Haunted Chateau Laurier Hotel
Ghost Sightings at Canada’s Capital City, Ottawa, Ontario
Standing between Parliament Hill and the Ottawa River, the stately Chateau Laurier Hotel remains home to its founder who died before construction was completed.
History of the Chateau Laurier Hotel
The Chateau was commissioned by Charles Melville Hays who was the General Manager of the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway of Canada. The Chateau Laurier was the first hotel built in the chain of Canadian Pacific hotels. Other well-known hotels in the chain are the Banff Springs Hotel and the Chateau Lake Louise in Alberta, the Empress Hotel in Victoria, the Hotel Vancouver the Royal York Hotel in Toronto, and the Chateau Frontenac in Quebec City.
The Château Laurier was opened on June 12, 1912, by its namesake Sir Wilfrid Laurier. It is fashioned in French Renaissance style using granite blocks for the base, limestone for the walls and copper for the peaked roof. Throughout the years, secret political meetings have been held behind closed doors away from the Parliament Buildings. The hotel has been visited by celebrities such as James Cagney, Shirley Temple, Harry Belafonte, Marlene Deitrich, Roger Moore, Karen Kain, and Bryan Adams.
One-hour guided tours of the hotel are available where guests can admire the opulence of the Chateau Laurier.
Haunting of the Chateau Laurier Hotel
Charles Melville Hays who commissioned the hotel had gone over to Europe in order to choose furniture for the hotel’s dining room. Unfortunately, his return trip was on the Titanic which sank on April 14, 1912, which was 12 days before the scheduled opening of the Chateau Laurier. The only surviving male in his party was sculptor Paul Chevre who created a bust of Prime Minister Sir Wilfrid Laurier. Hay’s wife Clara and all the women in his party survived.
Hotel guests and staff have seen the ghost of a male who resembles Charles Melville Hays. It is understandable why his spirit wants to stay grounded in the Chateau Laurier. This project was very important to him and he never lived to see the grand opening.
Staff and guests have heard noises such as rattling and shaking inside the Chateau Laurier. There has also been the sighting of the ghost of a little girl. On another occasion, a woman fled from her room in panic because objects began moving around her room at their own will.
Many guests have had the eerie feeling of being watched as soon as they enter the hotel. It is also alleged that a guest from the media was accosted by a ghost in a stairwell.
Ghost Walk in Ottawa
There are several ghost walking tours in Ottawa offered by Haunted Walks Inc. The Original Haunted Walk is 90 minutes in duration and visits include the Chateau Laurier as well as the Bytown Museum. The tour guides have lots of good stories to tell and maybe a skeptic will turn into a believer.
