Gibby’s Steakhouse in Old Montreal, which has a mysterious ghost haunting its courtyard.

The second haunted watering hole is the ATIPIK PUB at 1458 Crescent Street in Downtown Montreal. Formerly the location of the Dragon & Dame Pub Urbain and then Ayers Rock MTL, the ATIPIK PUB has attracted paranormal investigators.

In May 2023, the team from Entre deux tombes conducted a paranormal investigation at the ATIPIK PUB. In search of a “Kitchen Devil Lady”, they encountered everything from screaming noises, phantom footsteps, shadowy movements, chairs moving on their own and glasses falling off the bar.

While change is not unusual in the bar and hospitality industry, the question always remains how ghosts adapt to new ownership and décor in the places they haunt. Only time will tell what paranormal surprises await the new owners of the old haunted drinking establishments that have changed hands!

Company News

With the Halloween Season now over and colder weather setting in, Haunted Montreal is running our Haunted Pub Crawl every Sunday at 3 pm in English. For tours in French, these happen on the last Sunday of every month at 4 pm.

We have also extended our outdoor Haunted Old Montreal ghost tour We have also extended our outdoor Haunted Old Montreal ghost tour and paranormal investigations until the end of November.

To learn more, see the schedule at the bottom of our home page!

Private tours for any of our experiences (including outdoor tours) can be booked at any time based on the availability of our actors. Clients can request any date, time, language and operating tour.

These tours are based on the availability of our actors and start at $215 for small groups of up to 7 people.

Email info@hauntedmontreal.com to book a private tour!

You can also bring the Haunted Montreal experience to your office party, house, school or event by booking one of our Travelling Ghost Storytellers today.

Hear some of the spookiest tales from our tours and our blog told by a professional actor and storyteller. You provide the venue, we provide the stories and storyteller. Find out more and then contact info@hauntedmontreal.com

Our team also releases videos every second Saturday, in both languages, of ghost stories from the Haunted Montreal Blog. Hosted by Holly Rhiannon (in English) and Dr. Mab (in French), this initiative is sure to please ghost story fans!

Please like, subscribe and hit the bell!

Haunted Montreal is also pleased to announce the publication of the book “Montréal hanté. La mémoire macabre d’une cité victorienne”, written by Pierre-Luc Baril.

Directly inspired by the Haunted Montreal Blog, the book tells several ghost stories, including those of Simon McTavish, the mysterious Trafalgar Tower and the murder of Mary Gallagher.

You can purchase a copy by clicking on this link.

In other news, if you want to send someone a haunted experience as a gift, you certainly can!

We are offering Haunted Montreal Gift Certificates through our website and redeemable via Eventbrite for any of our in-person or virtual events (no expiration date).

Finally, we have an online store for those interested in Haunted Montreal merchandise. We are selling t-shirts, magnets, sweatshirts (for those haunted fall and winter nights) and mugs with both the Haunted Montreal logo and our tour imagery.

Purchases can be ordered through our online store.

Haunted Montreal has temporarily altered its blog experience due to a commitment on a big writing project! New stories at the Haunted Montreal Blog will now be offered every two months, whereas every other month will feature an update to an old story. As always, these stories and updates will be released on the 13th of every month!

Haunted Montreal would like to thank all our clients who attended a ghost walk, haunted pub crawl, paranormal investigation or virtual event!

If you enjoyed the experience, we encourage you to write a review on our Tripadvisor page and/or on Google Reviews -something that really helps Haunted Montreal to market its tours.

Lastly, if you would like to receive the Haunted Montreal Blog on the 13th of every month, please sign up to our mailing list.

Coming up on December 13^th: Sault-au-Récollet

Located on the eastern edge of the borough of Ahuntsic-Cartierville, Sault-au-Récollet is one of Montreal’s many haunted neighborhoods. Historically the site of Montreal’s oldest church, creepy cemeteries and a colonial fort used to try to evangelize Indigenous Peoples, today the area reeks of paranormal activity and disturbing cemetery rituals involving animal sacrifice.

Author:

Donovan King is a postcolonial historian, teacher, tour guide and professional actor. As the founder of Haunted Montreal, he combines his skills to create the best possible Montreal ghost stories, in both writing and theatrical performance. King holds a DEC (Professional Theatre Acting, John Abbott College), BFA (Drama-in-Education, Concordia), B.Ed (History and English Teaching, McGill), MFA (Theatre Studies, University of Calgary) and ACS (Montreal Tourist Guide, Institut de tourisme et d’hôtellerie du Québec). He is also a certified Montreal Destination Specialist.

Translator (into French):

Claude Chevalot holds a master’s degree in applied linguistics from McGill University. She is a writer, editor and translator. For more than 15 years, she has devoted herself almost exclusively to literary translation and to the translation of texts on current and contemporary art.

Here is what we are offering this Halloween Season:

Halloween Ghost Walks

Haunted Old Montreal: Step back in time into Montreal’s most historic and most haunted neighbourhood. Guided by a professional actor and storyteller, you will learn the dark history behind some of the city’s most popular tourist spots. Join a Haunted Old Montreal walk for Halloween 2024

Haunted Griffintown: A professional actor and storyteller takes you through mysterious ruins, a polluted canal, former burial grounds and creepy old buildings that are said to be haunted. Also, Griffintown’s most famous ghost, Headless Mary. Join a Haunted Griffintown walk for Halloween 2024

Haunted Mountain: A theatrical guide will regale guests with ghost stories, mysteries and legends about Mount Royal, including haunted hospitals, abandoned castles, cemeteries teeming with undead spirits, and all sorts of paranormal activities on the mountain. Join a Haunted Mountain walk for Halloween 2024

Haunted Downtown: Follow a professional actor and storyteller through Downtown Montreal’s haunted bars, a forgotten graveyard, hotels rife with paranormal activity, and other locations where ghosts have been spotted! Join a Haunted Downtown walk for Halloween 2024

Halloween Paranormal Investigations

Old Sainte Antoine Cemetery: Learn strategies and techniques to locate and communicate with spirits while walking on top of Downtown Montreal’s largest forgotten cemetery, with approximately 70,000 buried beneath! Hosted by paranormal expert Dominique Desormeaux. Investigate the Old Sainte Antoine Cemetery for Halloween 2024

Colonial Old Montreal: Hosted by professional Ghost-hunter Dominique Desormeaux, our newest haunted experience takes guests on a dark adventure into the mysterious world of ghost hunting in Canada’s most haunted neighbourhood. Investigate Colonial Old Montreal for Halloween 2024

Halloween Haunted Pub Crawls

Led by a professional ghost storyteller, the Haunted Montreal Pub Crawl visits three haunted pubs. Guests will not only learn about many of the haunted drinking establishments in the city, but will also hear Montreal’s most infamous ghost stories. Raise a glass at the Haunted Pub Crawl for Halloween 2024

Private Tours

Haunted Montreal offers private tours for all of our ghost walks and other experiences based on the availability of our actors. These are ideal for tour groups, corporate groups, school groups, bachelorette parties, and gatherings of all types. Book a Private Tour for Halloween 2024

Travelling Ghost Storyteller

A professional actor and storyteller brings some of the most popular Montreal ghost stories from our tours to your office Halloween party, school event, house party, or other event. Book a Travelling Ghost Storyteller for your Halloween 2024 event

Any questions? Please contact tours@hauntedmontreal.com

See you this Halloween!

With over 500 documented ghost stories, Montreal is easily the most haunted city in Canada, if not all of North America. Haunted Montreal dedicates itself to researching these paranormal tales, and the Haunted Montreal Blog unveils a newly researched Montreal ghost story on the 13th of every month!

This service is free and you can sign up to our mailing list (top, right-hand corner for desktops and at the bottom for mobile devices) if you wish to receive it every month on the 13th! The blog is published in both English and French!

As spring approaches, Haunted Montreal is slowly beginning to offer our public outdoor ghost tours again!

For the St. Patrick’s Day Season, our first outdoor tour will be the special Irish Famine in Montreal Walking Tour on Saturday, March 18 at 1 pm (in English).

This experience visits key sites associated with Black ’47, the year 75,000 Irish refugees fleeing the Famine landed on Montreal’s wharves. The tour visits the Grey Nuns Motherhouse, Griffintown and two mass graves in Point St. Charles, including the infamous Black Rock.

Our public season of other ghost tours opens on Saturday, April 22^nd with Haunted Downtown.

On right now, the Haunted Pub Crawl is offered every Sunday at 3 pm in English. For tours in French, these happen on the last Sunday of every month at 4 pm.

Private tours for all of our experiences (including outdoor tours) can be booked at any time based on the availability of our actors. Clients can request any date, time, language and operating tour. These tours start at $190 for small groups of up to 7 people.

Email info@hauntedmontreal.com to book a private tour!

Our Virtual Ghost Tour is also available on demand!

We’ve just launched our newest haunted experience: Travelling Ghost Storyteller. Find out more in the Company News section.

Want to give the gift of a haunted experience?

You can now order a Haunted Montreal Gift Certificate through our website. They are redeemable via Eventbrite for any of our in-person or virtual experiences. There is no expiration date.

Lastly, we have an online store for those interested in Haunted Montreal merchandise.

More details are below in our Company News section!

This month, just in time for St. Patrick’s Day, we examine the very haunted Hurley’s Irish Pub and the ghost of the Burning Lady.

Haunted Research

Hurley’s is one of Montreal’s most happening Irish pubs.

The establishment offers live traditional music every night, 19 beers on tap, a selection of more than 50 single malts and 16 whiskeys and hearty Irish fare.

Established in 1993 by Mr. Bill Hurley, the Irish pub’s laid-back atmosphere makes it a long-time favorite with locals and a destination for tourists and celebrities.

Everyone from Steve Nash to Ewan McGregor have enjoyed libations at Hurley’s Irish Pub. Hurley’s sells the most Guinness in North America and always guarantees a perfect pint.

However, the pub also has a dark, horrifying history, resulting in an agonizing and mysterious ghost who haunts the second floor.

The building housing Hurley’s Pub was constructed in 1885 as a tenement, back in the day when the area was considered a working-class slum. At the time, a furrier operated a shop on the ground floor and the upper levels and basement were run-down lodgings that housed destitute families. Many of them were of Scottish and Irish stock.

Eventually, a series of bars opened up on the site. Before Hurley’s, for example, there was another bar called My Apartment.

Rod, the manager, has worked at Hurley’s Pub since 1993 and has seen it all. One time an elderly Scottish man of about 80 entered the pub in the basement, sat at the bar, didn’t order a drink, and started looking wistfully about with misty eyes.

When Rod checked to see if he was OK, the man reported that he had once lived in the very same basement, when it was a tenement home, with his parents and four siblings. He recalled growing up in filthy and squalid conditions, with rats and cockroaches infesting the building, not to mention frequent fires that would require them to evacuate on more than one occasion. Eventually the family saved enough money to leave the squalid flat and move to Ontario.

Rod has seen his fair share of sights as the bar manager over the years, but one of the strangest experiences to be had in the pub is a run-in with a ghost known only as the Burning Lady.

She can be found at the top of the stairs, in the ladies’ washroom or at the upstairs bar.

During renovations in 1999, contractors discovered many burned and scorched wooden beams on the upper floors, leftover infrastructure from the many fires that had engulfed the building over the years.

One of charred non-structural beams was preserved just above the door opposite the ladies’ washroom at the top of the stairs.

One evening, during the renovations, a woman went to the upstairs washroom at around 3:15 am when the managers wanted to empty the bar. She spotted a mysterious lady wearing old-fashioned clothes sitting alone at the upstairs bar, which was closed for the evening.

When she reported this to the manager, he and another employee rushed upstairs from opposite sides of the pub to get the woman out. However, when they arrived at the bar all they found was one of the stools pushed back, as though someone had been sitting on it.

On other occasions, the strong smell of perfume wafts through the air, usually when doors mysteriously open and close themselves. Sometimes the soft sound of phantom footsteps are heard going up or down the stairs.

Over the years, two clairvoyants and one Indigenous woman have all reported the same thing: that they smelled the paranormal perfume and saw the spirit of a woman at the top of the stairs.

During a staff meeting one night in January, 2009, workers suddenly heard a panicked woman’s voice upstairs screaming “Help! Help!” The manager and another employee ran up the stairs and did a full search, including every nook and cranny, but again, there was nobody there.

The screaming got fainter and seemed to be coming from the ladies’ washroom, however that too was found to be unoccupied.

Thoroughly disturbed, they decided to finish the meeting early to get out of the bar because the disembodied screaming and calls for help would not stop.

After much discussion, the staff at the pub theorized that the ghost is probably that of a woman who burned alive during one of the many previous fires, and they speculate that she can be heard screaming on the anniversary of the fire every year. As such, they have decided not to schedule any more staff meetings on the January date when they first heard the screaming. They prefer to keep the date secret to avoid attracting too many ghost-hunters to the pub on one given night.

Indeed, the owner, Bill Hurley, once met a person who recalled hearing a story about a person living on the other side of the street during the late 1950s who had witnessed the deadly fire.

According to the eye-witness, a lady was banging on one of the windows while screaming: “Help! Let me out!” as the flames engulfed her. He also recalled a Christmas tree brightly burning behind her.

With such creepy tales, Haunted Montreal selected Hurley’s as the final destination on its Haunted Pub Crawl. It indeed seems to be one of the most haunted pubs in Montreal.

According to Haunted Pub Crawl host Jason C. McLean:

“Walking into Hurley’s with a tour group always feels like a warm, welcoming experience, like entering a friendly local bar. When we get upstairs, though, you can tell that there’s another presence in the room besides myself and the guests. This intimate, thought not alone, vibe lends itself perfectly to the remainder of our stories and subsequent paranormal discussion.”

Often, when the ghost storytelling is over, clients have a discussion about their own paranormal experiences as they finish their drinks.

Additionally, the story of the Burning Lady has become so popular that it was featured on CBC’s Our Montreal (segment starts at 7:01).

Held every Sunday in English at 3 pm and on the last Sunday of the month at 3 pm in French, it is a great way to enjoy some spirits with a spirit!

As for the Burning Lady, more research is needed to try to identify who she might be. Only one thing is certain – anyone going up the stairs at Hurley’s or using the ladies’ washroom is advised to be extra careful – especially on January nights. 

Company News

As spring approaches, Haunted Montreal is slowly beginning to offer our public outdoor ghost tours again!

Our first outdoor tour will be the special Irish Famine in Montreal Walking Tour on Saturday, March 18 at 1 pm (in English). This experience visits key sites associated with Black ’47, the year 75,000 Irish refugees fleeing the Famine landed on Montreal’s wharves. The tour visits the Grey Nuns Motherhouse, Griffintown and two mass graves in Point St. Charles.

Our public season of other ghost tours opens on April 22^nd, with Haunted Downtown.

On now, our Haunted Pub Crawl is offered every Sunday at 3 pm in English. For tours in French, these happen on the last Sunday of every month at 4 pm.

Private tours for any of our experiences (including outdoor tours) can be booked at any time based on the availability of our actors. Clients can request any date, time, language and operating tour. These tours are based on the availability of our actors and start at $190 for small groups of up to 7 people.

Email info@hauntedmontreal.com to book a private tour!

We’re also launching our newest haunted experience:

You can bring the Haunted Montreal experience to your office Christmas party, house party school or event by booking one of our Travelling Ghost Storytellers today. Hear some of the spookiest tales from our tours and our blog told by a professional actor and storyteller. You provide the venue, we provide the stories and storyteller. Find out more and then contact info@hauntedmontreal.com

Our team also releases videos every second Saturday, in both languages, of ghost stories from the Haunted Montreal Blog. Hosted by Holly Rhiannon (in English) and Dr. Mab (in French), this initiative is sure to please ghost story fans!

Please like, subscribe and hit the bell!

In other news, if you want to send someone a haunted experience as a gift, you certainly can!

We are offering Haunted Montreal Gift Certificates through our website and redeemable via Eventbrite for any of our in-person or virtual events (no expiration date).

Finally, we have opened an online store for those interested in Haunted Montreal merchandise. We are selling t-shirts, magnets, sweatshirts (for those haunted fall and winter nights) and mugs with both the Haunted Montreal logo and our tour imagery.

Purchases can be ordered through our online store.

Haunted Montreal would like to thank all of our clients who attended a ghost walk, haunted pub crawl, paranormal investigation or virtual event during the 2022 season!

If you enjoyed the experience, we encourage you to write a review on our Tripadvisor page, something that really helps Haunted Montreal to market its tours.

Lastly, if you would like to receive the Haunted Montreal Blog on the 13th of every month, please sign up to our mailing list.

Coming up on April 13: Mussen Building & Environs

Located in the heart of Old Montreal, the Mussen Building stands out in an awkward way. Located on the corner of Notre-Dame Street and St. Laurent Boulevard, the edifice hosts a gaudy fast food joint in an otherwise historic neighborhood. The Mussen Building and its environs are reputed to be haunted because they are located on the site of the former prisons dating from the “New France” era. It was here that prisoners were brutally tortured by a masked executioner in a deranged and medieval “justice system”.

With over 200 documented ghost stories, Montreal is easily the most haunted city in Canada, if not all of North America. Haunted Montreal is dedicated to researching these paranormal tales, and the Haunted Montreal Blog unveils a newly-researched Montreal ghost story on the 13th of every month! This service is free and you can sign up to our mailing list (top, right-hand corner) if you wish to receive it every month on the 13th!

Our January blog explores not only haunted pubs, but also other paranormal drinking establishments from hotel bars, theatre lobbies, private clubs, discotheques and even an old brewery to a Canadian Legion, train station and McGill University Frat House! With over 40 haunted watering holes, Montreal has perhaps the most of any city on the planet!

While Haunted Montreal is in winter mode and will not offer any more public ghost tours until April, 2019, we are pleased to announce our Haunted Pub Crawl! With a proto-type happening in January, we will offer this creepy, boozy and haunted experience to the public starting on Sunday, February 10th. The tour in English starts at 3 pm and the tour in French at 4 pm.

Please see our new Haunted Pub Crawl webpage for more details, the full schedule and to buy tickets.

For those seeking ghost walks during our off-season, Haunted Montreal is still offering private tours for company outings, school groups, bachelorette parties and other gatherings of all types. Please contact info@hauntedmontreal.com to organize a private tour for your group. These ghost tours require very warm clothing during the winter months and the Haunted Mountain tour is not offered once there is snow on the ground due to dangerous and icy conditions on Mount Royal / Otsirà:ke.

Haunted Research

Haunted pub crawls are becoming more and more popular throughout the world as a great way to combine two popular activities – ghost tours and pub crawls. Founded by Gregory Proffit, owner of the Creepy Crawl in Savannah, Georgia over a decade ago, haunted pub crawls now exist in dozens of cities across the planet.

While Dublin City, Ireland has around 15 haunted pubs and Savannah, Georgia, “America’s most haunted city”, has around 25 paranormal bars, Montreal is clearly the best metropolis to mix booze with creepy ghost stories. With over 40 haunted pubs and other drinking establishments, Montreal is an ideal city to pour back some libations while pondering the paranormal.

Inspired by Gregory Proffit’s Guide to the Haunted Pubs of Savannah, I have prepared for you a list and short description of many of Montreal’s haunted watering holes, where guests can enjoy some spirits – with a spirit!

While Haunted Montreal’s Haunted Pub Crawl will visit four of the haunted bars, I invite you to create your own itinerary from the list to have a self-guided haunted pub crawl so you can visit some of the other spooky drinking establishments!

Haunted Bars, Pubs, Restaurants and Nightclubs

Montreal has a lot of haunted places to drink some booze, from fancy nightclubs and dive bars to ancient inns and brew-pubs. Pick your favorites from this list of the haunted bars, pubs, taverns, restaurants, burlesque halls, nightclubs and other drinking establishments – and begin your ghost-hunting and boozy adventure!

1. Barfly.

Often voted Montreal’s “best dive bar”, Barfly is a favourite haunt for musicians and Plateau locals. It is also said to be haunted by a former owner who played by his own rules. At closing time, staff have reported strange phenomena such as the stereo system turning itself back on and blaring music and upside down barstools flinging themselves onto the floor. The speculation is that the old owner wants to keep the bar open after closing time, just like in the old days when he ran the establishment based on his whims instead of the laws.  (4602 Boulevard St. Laurent)

2. L’Amère a Boire.

L’Amère à Boire is an artisanal brewpub half-way up the hill on Saint Denis Street in the trendy Quartier Latin. The French name of the pub is a witty double-entendre: it means simultaneously “Bitter to drink” and “the sea to drink” (La mer à boire), an idiom to do something impossible. Opened in 1996, L’Amère à Boire brews ales and lagers on-site and also serve fancy pub grub, such as tapas, burgers and seasonal meals. However, despite its convivial atmosphere, according to some staff members the building is haunted by the ghost of a man wearing a mysterious hat. He has been spotted on the security cameras on several occasions. (2049 Rue St. Denis)

3. Auberge St. Gabriel.

The oldest inn in North America, dating back to 1688, is said to have a lot of ghosts. The most famous story relates the appearance of a girl, who died in a fire that ravaged the inn, who had taken refuge on the top floor. This room contains old pianos and harmoniums, which sometimes play on their own when the room is empty and the lights are off. Understandably, employees are reluctant to walk alone at night in the attic. Now a fancy bar/restaurant with a nightclub called Le Velvet Speakeasy, the old inn is a great destination for ghost hunters. (426 Rue St-Gabriel)

4. Charlie’s American Pub.

This old Bishop Street bar features a pool table, laid back atmosphere and friendly, informal vibe. It is also the starting location for Haunted Montreal’s new Haunted Pub Crawl. Staff have reported unexplained and paranormal activity, such as doors opening and closing, lights violently flickering over the pool table for no reason whatsoever, and constant feelings of being watched, especially when alone in the bar, unnerving some of the bartenders. (1204 Rue Bishop)

5. McKibbin’s Irish Pub.

The original McKibbin’s Irish Pub on Bishop Street is situated in what was once a beautiful red-stone Victorian residence. Featuring Irish pub food and many beers on tap, including Guinness, the pub’s menu also features the ghost story of Mary Gallagher, the beheaded prostitute who returns to Griffintown every 7 years. Some staff members believe the pub is haunted, describing a ghost who is sometimes spotted near the fireplace and unexplained gusts of cold wind that blow throughout the establishment. (1426 Rue Bishop)

6. Hurley’s Irish Pub.

The building housing Hurley’s Irish Pub was constructed in 1885 as a tenement, back in the day when this area was considered to be working-class slum. The building suffered many fires over the years and in some cases tenants did not escape, meeting fiery deaths. The manager has seen his fair share of sights over the years, but one of the strangest experiences to be had in the pub is a run-in with a ghost known only as the Burning Lady. She is known to haunt the top of the stairs, in the ladies’ washroom and the upstairs bar. Her perfume sometimes mingles in the air and on the anniversary of her death she is known to scream “Help! Help!”, causing staff to reschedule meetings. (1225 Rue Crescent)

7. Andrew’s Pub.

Rumour has it that this popular hangout amongst students and locals has its own haunting, one that sometimes disturbs even the most loyal of customer. Some people say there is a horrifying apparition haunting the place that manifests itself in the creepiest of ways. On rare occasions clients who have had a few drinks will experience a pungent odour that materializes out of nowhere: blood mixed with cordite, a chemical that replaced gunpowder in modern weapons. After detecting the odour, some of them feel like they’ve been bumped into by a large person when there is nobody there. Rumour has it that a headless apparition of a burly man appears in the mirrors and some people believe it is the ghost of an Irish mobster whose head was blown off when he was gunned down in the bar in 1969. (1241 Rue Guy)

8. Club Le Cinq

Probably the most haunted building in Downtown Montreal, this trendy nightclub is a good place to “enjoy some spirits with a spirit.” This former funeral home is said to be a hub of poltergeist activity. With all three floors said to be haunted by various apparitions, Club Le Cinq can get frightening at times! Women are warned never to go to the downstairs bathroom alone, as that is where the ghost of an autopsied woman with a jagged scar down her torso is known to appear! While it remains unclear exactly who or what is haunting the old funeral home-cum-nightclub, one thing remains certain: the nightspot is also a hotspot for the paranormal. For more details, please see Haunted Montreal Blog #29. (1234 Rue de la Montagne)

9. Sir Winston Churchill Pub.

Sir Winston Churchill Pub is considered the founding establishment of today’s vibrant Crescent Street. Opened in 1967, during a time of extreme language tension in Montreal, it triggered an exodus of anglophone nightlife from the Main, whereas francophone nightlife moved east to the Quartier Latin. Once the favourite haunt of boulevardier/journalist Nick Auf der Maur, who has an alleyway beside the bar named in his honour today, Sir Winston Churchill Pub is also said to be haunted by his unconventional and cheeky ghost. (1455-59 Rue Crescent)

10. Café Cléopatre

Built in 1896, this infamous Montreal stripclub and burlesque hall is still putting on shows. Originally housing Ponton Costumes, from 1925 onwards, the building hosted various nightclubs and welcomed the city’s most sexually diverse clients and performers. During the heyday of Montreal’s Red Light District, the nightclub witnessed all sorts of mishaps from violence and mayhem to a 42-year-old tourist from New Jersey having his private parts blown off by a bomb in the bathroom. Today, many ghosts are said to haunt Café Cléopatre, which was itself saved from demolition when burlesque queens refused to be ejected. Now surrounded by a glass office tower, this venerable burlesque hall is itself a ghostly reminder of the past.  (1230 Boulevard St. Laurent)

11. Taverne Midway.  

This throwback to the glory days of Montreal’s old tenderloin district is the starting location for Secret Montreal’s Old Red Light District Ghost Walk and Burlesque Walking Tour. Recently renovated, the tavern is said to still be haunted by ghosts from the old days when it was one of Montreal’s seediest bars. Once the favourite haunt of violent criminals, sex workers and junkies, today the old tavern is a popular hipster bar. The most common ghost is said to be that of now-deceased burlesque queen, who is sometimes spotted applying her make up in the ladies washroom. (1219 Boulevard St. Laurent)

12. Cabaret Lion D’Or.   

This cabaret hall has a salacious history. Al Capone, a frequent visitor to Montreal during the days of Prohibition, was so enthralled with our city that he actually invested in a burlesque hall and oyster bar called the Cabaret Lion d’Or. In the basement he ran a blind pig, or illegal “after hours” bar. Today, the cabaret hall still exists as a rare throwback and still offers burlesque performances. With a secret door and tunnel in the basement that Capone used to evade police during raids, some staff members believe that the mobster’s ghost haunts the Cabaret Lion d’Or . (1676 Rue Ontario Est)

13. Pub Quartier Latin.

Once the site of Canada’s most notorious brothel, 312 Ontario, today the Pub Quartier Latin is a cozy establishment with a comedy club called Le Bordel. While the building is certainly haunted by sex workers of the past, resulting in disembodied giggles and clients feeling caressed by invisible hands, it is also known to have a much, much darker ghost. Known to haunt people living in the lodgings above the pub during their nightmares, the ghost is none other than that of McGill University’s most infamous alumni, abortionist and serial killer Dr. Thomas Neill Cream. (318 Rue Ontario Est)

14. Windsor Station.  

Windsor Station, a Romanesque Revival masterpiece, was once the hub of Canada’s railway system, linking east to west. When the Bell Centre was built, Windsor Station was cut off from the railroad tracks, rendering it no longer functional. Today, it is possible to enjoy a drink at the Gare Windsor Rotisserie, a resto-bar or in the Salle des pas perdus during private rentals. Once the lobby where thousands of people awaited trains or returning loved ones, it is now an impressive events venue. In this imposing hall, mysterious voices can sometimes be heard chattering away, newspapers rustle by themselves and on occasion the faint sound of an old train whistle can be heard blaring. (1160 Rue de la Gauchetiere Ouest)

15. La Capital, Chinatown.

Opened in 2015, La Capital is a Mexican bar/restaurant that serves tacos, beer and other fare in bustling Chinatown. According to staff members, the building is haunted by a mysterious ghost. They have heard rumours that someone died in the building and is now haunting the place. The most common paranormal activity is for things to suddenly get knocked over or pushed off of shelves and counters. Sometimes plates drop and shatter on the floor, pots go flying off their hooks and heavy boxes of pork slide off the counters and onto the floor. Some speculate the building once hosted a kosher butcher shop when the area included a large Jewish community and believe that the ghostly butcher returns to try and remove pork from his old shop. (1096 Boulevard St. Laurent)

16. Bonsecours Market.

This magnificent Palladian-style marketplace was inspired by Dublin’s Custom House and opened in 1847. It has witnessed lots of history and even served as Canada’s seat of governance in 1849 after angry politicians burned down the nearby Parliament in a fit of rage. Today, the Bonsecours Market features a host of places to have a drink, such as Pub BreWskey, an industrial-chic brewpub that serves craft beer on tap. Unfortunately, night guards are constantly kept on their toes with the sounds of phantom footsteps echoing throughout the building and the occasional appearance of a frightening apparition.  (350 Rue Saint-Paul Est)

17. Reggie’s Bar, Hall Building.

Reggie’s Bar has long been enjoyed as a watering hole for students at Concordia University. Situated on the ground floor of the Hall Building, the pub is a hot-spot for academic debate, student activism and enjoying a few cold ones while skipping class. Sometimes, when the bar is quiet, students can hear ghostly whisperings in the Hall Building’s lobby, a strange and paranormal phenomenon that, while unexplained, has inspired art shows at the university in the past. (1455 Boulevard de Maisonneuve Ouest)

18. Orange Rouge Restaurant, Chinatown.

This is one of the only bar/restaurants run by non-Asians in Chinatown. Apparently, locals refused to rent it because it’s allegedly haunted. Orange Rouge was opened by a man named Patrick Dumont in 2013. Set in the Wing’s Noodle Factory building owned by the Lee Family, Orange Rouge kicked off with a popular chef named Aaron Langille behind the stoves. When the restaurant opened, the Lee family paid for a lion dance ceremony, a traditional way to bless a new business with good fortune, plus as a way to calm any bad spirits. (106 Rue de la Gauchetière Ouest)

19. Les Trois Brasseurs, Old Montreal.

A French brew-pub with several locations, the one in Old Montreal is said to be the most haunted. The upper floors of the building are said to be infested with shadowy apparitions, which sometimes affect people in the bar below. Many clients have heard strange noises from above, hanging lamps sometimes swing on their own accord and there are also reports of shadows jumping from the higher windows only to vanish before they land on the sidewalk. There is speculation that people burned alive in a fire many years ago.  (105 Rue St. Paul Est)

Haunted Theatre Bars

Theatres are prime locations for hauntings, and Montreal has its share of them. Usually the only time to enjoy a drink in these establishments is before performances and during intermissions, so you might want to check out what’s playing and buy a ticket to enjoy some theatre as you look for ghosts.

20. Centaur Theatre.

Set in Old Montreal’s magnificent former Stock Exchange Building, there are many ghosts said to haunt the Centaur Theatre. One story involves a stockbroker who killed himself during the Great Depression (some say he jumped off the Stock Exchange whereas other say he hanged himself on its furnace, essentially ensuring his body was cooked through and through). Another features a gay actor who was constantly bullied onstage during a performance so asked that his ashes be placed in the theatre’s potted plants so he could haunt the theatre after his death. His friends complied, and since then his ghost is said to haunt the bar, spilling the drinks of any homophobes who are present. Lastly, there is a little-known legend about a vampire who once occupied the building, his coffin disguised as a prop. (1453 Rue St. Francois-Xavier)

21. Imperial Theatre

The Imperial Theatre was built in 1913 as a vaudeville playhouse but now it serves as a cinema and venue for other performances in the Quartier des Spectacles. According to the Quebec Ghosts and Hauntings Research Society, the grand old theatre on Bleury Street is definitely haunted. While details are sketchy, the most common rumour has it that a ghost of someone who perished in a fire plagues in the majestic theatre, bringing the smell of charred flesh wherever it goes. Please note that the Imperial Theatre currently offers irregular programming, so it is not always easy to schedule a drink at the theatre’s bar. (1430 Rue de Bleury)

22. Monument-National 

The grandiose Monument-National, one of Quebec’s oldest and finest theatres, is rumoured to be haunted by at least two ghosts. Today’s “Studio Hydro-Québec”, located in the building’s basement, has a very bizarre and unsettling history. Once the site of a deranged Victorian waxwork museum called the Eden Musée, today a ghost bangs on the pipes and tends to make a lot of noise. Many people speculate that it is the ghost of strongman Beaupré the Giant, whose corpse was once displayed among the waxworks. There are also whispers that another ghost haunting the Monument-National is none other than Sarah Berhardt, one of the greatest French actresses of her era, whose spirit has been spotted on the glorious staircase. For more details, please see Haunted Montreal Blog #10. (1182 Boulevard St. Laurent)

23. Cinématheque québecoise

The Cinématheque québecoise includes a cozy bar for film fans to enjoy a drink before or after screenings. Located in a former Catholic girls’ school, this film library and cinema is reputed to be haunted. There are persistent rumours that the building is haunted by the ghost of a little schoolgirl. Janitors have reported seeing her on many occasions, and in 2005, the girl’s spirit was spotted by an employee in one of the projection rooms, clutching a stack of school books. Staff members believe the ghost is one of the school’s former students, but are unsure why she haunting the building. For more details, please see Haunted Montreal Blog #12. (335 Boulevard de Maisonneuve Est)

24. Théâtre du Nouveau Monde

The Théâtre du Nouveau Monde is one of Quebec’s most famous theatres and offers both classical and contemporary theatre in the French language. The theatre has many mysteries and is said to be haunted by several ghosts. Strange, unaccountable noises, including mysterious creaks and phantom footsteps, can sometimes be heard and a ghostly woman constantly sits in her favorite seat in the audience. There are also tales of people feeling suddenly terrified when descending into the basement or standing on the stage. Some people also think burlesque star Lili St. Cyr haunts the place because it was her favorite stage to perform on during Montreal’s glory days as a Wide Open City. For more details, please see Haunted Montreal Blog #13. (84 Rue St. Catherine Ouest)

25. Théâtre Quat’ Sous

Situated on the site of a former synagogue, Théâtre Quat’ Sous offers interesting performances in the French language. During the 80s, the artistic director at the time, Mr. Pierre Biernard, began frequently speaking aloud to a ghost who he believed was haunting the place. While some people thought he was going crazy, others agreed with him that the theatre was haunted. This ghost was perceived as being of the non-malicious variety and was even described as “nice”. Theatre staff and patrons still talk about this spirit to this very day. (100 Avenue des Pins Est)

Haunted Hotel Bars

Hotel bars can be a great place to meet tourists and chat with staff, many of whom know ghostly stories about their establishments. Whether staying at the hotel or not, clients are usually welcome to enjoy some libations at the hotel bar. With Montreal containing several allegedly haunted hotels, you might consider adding some of these bars to your itinerary.

26. Bar Georges (Old St. Stephen Club).

The famous St. Stephen Club, once a private old boy’s club for the wealthy, now hosts a giant, Post-modern hotel fused into its Victorian architecture. Much of the old Club is now occupied by Bar Georges. According to the Quebec Huffington Post: “The first owners of the establishment were Lord George Stephen, first baron, and his wife Annie Charlotte Kane. They lived there from 1883 to 1900. It is said that the woman was very attached to her home. Some service employees have already admitted to having seen her appear on the main staircase of the house or in her former bedroom on the first floor.” One decorator also mentioned strange phenomena, including doors that lock by themselves, toilets that flush all alone, and shadows that traverse the ballroom. (1440 Rue Drummond)

27. Hotel Place d’Armes.

With its undeniable old-world charm and an international reputation, Hôtel Place d’Armes is undeniably one the most popular boutique hotels in Old Montreal. The hotel’s bar, Suite 701, is said to attract Montreal’s jet-set crowd. However, there are also persistent rumours that the hotel is haunted, and some of the housekeeping staff fear entering certain rooms alone. On several occasions there have been reported ghost sightings, especially in Suites 1702, 1703, 1704 and 1705. A ghostly woman with an American accent has interacted with staff, demanding room service. On one occasion, she leapt from the window when a housekeeper arrived with fresh towels. The housekeeper ran to the window and looked down on the street below. There was no broken body or pool of blood, but merely a flock of pigeons, pecking away at seeds on the sidewalk. Terrified, the housekeeper quit her job shortly thereafter. (55 Rue St. Jacques)

28. Queen Elizabeth Hotel.

The luxurious, 5-star Queen Elizabeth Hotel is one of the original grand hotels built by the Canadian National Railway, in 1958. With 1039 rooms and 21 floors, it is the largest hotel in Quebec. The Queen E is allegedly haunted by a “woman in white” who brings freezing cold temperatures with her wherever she goes. Staff and clients have reported mysterious cold spots in the hotel and feelings of being watched, followed and even touched. The White Lady’s apparition has been seen wandering the hallways and staircases of the hotel, and she occasionally roams into a guest room. She allegedly has extremely cold hands and when she touches one of the guests, it sends shivers up their spine. The hotel also has unexplained noises, including disembodied voices, sudden bangs, mysterious knocks and phantom footsteps. (900 Boulevard Rene Levesque Ouest)

29. Hotel Bonaventure.

Montreal’s most famous spot to see UFOs, the Hotel Bonaventure is nestled on the top two floors of the sprawling, 17-storey Place Bonaventure, once the city’s main convention center. With 397 spacious rooms, including 5 luxurious suites, conference halls, the fancy Kube Restaurant and a heated rooftop pool, the 4-star hotel is described as “a true Garden of Eden overlooking the bustling streets of the city.” The Hotel Bonaventure has also witnessed unexplained paranormal activity, notably a well-documented UFO sighting on November 7, 1990. Many UFO-hunters book a room in the hotel in hopes of an otherworldly sighting. For more details, please see Haunted Montreal Blog #31. (900 Rue de la Gauchetiere Ouest)

Haunted Private Clubs and Organizations

These haunted private clubs and drinking establishments usually require an invitation, so here you will need to get creative and try to make arrangements in advance. Make friends with a McGill professor, join the Army or attend a start-up conference to increase your odds of scoring an invitation!

30. Notman House

The Notman House is a handsome, limestone mansion on the corner of Sherbrooke and Clark Streets. Originally constructed in 1845, the building has changed hands and vocations many times over the decades. It has served as a home for the city’s wealthy elite, a famous photographer’s abode, a religious hospital for those deemed “incurable”, a residence for elderly women, a location for film shoots and, most recently, a “dream home” for tech start-up companies. The building is haunted by various ghosts, including hospital patients who were cremated on-site and one invisible spirit who startled a team of security guards on a creepy November night in 2002. For more details, please see Haunted Montreal Blog #14. (51 Rue Sherbrooke Ouest)

31. McGill University Faculty Club

The McGill University Faculty Club welcomes the school’s elite of professors, deans, provosts, and other academics. The opulent mansion is a private oasis on the bustling campus, a place where academics come to relax, dine, socialize and discuss important matters. However, according to many sources, the Faculty Club is haunted by ghosts of the past, including Baron Alfred von Baumgarten, a wealthy German sugar tycoon who originally commissioned the home. There are also billiard balls that roll on their own, a ghostly dancer who appears in a ballroom mirror and other more frightening apparitions on the upper floors.  For more details, please see Haunted Montreal Blog #28. (3450 Rue McTavish)

32. Point Saint Charles Legion

The inconspicuous Branch 127 of the Canadian Royal Legion in Point Saint Charles is known by employees, veterans and locals to be haunted. Featuring the sounds of disembodied women singing to a non-existent piano and mops that sometimes move about on their own, it is nicknamed “The Crazy House” for good reason. Online groups such as “Ghosts and Stories of Point St Charles” (Facebook) discuss the hauntings feverishly and Legion employees, such as the bartender, sometimes regale visitors with tales of their own paranormal experiences at work. For more details, please see Haunted Montreal Blog #3. (543 Rue Sainte Madeleine)

33. Frat House on Pine Avenue. This beautiful red-stone student residence has seen thousands of frat parties over the years. Hosted by rambunctious McGill University students of the Delta Upsilon Fraternity up until 1988, beer cases were often piled outside in the weed-choked and long-forlorn garden. Over the years, many frat boys reported seeing the ghost of an elderly lady tending to the garden with a large watering can, as though it were still flourishing. While some students blamed the sightings on hallucinogenic drugs being consumed during wild nights, others speculated that the ghostly lady used to live in the house and loved her garden so much that she never departed it. (522 Avenue des Pins)

34. Former Viger Hotel. This imposing, Chateau-style building was once a bustling and luxurious hotel for a long-since abandoned railway station. When the hotel closed with the loss of the rail line, the City of Montreal used the building for storage. Today, a start-up company has taken over and renovated the entire structure and hosts frequent cocktail parties. However, visitors have reported a very negative and haunted energy about the place. Disembodied voices of children crying for their mothers can sometimes be heard echoing throughout the old corridors and from the windows and visitors have reported being overcome with the feeling of an engulfing sadness. (700-800 Rue St. Antoine Est)

Drinking Places that are not Currently in Operation

Sadly, none of these haunted drinking establishments are currently in operation for various reasons, from 5-alarm fires and real estate transactions to bankruptcies and neglect of historical properties. You might want to have a look at them if your itinerary takes you to nearby drinkeries that are actually in operation.

35. Maison Pierre du Calvet

This beautiful New France era home is made of field-stones and over the past several decades hosted a cozy inn and restaurant/bar called Les Filles du Roi. During the inn’s operation, there were constant reports of a ghostly woman sitting on ornate 4-poster beds, the bilingual pet parrots speaking to ghosts when the area was quiet, and all sorts of other paranormal activity. The building was recently sold and will hopefully be re-opening soon under a different format. For more details, please see Haunted Montreal Blog #27. (405 Rue Bonsecours)

36. Dow Brewery.

This abandoned and decrepit Griffintown brewery was once flowing with the suds of Dow Beer, which was the most popular brand in Quebec. Following several deaths after a beer-poisoning scandal, the brewery went bankrupt and slowly fell into a state of disrepair. Visited by ghost hunters and urban explorers, several mediums confirmed there is the ghost of a little girl haunting the building who is trying to escape. She is enclosed in cement and thinks she is still alive. Rumour has it that the mafia uses the site to dispose of unwanted bodies. (984 Rue Notre Dame Ouest)

37. John Doe Pub.

The John Doe is another haunted pub, albeit one that burned down recently during a 5-alarm fire. Many people, including a group of mediums, have described bizarre happenings inside, especially on the third floor where the comedy club was located. Staff saw spirits on the staircases and heard disembodied voices. Lights flickered, doors locked and unlocked themselves and glass-racks rattled for no particular reason. At other times, staff found the faucets running when they were positive the taps were closed. Once a dishwasher spotted a ghostly girl turn on a tap and then vanish into thin air.  The owner, Troy, vows to rebuild his pub and get to the bottom of who or what is haunting his building. For more details, please see Haunted Montreal Blog #39. (1238 Rue Bishop)

38. Joe Beef’s Old Canteen.

During the Victorian Era, Joe Beef’s Canteen was a bustling port-side watering hole, eatery and lodging house that catered to longshoremen, sailors, the down-and-out and the destitute. Governed by former military quartermaster and gruff Irish philanthropist Charles McKiernan, also known as “Joe Beef”, he was known to keep a menagerie of wild animals in the cellar and two human skeletons behind the bar to entertain guests. Following his death in 1889, his ghost was said to return to haunt his old canteen and a fort on St. Helen’s Island. Today, the building sits empty. For more details, please see Haunted Montreal Blog #26. (201–207 Rue de la Commune Ouest)

39. Old Pointe Claire Hotel / Le Pionnier.

In the heart of Pointe Claire Village sits a rambling old structure which until recently housed a bar known as Le Pionnier. The building was originally a bustling hotel that hosted travellers passing through the village or merchants coming to conduct trade. While the hotel has changed hands and names over the decades, one thing remains constant – the old building is rumoured to be haunted. According to several people who have worked in the old hotel, a shadowy figure is known to terrify people on the building’s creepy third floor. In early 2019, the building was sold to condo developers who wish to demolish it.  For more details, please see Haunted Montreal Blog #8. (286 Rue Lakeshore, Pointe Claire)

40. Former Restaurant Van Roy

This empty building on Clark Street in Chinatown was once known as Restaurant Van Roy. It was extremely popular with night-clubbers who would often finish the evening here after a night of dancing and partying. The famous salt and pepper pork chop would keep customers coming back again and again. Popular opinion said that a ghost was roaming the premise, specifically in the basement of the establishment where the bathrooms were located. The ghost was known to startle people looking in the bathroom mirrors by appearing behind them. Today, the premise is empty and for rent. (1095 Rue Clark)

With so many haunted pubs and drinking establishments, Montreal is the ideal location to get out and look for some ghosts while enjoying a few drinks with friends! Enjoy your self-guided haunted pub crawl! If you do decide to do it, please feel free to send us an email to tell us about your experience at info@hauntedmontreal.com !

COMPANY NEWS

A very Happy New Year to our readers from Haunted Montreal! In 2019, we are pleased to announce our new paranormal initiative!

After much research and hard work, Haunted Montreal will be launching our new Haunted Pub Crawl on Sunday, February 10!

For full details, including a synopsis, the starting location and schedule, please visit our new webpage! Join us at 3 pm any Sunday of the year for a haunted pub crawl in English! Tickets are now on sale!

Haunted Montreal also offers private tours, including for company outings, school groups, bachelorette parties and all types of gatherings. Please contact info@hauntedmontreal.com to organize a private tour.

We are also pleased to promote a new book called Macabre Montreal.

Written by Mark Leslie and Shayna Krishnasamy, it is a “collection of ghost stories, eerie encounters, and gruesome and ghastly true stories from the second most populous city in Canada.

The authors write:

“Montreal is a city steeped in history and culture, but just beneath the pristine surface of this world-class city lie unsettling stories. Tales shared mostly in whispered tones about eerie phenomena, dark deeds, and disturbing legends that take place in haunted buildings, forgotten graveyards, and haunted pubs. The dark of night reveals a very different city behind its beautiful European-style architecture and cobblestone streets. A city with buried secrets, alleyways that echo with the footsteps of ghostly spectres, memories of ghastly events, and unspeakable criminal acts.”

With the introduction written by Haunted Montreal, Macabre Montreal is a must-read for anyone interested in Montreal’s dark side.

Haunted Montreal would also like to thank all of our clients who attended a ghost walk during the 2018 season or more recently!

If you enjoyed the experience, we encourage you to write a review on our Tripadvisor page, something that helps Haunted Montreal to market its tours. If you have any feedback, please email us at info@hauntedmontreal.com so we can improve our visitor experience.

Lastly, if you would like to receive the Haunted Montreal Blog on the 13th of every month, please sign up to our mailing list on the top right of this page.

Coming up on February 13: St. Joseph’s Oratory

The famous basilica where Saint Brother André once worked and healed the sick is today popular with tourists and pilgrims, but it apparently also has several visitors from beyond the tomb. Some tourists have reported seeing priests in tunics, and when they approached them, the priests suddenly evaporated into thin air. Additionally, it is also said that Saint Brother André himself appears from time to time in the little chapel where his bronzed heart is on display. One rumour has it that the good Saint returns to guard his heart, which was stolen from the Basilica by thieves on Thursday, March 16, 1973 at around 5 p.m. It took the police a full 645 days to recover the missing heart, a scared Catholic relic. Now it is under tighter security, possibly including a sort of holy surveillance provided by Saint Brother André himself.

Donovan King is a postcolonial historian, teacher, tour guide and professional actor. As the founder of Haunted Montreal, he combines his skills to create the best possible Montreal ghost stories, in both writing and theatrical performance. King holds a DEC (Professional Theatre Acting, John Abbot College), BFA (Drama-in-Education, Concordia), B.Ed (History and English Teaching, McGill), MFA (Theatre Studies, University of Calgary) and ACS (Montreal Tourist Guide, Institut de tourisme et d’hôtellerie du Québec).

HAUNTED RESEARCH

It is rumoured that guests attending a trendy nightclub, located at 1234 De La Montagne, can “enjoy some spirits with a spirit.” Once the site of the Joseph C. Wray & Bros. Funeral Home, the building was used for decades by coroners and funeral directors until being sold and vacated in 1970 and converted into a nightclub. Today, all three floors of the nightspot, now known as Club Le Cinq, are reputed to be haunted and various frightening paranormal encounters over the years have solidified the nightclub’s reputation as one of the most haunted buildings in downtown Montreal.

Now a popular place to party at night, this building was originally constructed as a family home in 1859 for a wealthy businessman named David R. Wood.

In the late 1800s the house was purchased by Sir Alexander Tilloch Galt, a politician and a father of Canadian Confederation. Galt had become linked to one of the most prominent Montreal families following his 1848 marriage with Elliott Torrance, daughter of merchant John Torrance. Galt was excited about the prospect of raising a large family, but unfortunately his wife died on May 25, 1850, shortly after giving birth to a son, Elliott. Galt was devastated that he would be unable to raise a large family, so the following year he married his deceased wife’s younger sister, Amy Gordon Torrance. They would go on to have at total of two sons and eight daughters.

In the early 1890s, Galt contracted throat cancer and his health began to fail so he scarcely ever left his residence. In 1893, he had to undergo a tracheotomy, an incision into his windpipe made to relieve an obstruction to his breathing.

Unable to speak, he was forced to communicate with his relatives in writing only. Shortly before dawn on September 19 of the same year Galt perished from the cancer. Two days later, an imposing funeral was held in Mount Royal Cemetery, with the grim service being celebrated in the family home.  His funeral would ultimately foreshadow the future repurposing of the building.

In 1902, the residence was bought funeral directors by Joseph C. Wray & Bros. and converted into a funeral home. It was used for decades as such, handling some of Montreal’s most important burial services for the English Protestant community.

In 1970, the company moved to a new facility on University Street and the funeral home was abandoned. The creepy building would sit empty for the next eight years. Residents whispered rumours about ghosts in the building and it wasn’t long before the empty old funeral home began taking on a reputation as a haunted house.

In 1978, the abandoned funeral home was finally re-purposed and converted into an elegant nightclub, a vocation it still holds to this day. Over the years, 1234 De La Montagne has hosted celebrities including Mick Jagger, Boy George, Louis Vega and the cast of Cirque du Soleil. While the names of the clubs have changed many times – Club L’Esprit, Club 1234, World Beat Complex and now Club Le Cinq – there is one thing that remains constant – the building is definitely said to be haunted. Indeed, all three floors of the nightclub are reputed to host spirits and paranormal activity.

Starting in the basement, that is the location of the infamous ladies’ washroom, which is in the same area where the funeral home’s mortuary used to be. Patrons sometimes encounter a terrifying ghostly woman with a jagged scar running the length her chest that appears to be the handiwork of a mortician. Over the years, there have been many terrifying encounters with this ghost. As such, female clients are often warned never to enter this bathroom alone.

On the ground floor, where the bars and dance-floor are located, during one renovation between nightclubs, workers saw a large ball of light floating through the air towards them. When they complained to the owner, he dismissed their concerns.

However, later that evening the owner dropped by to check on how the work was progressing and he noticed a tall, beautiful woman standing by the bar, with her face turned away.

Given the establishment wasn’t open to the public yet, the owner was intrigued. He approached her, sat on a nearby bar stool, and then asked if he could be of help.

The slender woman turned around and the owner almost fell off his stool. The woman had no face – it was as though it had been surgically removed. In a state of panic, the owner freaked out and bolted from the establishment, leaving the renovations unfinished.

Also on the ground level, a mysterious table near the coat check area has been known to fling itself across the room in the past. It is rumoured to be in the same location as the table that was used for cosmetic touches before putting corpses on display at funerals.

Upstairs, there are also reports that the attic is haunted. From the street, people used to report seeing the image of a creepy, spectral woman in the attic’s dusty window. Apparently that is the main reason the windows were recently boarded up.

The attic is strictly off-limits, but sometimes people go there by mistake or out of curiosity. Once, three staff members entered on a dare, but bolted when they saw something floating near the wall. In another case, a celebrity’s bodyguard went up by mistake. He felt an invisible presence sitting nearby and reported that every hair on his body stood up. He felt as though he was intruding, so left immediately. It took almost a week for his goose bumps to subside.

In one frightening instance that occurred around 2005, a drunken girl was warned by staff not to go into the attic. Ignoring the warning, when staff had their backs turned, she went anyway. A few minutes later, people heard a loud, hysterical screaming. Hollering at the top of her lungs, the girl dove out of the attic window facing the street and then jumped off the balcony, in a state of complete terror. Luckily, the bouncers below were able to catch her. They tried to calm her down, but were unable to. The girl had to be taken away in an ambulance.

According to one witness: “I used to bartend at 1234 when it first opened, from the Fall of 2004 until the Fall of 2006. I was there that night when the girl jumped out of the window. Yes, a bouncer caught her and brought her in. She was SCREAMING out of the top of her lungs, she didn’t stop, not even when the police and the ambulance put her on a stretcher. We were all freaking out – I thought she was possessed for a second – I never saw anyone scream like that. It was definitely that she saw something that scared her to her very core. What was it? Who knows?”

With so many frightening stories emerging from the nightclub, it wasn’t long before paranormal investigators began to take an interest into the alleged hauntings in the old funeral home.

In 2004, a Canadian television show called Creepy Canada featured the nightclub in its Season 2, Episode 10. The episode is simply titled 1234 De La Montagne (runs 22:05 – 30:05). In the video, Creepy Canada host Terry Boyle explains that the club has “a particularly menacing haunting,” suggesting: “These are not passive ghosts but aggressive apparitions whose physical appearance embodies our darkest fears.”

In the episode, Magali Brotons of Le Spectre de Montréal mentions unsubstantiated rumours of necrophilia within the mortuary that began to circulate when the old funeral home closed. She speculated that the corpses stored in the old mortuary may have suffered deranged indignities. Based on this information, Terry Boyle suggested: “Perhaps the spirits of those people whose bodies were defiled have not been able to rest in peace.”

The episode recounted the ghosts of mutilated women who had been autopsied and their terrifying encounters with both employees and guests of the nightclub.

When the club was re-bapitized as the World Beat Complex after being abandoned for several years, the new owners attempted to do something about the ghosts. According to then staff member Monica Wizinski, following her bizarre encounter with a floating orb, a professional witch was brought into the nightclub to try and exorcise the spirits. The witch performed some cleansing ceremonies, and while Monica Wizinski believes this helped lessen the number of ghosts, she is also pretty certain some of the spirits remained. She said: “I think that there will always be ghosts that feel at home here and that they’re going to always be here.”

Meanwhile, in 2010, ghost hunter André Robitaille investigated the site, then known as Club 1234, for a television show in French called “Rencontres Paranormales” (translation: Paranormal Encounters).

After being invited to the club by the owner DJ MC Mario, André Robitaille asked medium Roger Mainville to conduct a paranormal investigation. DJ MC Mario was perplexed because he had experienced paranormal activity within the building while with his wife Sandrine. In addition to witnessing doors opening and closing on their own accord, the couple heard the disembodied voice of a 10-12 year old girl singing. DJ MC Mario invited the paranormal investigators because he wanted to know if his nightclub could co-exist in peace with the ghosts. At first he was a non-believer in the paranormal, but after he purchased the club he began to experience the inexplicable. He said: “I can’t explain it. I don’t know what it is, but there is something there.”

Paracontacts, the 12 person team tasked with the investigation, included both believers in the paranormal and sceptics. Using ghost-hunting tools such as EMF Readers and digital cameras, the team set out to investigate the ladies’ washroom. In one photo, the image of a spectral woman’s face appeared.

Some members of the team then engaged in a round of table-turning, a type of séance where participants sit around a table, place their hands on it, and wait for it to move. Used like a Ouija board, participants vocalize questions to prompt the table to respond.

By all appearances, the team was able to communicate with various ghosts, including members of the Galt family who lived there in the late 1800s. They had a paranormal conversation with the spirit of Sir Alexander Tilloch Galt’s first wife. Apparently she is unhappy because the activity from the nightclub, which she considers taboo, is disturbing her young daughter, who also haunts the building. Still at the table, the team from Paracontacts actually made a deal with the ghost: if the club owner started every evening by playing Mozart, the ghosts would leave the living alone! DJ MC Mario readily agreed and proceeded to play Mozart every night as the club opened. As though the ghost of Galt’s first wife was satisfied with the arrangement, the table began dancing to Mozart’s Requiem as the team from Paracontacts channelled the spirits.

However, despite these reassuring signs that the ghosts could co-exist with the nightclub in peace, Club 1234 was shuttered in February 2013, only to be re-baptized a few months later as Club Le Cinq, the current incarnation of the nightclub in the old funeral home. Whether or not any more strange and frightening stories have emerged since the club changed names is unknown at this time.

There are many theories about the ghosts haunting the nightclub, from members of the city’s past wealthy elite to the unfortunate souls who received autopsies, and possibly worse, when the building was a popular funeral home. While there is much speculation about who or what is haunting the old funeral home-cum-nightclub, one thing remains certain: the nightspot is also a hotspot for the paranormal. By all appearances, this is one of the most haunted buildings in Downtown Montreal.

COMPANY NEWS

The Haunted Montreal public season of ghost tours is now open, with Haunted Griffintown and Haunted Mountain being offered in both English and French. From August to October 7, Haunted Griffintown is being offered on Friday nights and Haunted Mountain is on Saturday nights.

There are also many extra tours that have been added on Mount Royal in French due to high demand.

For the Hallowe’en Season, running Friday October 13th to Hallowe’en and beyond, Haunted Montreal is pleased to announce a gamut of activities! For the first time ever, we are offering all three of our ghost tours in both languages on different nights. Tours in English start at 8:30 p.m.

Friday, October 13               Haunted Griffintown

Saturday, October 14          Haunted Mountain

Sunday, October 15             Haunted Downtown

Friday, October 20               Haunted Griffintown

Saturday, October 21          Haunted Mountain

Sunday, October 22             Haunted Downtown

Friday, October 27               Haunted Griffintown

Saturday, October 28          Haunted Mountain

Sunday, October 29             Haunted Downtown

Monday, October 30            Haunted Downtown

Tuesday, October 31           Haunted Downtown

Friday, November 3             Haunted Griffintown

Saturday, November 4        Haunted Mountain

Sunday, November 5          Haunted Downtown

We have also been busy helping establish a new company called Secret Montreal! The new enterprise has taken over the Haunted Red Light District Ghost Walk and also offers a brand new Montreal Burlesque Walking Tour that is being led by real burlesque queens!

The Haunted Red Light District Ghost Walk is being offered in both languages on Friday nights. For the Hallow’en Season, tours will run from Thursday, October 26 to Tuesday, October 31st.

Secret Montreal plans to develop other tours in the future that delve into the city’s fascinating past with a focus on hidden history.

For details on Secret Montreal and its walking tours, please visit the Secret Montreal website.

Lastly, a big thank you to all of our clients who attended a Haunted Montreal ghost walk! If you enjoyed the experience, we encourage you to write a review on our Tripadvisor page, something that helps Haunted Montreal to market its tours. Furthermore, if you would like to receive the Haunted Montreal Blog on the 13th of every month, please sign up to our mailing list.

Coming up on Friday, October 13th: Harry Houdini’s Ghost

Harry Houdini, once the world’s greatest magician, died on Hallowe’en in 1926 after an incident in Montreal. Houdini met his fate on the afternoon of October 22, 1926 while relaxing in his dressing room at Montreal’s Princess Theatre on Sainte Catherine Street. He was visited by two McGill students who were curious about his alleged magical powers. One student named J. Gordon Whitehead asked Houdini if it was true that he could withstand any punch to the stomach, as the magician had previously proclaimed. Houdini said yes, prompting the young man to deliver a series of punches before the magician could tighten his muscles. With a ruptured appendix, Houdini’s health began to quickly fail. He attempted to continue touring, but was soon on his death bed in a hospital in Detroit. Just before he passed away, he promised his wife he would send a message from beyond the grave if possible. Since then, a séance has been held every year somewhere in the world to try and communicate with Houdini’s ghost. Our special Friday October 13th edition explores Houdini’s connection to Montreal and rumors that his ghost still haunts the city.

Donovan King is a historian, teacher, tour guide and professional actor. As the founder of Haunted Montreal, he combines his skills to create the best possible Montreal ghost stories, in both writing and theatrical performance. King holds a DEC (Professional Theatre Acting, John Abbot College), BFA (Drama-in-Education, Concordia), B.Ed (History and English Teaching, McGill), MFA (Theatre Studies, University of Calgary) and ACS (Montreal Tourist Guide, Institut de tourisme et d’hôtellerie du Québec).