#*ep notes

[canadaobscura-blog]

Photo credit: Wikipedia Commons

Top: Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel in 1902 | Middle: Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel exterior | Bottom: Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel interiors

The Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel was opened in 1888, in Banff National Park,  Alberta. With a rich history and a number of very famous guests (including Marilyn Monroe and Queen Elizabeth II), it’s no wonder that the hotel has a few ghost stories.

A ghostly barman and bellhop, a dead bride, and the mystery of the boarded up Room 873 are just some stories arising from the grand hotel. The staff aren’t allowed to tell you anything about these stories and the tales themselves are so vague and old that no one knows the truths behind them.

Want to know more? Listen to Episode 1 of Canada Obscura, a weekly podcast bringing to you the dark and mysterious side of the Great White North. Currently available on Soundcloud, Stitcher, and Anchor.fm.

[canadaobscura-blog]

Photo Credit: Wikipedia (top) CBC (bottom)

Top: Place Jacques Cartier, a square in Old Montreal | Bottom: A depiction of Mary Gallagher

The headless ghost of Mary Gallagher, a sex-worker from 19th century Montreal, is said to wander the Place Jacques Cartier (or, alternatively, near the place of her death), looking for her missing head. Mary was murdered by a sort-of friend (frenemy, really), Susan Kennedy; after what may have been a bout of jealousy, Susan killed Mary and decapitated her. It’s actually quite the story, and the ~scandal of it is why is still persists as a ghost story today.

Want to know more? Listen to Episode 5 of Canada Obscura, a weekly podcast bringing to you the dark and mysterious side of the Great White North. Currently available on Spotify, Stitcher, Anchor.FM, and more!

[canadaobscura-blog]

Photo credit: Wikipedia Commons

Top: A map showing where the Belchers Islands are located | Bottom: An aerial view of the Sanikiluaq Rocks, part of the islands where the Belchers Islands Massacre occured

The Belchers Islands are an archipelago consisting of around 1500 islands in the Hudson’s Bay. They’re spread out over 3000 km2 and basically sit just below the arctic circle. 

In the winter of 1941, Charlie Ouyerack decided that he was Jesus Christ and that his buddy, Peter Sala, was God. It was a particularly difficult winter, and with no communication with the outside world and the desolation of the winter on everyone’s minds, the two of them fairly easily got the rest of their community to believe that, as Jesus and God, they’ll bring everyone to a better place upon the end of the world. It was even easier when all opposition was met with...well, murder.

To find out what happened on the Belchers that 1941 winter, and how 9 people were killed as a result, listen to episode 6 of Canada Obscura,  a weekly podcast bringing to you the dark and mysterious side of the Great White North. Currently available on Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Anchor.FM, and more!