E35 – Haunted Legends of the Canadian Rockies
We are back with another episode of the Addi Files! Join me as we explore the haunted legends of the Canadian Rockies. In this spine-tingling adventure, we’ll be uncovering the ghostly tales of the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel. From the haunting presence of the Ghost Bride to the vanished room 873, this hotel is brimming with paranormal activity. But that’s not all, folks! We’ll also be venturing into the Heritage Park Historical Village, where strange occurrences and apparitions have been reported in the Prince House and the Canmore Opera House. So, are you ready to embark on a journey into the supernatural and unravel the mysteries of the Canadian Rockies? You read? Let’s Roam.
Transcript
Here is a transcript of the podcast. Please remember this was done via AI, so there are typos and mistakes.
Beth 0:06
Welcome to the roaming Yeti podcast. I’m your host and Head Yeti Beth Schillaci. And we are diving into the Addi files this week. The Addi files are when I want to dig a little deeper into a topic and don’t have an expert available. So I send our agent Addi, our favorite Yeti mascot out to investigate and bring back her findings. Welcome to the Yeti files. So after interviewing Pat about the Canadian Rockies, I uncovered a story about a haunted hotel. So once again, I set out to learn more. She did a research and put together her field notes which I will share with you now. Are you ready? Let’s Roam. The hotel I originally heard about was the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel. But as you dug a little further and uncovered some other haunted tales of the Canadian Rockies. But let’s start with the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel. That’s a mouthful. This hotel is often associated with various ghost stories, and is rumored to be haunted. And over the years numerous guests and staff members have reported experiencing strange occurrences and paranormal activities within the hotels halls and rooms. Some of the most commonly reported ghostly encounters include the story of the ghost bride. It’s one of the more famous at the hotel, and it’s definitely one of the most enduring legends there as well. The tale revolves around a mysterious apparition of a young bride, who is said to haunt the property. According to the legend, the ghost bride was a young woman who was preparing for her wedding day at the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel. As the story goes, she was wearing her wedding gown and descending the hotel’s grand staircase when she accidentally tripped and fell to her death. The exact circumstances surrounding her fall and the reason for her death vary in different versions of the legend. But since her tragic demise, guests and hotel staff have reported witnessing the ghostly figure dressed in flowing white wedding gown wandering the halls and the ballrooms of the hotel, she is described as beautiful and some people claimed to have seen her dancing alone in the hotel’s ballroom. The ghost brides appearances are sporadic, apparently and she seems to appear and disappear without any clear pattern. Some believe her spirit remains restless, possibly seeking closure or a connection to her unfinished wedding day. And over the years, the legend of the ghost bride has become a part of the hotel’s history and lore, adding an air of mystery and intrigue to the bamps Springs hotels already kept a captivating ambiance. Tourists and guests often visit the hotel hoping to catch a glimpse of the elusive apparition. So that one’s you know, sort of like that ghost story. It’s a sort of typical one. This one sort of freaks me out I’m not gonna lie. I’m the story of room 873 at the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel. It’s another intriguing and mysterious legend associated with the the hotel. According to the tale, room 873 Was a guest room on the eighth floor. As the story goes of family of three consisting consisting of a mother, father and young girl checked into room 873 Many years ago. Tragically, something terrible happened within the room, leading to the entire family’s death. The exact details of the incident vary in different versions of the legend legend, but it is generally believed that a murder suicide situation occurred in the room. So after the tragic event, the hotel management decided to seal off room 873 intending to erase any reminder of its dark history. If that’s the problem that bothers me the most is that we’re like we’re just gonna pretend it didn’t happen. However, even after the room was closed and the door was bricked up, strange occurrences were reported in the hallway outside the former room 873 guest and staff claimed to hear unexplained sounds witnessed ghostly apparitions and experienced other eerie happenings. Over time the hotel decided to remove the bricked up section of the hallway but did not reopen the room. Instead, they redesigned the area and incorporated incorporated the space into the hallway. Today room 873 no longer exists and the hallway looks exactly like any other corridor in the hallway. Despite the rooms physical disappearance the legend of 873 and the eerie occurrences in the hallway have endured over the year. Again, it’s one of the most enduring ghost stories along with the ghost bride. And one last ghost story here at the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel. might be one of my favorite ghost stories I’ve ever heard. This one is sort of fun and actually sweet. The story of Sam the bell man, he’s another popular popular ghost legend a Sodhi. associated with the historic hotel. The tail revolves around a friendly and helpful Bellman named Sam, who is said to have left a lasting presence at the hotel. Sam was a real person who worked as a Bellman at the hotel in the early 20th century. He was known for his exceptional customer service, warmth, personality and dedication to his job. gustan staff admired him for his kindness and willingness to assist anyone in need. According to the legend, Sam loved his job so much, that even after his passing, his spirit continued to wander the hotel halls, helping guests with their luggage and assisting. when needed. Numerous guests and employees have reported encounters with a friendly Bellman dressed in vintage attire, whom they believe to be the ghost of Sam. Guests often recount stories of being helped by Sam only to turn around and find out that he has disappeared without a trace. Some have claimed that Sam opens doors for them, and even assist them with the luggage. And when they turn to tip him he manages before their eyes. The Legend of Sam the Bellman has become an integral part of the hotel’s folklore adding to the reputation of one of Canada’s most haunted hotels. Like I said, it’s just I don’t know, I think it’s sweet that he’s still he still is doing his job and helping people and he’s sort of like Casper the Friendly Ghost kind of situation. Because me haunted mansion vibes that many visitors come to the hotel hoping to encounter the Friendly Ghost and experience the warmth of Sam in addition to Fairmont Banff Springs hotels, other gas guest also found another sort of haunted area along the Canadian Rockies is the Heritage Park historical village, which is located in Calgary, Alberta. It is a living history museum that preserves and showcases the history of Western Canada. And the park features historic buildings artifacts and has costumed interpreters who bring the past to life. And while Heritage Park primarily focuses on the region’s history, it has also gained a reputation for being haunted, with several ghost stories associated with its various buildings. Here are a few of the ghost stories and rumored haunted locations at Heritage Park. The prints house on the Eau Claire sawmill was a historical sawmill located in Calgary, Alberta along the banks of the Bow River, and the sawmill played a significant role in the early development of Calgary as a settlement and helped facilitate the growth of the city by providing lumber for construction and various industries. Peter Prince built and manage the sawmill. He was very successful in business but experienced a lot of loss in his personal life. He lost Margaret his first life to diabetes, his second wife Emma to Tuberculosis. Tuberculosis. didn’t say that right? And Rosa, his third wife to cancer. Emily, his fourth wife did outlive him. It is said though that his previous wives haunt the prince house. To this day. There have been reports of strange occurrences at the prince house including bright lights shining out the windows on the third floor, which is odd because there’s no electricity and there’s other apparition apparitions in the windows that sort of have a female form. So definitely the prince house sounds like it has some hauntings. In addition, the Canmore Opera House, which was originally constructed in Canmore, Alberta in 1910. It served as a venue for various cultural and entertainment events, including plays, concerts and opera performances. After a mining accident at the Canmore mine the opera house became a morgue temporarily. And a few years after that
Beth 9:58
the building became a motion Picturehouse due to electricity being introduced in the area. So through the years, the Opera House was renovated several times until it permanently closed in 1960. At that time, the building was donated and moved to heritage parks where it is now. It is said that when the Opera House moved, so did its supernatural residence, there are many stories of ghostly activities including apparitions of performers dressed in old clothing, and deceased miners. People have even described hearing the sounds of a phantom piano, and a woman singing from the stage when there was no one on that stage. Heritage Park has many ghost stories to tell and they actually have tours for you to go hear them all. And who knows what you might see or hear from the other inhabitants of the past. Remember, when it comes to ghost stories and legends, it’s essential to approach them with a sense of curiosity, curiosity and respect for the cultural context in which they arise. local folklore and ghost stories often add a sense of mystery and wonder to the natural out landscape and cultural history of a region. So, you know, take these legends as you’ve like, enjoy them. And if you’re into them, and you want to take some ghost tours in these places, I think it’s it’s definitely worth doing. But I hope these episodes inspire you to get out and roam even in your own neighborhood. So please subscribe so you don’t miss future episodes. And if you like what we’re doing here, please leave a review and a rating. Also to help support us. Please head over to Yeti to shop.com to pick up some roaming Yeti merch and sign up for our newsletter to join us in our monthly bingo challenge to talk to you soon and keep roaming
