With over 250 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!

We are also pleased to announce that all of our ghost tours are now operating and tickets are on sale! These include Haunted Mountain, Haunted Griffintown, Haunted Downtown and the new Haunted Pub Crawl!

Our May blog examines “The Savannah Ghost”, a very personal ghost story by yours truly, Donovan King, the founder of Haunted Montreal. It is the true tale of how I may have picked up something paranormal in “America’s Most Haunted City” and brought it back to Montreal where it would wreak havoc on my life for several months until an Irish priest was able to expel whatever it was that was haunting me.

HAUNTED RESEARCH

The Savannah Ghost is a personal ghost story and it is difficult to tell. However, telling it is certainly better than leaving it buried.

One of the challenges of running a tour company in Montreal is the long and brutal winters, which are far too unpleasant to conduct regular walking tours.

Not wanting our actors to suffer through long periods of storytelling isolation, for years I have been seeking a winter solution. I had heard of haunted pub crawls existing in Deep South American cities such as Charleston, Savannah and New Orleans.

I decided that I needed to learn more first hand, so in December of 2017 I visited both Charleston, South Carolina and Savannah, Georgia, “America’s Most Haunted City” to research haunted pub crawls.

Savannah has a bloody, oppressive and somber history. From the settling of Savannah by British colonists in 1733 until the start of the Civil War, Georgia’s first city was heavily dependent on slave labor and the bustling port played an integral role in the oppressive Atlantic slave trade. It has also witnessed pirates, brutal battles during the Civil War, deadly waves of yellow fever and other epidemics, devastating fires and hurricanes, lynchings and deranged murders.

With much of Savannah being built on burial grounds, including shallow and unmarked slave cemeteries, there can be no denying that it has an extremely haunted feel about it. The moss-draped oak trees and beautiful, nineteenth century Antebellum mansions are the perfect background for the numerous haunted activities, including ghost walks, pub crawls, bus tours and hearse rides! 

This being a haunted research trip, I booked a room in one of the most haunted lodgings in historic Savannah, the 17Hundred90 Inn, for approximately a week. My room was in a large and stately building behind the main hotel, and was airy, comfortable and luxurious. It included a King-sized bed, antique furniture, tasteful artwork and even a Jacuzzi hot tub.

According to the inn’s website, there are at least three ghosts who are believed to haunt the inn: the spirit of a boy named Thaddeus, the ghost of a young lady named Anna, and a nasty, voodoo-practicing kitchen worker’s apparition.

The first spirit, that of a boy named Thaddeus, is sometimes seen on the ground floor in the restaurant and pub. According to the website: “Thaddeus leaves shiny pennies lying on the tables, bar and the desk.  He too is a friendly spirit who is sometimes experienced as a warm unexplainable presence.”

The second ghost is the most well-known at the inn. Known only as Anna, the spirit of this young woman is said to haunt Room 204. This ghost is so popular that the inn actually charges more per night to stay in the haunted room.

According to the inn’s promotional materials:  “Guests staying in room 204 frequently report strange happenings such as jewelry or clothing being mysteriously moved from one place to the other.  Some have experienced being nudged or having bed covers moved. She always seems to be a friendly spirit yet always wanting to make her presence known.”

According to folklore, in the early 1800s, Anna was a bride of an arranged marriage. Her elderly husband made her life a misery. As a businessman, he ran the inn and was also involved in Savannah’s shipping business.

Not only would Anna have to clean the inn and serve its clients, but she also had to be at the port every morning at sunrise to fill out important paperwork related to her husband’s import and export business.

As the story goes, one fine morning she met a handsome sailor in the port and they fell immediately in love. The sailor invited her to elope with him aboard the ship, which was departing the following day and she excitedly agreed.

Unfortunately, that evening her husband overheard some drunken sailors speaking about the plan. Enraged, he vowed that his young bride would never carry out her disloyal scheme.

Just before sunrise the next morning, Anna is said to have thrown herself to her own death from a third floor window onto the brick courtyard below. Rumours circulated that she had jumped because her husband forbade her to go to the port that morning because he knew of her plan to abandon him.

Others whispered that she had probably been pushed out the window by her jealous husband. While the details of the story have blurred with time, what everyone can agree on is that Anna died after tumbling from the third story window. The innkeepers actually placed a life-size doll of her behind the curtains on the third floor to promote the inn as a haunted destination.

Anna’s ghost seems to enjoy messing with people and their belongings. Guests staying in Room 204 frequently report strange happenings such as jewelry or clothing being mysteriously moved from one place to the other. People have also said they feel the presence of Anna while staying in the room. Sometimes after turning off the lights, guests hear the sobs of a woman emanating from the corners of Room 204.

In 2009, actress/singer Miley Cyrus Tweeted about her encounter with Anna’s ghost. The celebrity and her mother stayed in Room 204 while Cyrus was shooting The Last Song on nearby Tybee Island. Anna reportedly left a hand print on Miley’s boot.

In addition, there are dozens of confirmed ghostly encounters with Anna written in the inn’s guestbook and on travel websites such as Tripadvisor. For example, one guest wrote:

“I stayed in the room haunted by Anna and boy was it an experience. Shadows and footsteps were frequent. The tv glitched up. My partner’s computer stopped working while there and worked as soon as we left. Bangs outside the room. Something got into bed with us and this is probably the creepiest thing. I sleep on the end of the bed at home but while here I kept feeling like something was pushing me to get into bed. Then it felt like I was being touched and my partner felt something grab their foot. Amazing experience that you can read about in the guest book on June 25!”

Needless to say, Room 204 is very popular with those daring visitors who come to Savannah hoping for a ghostly encounter. The innkeepers were kind enough to give me a personal tour of the infamous room when they heard about my research.

The third and final ghost reported at the 17Hundred90 is said to be a Voodoo practitioner who seems to haunt the inn’s kitchen. This ghost is much more sinister in nature than the other two. There are reports of kitchen staff suddenly hearing the clinking sound of metal bracelets, which is often followed by pots and pans being tossed about or spice jars being thrown at unsuspecting kitchen workers.

In addition to the pots being thrown, people have been pushed or touched by invisible hands, and pranks have been pulled on staff who are working in or around the kitchen. Staff members working late at night in the area of the bar or kitchen have had many unnerving things happen to them.

The staff believes this is the ghost of a servant who used to serve the inn. The woman in question was believed to be a practitioner of Voodoo, and the clanging bracelets are believed to be connected to her rituals. 

Many Savannah ghost stories are covered on the Haunted History TV program and in many other videos, podcasts, and media.

Returning to my purpose of visiting Savannah, to learn about the concept of haunted pub crawls in order to create one for Montreal’s winter months, I had the great pleasure of attending several different ghostly bar hops.

I was particularly thrilled when Gregory Proffitt, creator of the haunted pub crawl concept, agreed to meet with me at his favourite watering hole, the Six Pence Pub.

Gregory regaled me with stories from his life in the coast guard and then as a horse and carriage guide in Savannah. Realizing he could make extra money at night from his carriage clients, he began inviting them to hear ghost stories in local pubs in the evening. Seeing the potential to expand the concept, Gregory Proffit went on to found the Creepy Crawl in Savannah over a decade ago.

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, and now exist in dozens of cities across the planet.

While Dublin City, Ireland has around 15 haunted pubs and Savannah, Georgia, 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.

Knowing that the haunted pub crawl concept would be an ideal fit for Montreal’s long winter months, I set to work studying the dynamics and logistics behind these curious activities. I attended four different haunted pub crawls, two ghost walks, a hearse tour and a haunted bus tour. I had the pleasure of hearing some local ghost stories from my good friend Victor Boyle, who has a home in Savannah.

My usual routine was to sit by the inn’s fireplace and do some research and writing during the day, whereas at night I would attend a haunted event. I got to know the inn’s staff quite well and they told me to make myself at home and to help myself to coffee from the kitchen whenever I wanted some. It was a comfortable and personal office and an ideal place to work in cozy quietude.

One afternoon, I went into the kitchen to refill my coffee cup. Standing there alone, pouring hot java into my mug, I had an intense feeling that someone – or something – was staring at my back. When I spun around, nobody was present. Suddenly I heard a loud clanging noise and I nearly jumped out of my skin!

I whirled around and saw that three metal pots, which had been on the kitchen counter waiting to be used to prepare the evening meal, were rolling around on the floor, creating a metallic echo throughout in the kitchen.

I suddenly felt a burning flash in my brain, like the rapid onset of a bad headache.

I quickly left the kitchen with my coffee and returned to my table by the fireplace. While shaken, I was soon immersed again in my work, feeling quite disturbed.

As the days passed carrying out my research, including the pub crawls and the ghosts haunting the 17Hundred90 Inn, I began to feel more and more uneasy. Some nights, I had trouble sleeping, despite my luxurious room. I was utterly stunned one day when it actually snowed in Savannah, effectively shutting down the whole city.

The inn’s staff jokingly blamed me for bringing the weather with me from Quebec.

There was something both sad and beautiful seeing Savannah draped in a layer of white snow, and I spent the day taking photographs of this unusual occurrence.

I passed the New Year in good company at an Irish pub, but there was a lingering feeling inside me, a negative and alienating feeling of being alone even though I was surrounded by excited revelers.

When it was time to return to the snowy depths of Montreal in early January, these foreboding feelings followed me onto the plane and continued haunting me in Montreal. Sleepless nights. Lingering anxiety. A deep sense that something was very, very wrong. I began to suspect that I had brought something paranormal back with me from Savannah.

It was the beginning of a downward spiral, a descent into a dark pit of depression and anxiety. By February, I had reached out to family and medical professionals to explain my situation and seek help.

In March, just after St. Patrick’s Day, I reached a point so low that I could no longer continue working as a teacher, historian, businessperson or tour guide. I shuttered Haunted Montreal right before the start of the season. I had been transformed into what author Tim Lott describes as a “Half-living ghost“:

“For a start, it can produce symptoms similar to Alzheimer’s – forgetfulness, confusion and disorientation. Making even the smallest decisions can be agonizing. It can affect not just the mind but also the body – I start to stumble when I walk, or become unable to walk in a straight line. I am more clumsy and accident-prone. In depression you become, in your head, two-dimensional – like a drawing rather than a living, breathing creature. You cannot conjure your actual personality, which you can remember only vaguely, in a theoretical sense. You live in, or close to, a state of perpetual fear, although you are not sure what it is you are afraid of.”

The author, himself a victim of the illness on occasion, continues:

“Inside, there is a dark storm. Sometimes you may have the overwhelming desire to stand in the street and scream at the top of your voice, for no particular reason (the writer Andrew Solomon described it as “like wanting to vomit but not having a mouth”).”

This dark and horrifying experience would completely derail my life for several months.

With the devoted support of family, friends and medical professionals, by the month of June I was able to start plotting my escape from the Pit of Hell I had fallen into. Then living with very supportive family members, one of the very best therapies for recovery was building a rock garden on my mother’s property in Malone, New York.

By early July, while still shaky, I was able to return to Montreal. My incredible business partner, Caitie Moynan, rebooted Haunted Montreal on Friday, the 13th of July, 2018, to great fanfare. Even though I still couldn’t work at that time, Caitie arranged other actors to lead the haunted tours so I could continue my recovery.

On July 26, 2018, Caitie and I attended the annual Mass in Saint Ann’s Park as part of our work with Irish Montreal Excursions, our sister company devoted to the history of the Irish in Montreal. Set on the site of the ruins of Griffintown’s once bustling Saint Ann’s Church, the event is held once a year on the Feast of Saint Ann. It is a reunion, as all of the old parishioners who are still living celebrate Catholic Mass and remember the old days before their neighbourhood was destroyed by Mayor Jean Drapeau.

In 1963, Mayor Drapeau re-zoned the Griff from residential to industrial and city workers began tearing down dwellings. Over 70,000 Griffintowners departed their beloved ‘hood until less than 1,000 remained, in just the span of a few short years. Saint Ann’s Church was demolished in 1970 after the neighborhood could no longer support a parish.

Led by the venerable Father McCrory of Saint Gabriel’s Parish, in Pointe Saint Charles, the elderly parishioners attended the service within the ruins of their glorious old church. It was at this sacred location where for decades Griffintowners had attended religious services, community meetings, lively weddings, somber funerals and confessed their deepest sins within the church’s confessional booths.

Following the service, I approached the good Father and asked him for a blessing, explaining my unfortunate situation. Father McCrory appeared very concerned and worked his skills. Miraculously, he was somehow able to expel whatever it was that was haunting me.

Indeed, immediately after his blessing, I felt back to my normal self, after half a year of pure anguish.

Looking back on the situation now, I often wonder what paranormal entity might have placed this curse on me or followed me home from Savannah. Reviewing all the ghosts I had studied in that most haunted of cities, my best guess is that it was the ghost of the Voodoo-practicing kitchen worker at the haunted 17Hundred90 Inn. Simply put, I should never have entered that cursed kitchen knowing full well that a dangerous spirit inhabited the place. And to think it was all for a cup of coffee.

In any case, since this disturbing episode, I am happy to report that everything is back to normal in my life. Haunted Montreal is open for business. I returned to teaching my students, and I got to work creating the Haunted Montreal Pub Crawl, based on all my research in Savannah.

In January, I launched Montreal’s first-ever haunted pub crawl, and it has been selling out almost every week since! Inspired by Gregory Proffit’s Guide to the Haunted Pubs of Savannah, I also blogged a list and short description of many of Montreal’s haunted watering holes, where guests can enjoy some spirits – with a spirit!

Even though this ghost story has a not unhappy ending, reflecting upon it I have three important observations.

Firstly, when visiting haunted locations it is a good idea to take precautions, such as visiting with an experienced guide, avoiding cursed places and bringing as much spiritual protection as possible.

Secondly, it is extremely important to reach out for help when in a state of mental distress. These terrifying states will eventually pass, especially with the right approaches and treatments.

And last but not least, there is a terrible stigma surrounding mental health issues, even though the medical profession agrees that both physical and mental illnesses are normal and treatable. While a patient suffering from cancer will often be surrounded by flowers and family members, those suffering from mental illnesses rarely receive such support. This is why it is important to break the stigma, which would help enormously in the recovery process.

Mental health issues haunt a large percentage of the Canadian population. In any given year, 1 in 5 people will personally experience a mental health problem or illness. By age 40, about 50% of the population will have experienced a mental illness. The results are both devastating personally and do extreme damage to the economy. The cost to Canada is at least a staggering $50 billion per year. By breaking the stigma, all of these grim statistics could be considerably lowered.

During my crisis, I was especially reassured when a loyal Haunted Montreal client reached out to me in empathy and said: “You are not alone.” When another friend sent me flowers on my return to Montreal, it really brightened my mood.

Since this terrifying episode, I have decided to become a mental health advocate to help break the stigma. I believe that we can improve general conditions for recovering sufferers to help deal with whatever demons are haunting their minds.

Where to get help:

Canada Suicide Prevention Service

Toll-free 1-833-456-4566

Text: 45645

Chat: crisisservicescanada.ca

In French: Association québécoise de prévention du suicide: 1-866-APPELLE (1-866-277-3553)

Kids Help Phone: 1-800-668-6868 (Phone), Live Chat counselling at www.kidshelpphone.ca

Canadian Association for Suicide Prevention: Find a 24-hour crisis centre

COMPANY NEWS

Haunted Montreal is pleased to announce that our public season of ghost tours is in full operation! These include Haunted Mountain, Haunted Griffintown, Haunted Downtown and the new Haunted Pub Crawl! Tickets are on sale!

Our new Haunted Pub Crawl is led by a professional ghost storyteller and visits three haunted bars. Starting at McKibbin’s Irish Pub in Downtown Montreal on Bishop Street, guests not only learn about many of the haunted drinking establishments in the city, but also hear Montreal’s most infamous ghost stories.

While sipping suds, guests enjoy haunted pubs, spine-tingling Montreal ghost stories and learn about the historical forces that transformed the ancient Indigenous island of Tiotà:ke into Ville-Marie, an austere French colony founded by Catholic evangelists.

After the British invaded, the city became a booming financial center and crime hub, a site of violent rebellion and subversive revolution and finally into Canada’s most haunted city.

Clients hear the paranormal tales behind mysterious McKibbin’s Irish Pub, the famous Sir Winston Churchill, funeral-home-cum-discotheque Club Le Cinq and, of course, Hurley’s Irish Pub, where a ghost known only as the Burning Lady haunts the establishment.

The ghost storyteller regales guests with Montreal’s most deranged and infamous ghost stories, including Simon McTavish, a Scottish fur baron known to toboggan down the slopes of Mount Royal in his own coffin, the ghost of John Easton Mills, Montreal’s Martyr Mayor who perished while tending to typhus-stricken Irish refugees during the Famine of 1847, and Headless Mary, the ghost of a Griffintown prostitute who was decapitated by her best friend in the shantytown in 1879. She returns every 7 years to the corner of William and Murray Streets, still looking for her head!

Join Haunted Montreal on this unforgettable pub crawl, where you can drink some spirits with a spirit, all the while learning about the city’s deranged history and hearing spine-tingling local ghost stories!

For full details, including a description, the starting location and schedule, please visit our web page! Join us at 3 pm any Sunday of the year for a haunted pub crawl in English or at 4 pm in French! Tickets are now on sale!

Haunted Montreal also offers private tours and pub crawls 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 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 or haunted pub crawl 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 June 13: The Ghost of Mary Gallagher

Montreal’s most infamous ghost is that of beheaded Griffintown prostitute Mary Gallagher. Brutally murdered in 1879 in her best friend Suzy Kennedy’s flat on the corner of William and Murray streets in the Griff, the police found Mary Gallagher’s corpse hacked apart next to the stove in a large pool of blood. Her decapitated head was found in an ash bucket, staring up at the ceiling. Both Suzy and a john named Michael Flanagan were arrested and charged with murder. The legal case raised a stir among Montreal’s citizens at the time, especially when Flanagan was found innocent due to a lack of evidence and Suzy was sentenced to hang. To this day, it is said that Mary Gallagher’s ghost returns to Montreal’s most haunted street corner – William and Murray – every seven years. According to the legend, the reason she returns is because she is still looking for her head. Her next scheduled appearance is coming very soon – on June 27th, 2019, to be exact! Stay tuned for Haunted Montreal’s special plans to commemorate her ghostly reappearance!

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).

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).