Whether it’s pulling pranks or causing mischief, the ghosts in our city want one thing… for people to know they’re not alone.
As Halloween creeps around the corner here in Lethbridge, museum educator at the Galt Museum, Belinda Crowson, can be found introducing these mischievous ghosts to anyone who will listen.
“The St. Michaels one (ghost) is a nun, who actually does stuff to show nurses when patients need help. We actually have some helpful ghosts,” laughed Crowson.
The ghost guru started collecting these chilling tales when she realized they provided major links to the past.
On one occasion, Crowson was approached by a group of workers from the YWCA to investigate a mysterious male ghost and was shocked by what she found.
“I realized, our first permanent dentist Dr. Robert Chesney McClure, had one of the houses that was knocked down to build that building,” said Crowson. “He actually died at home and his funeral was at home.”
On a whim, Crowson showed a photograph of the dentist to the workers and according to the guru, the moment she did, they all went silent and said they found their ghost.
However, the YWCA isn’t the only building to have their share of guests who’ve taken up permanent residency.
In fact, Crowson said 34 public places in the community have stories attached to them and some she is all too familiar with.
“I had some ghost hunters up one day and I told them the story of things that have happened in the children’s ward, lights turning on, things like that,” Crowson said. “A week later, I got an e-mail from them. They said they caught a man’s voice on recorder, right when you told that story, saying I told her I wanted the light on.”
Although the ghost guru admits she’s never actually seen a ghost, she certainly knows people who have, including the staff at the Yates Memorial Theater.
Jason Eveleigh, the technician at the theater, says numerous parts of the building are linked with ghosts including the bathroom, basement and storage area known as pebble beach.
“One of the caretakers said he was mopping when he saw the light switch turn on by itself,” said Eveleigh. “He was the only one there.”
These creepy tales can even be found at our very own Lethbridge College, which makes sense as Crowson said schools are often linked with eerie tales.
Ben Martin, lead investigator of Lethbridge Paranormal Investigations, conducted an analysis of the college’s daycare, after hearing rumours it was haunted.
What they found was an unexplained apparition using thermal imaging functioning, which detected a heat signature on an image of teddy bears painted on the glass.
“Also during our examination of this window from the hallway outside of the room we witnessed an unexplained apparition walking past the screen inside the vacant room,” said Martin.
Whether or not the ghosts of Lethbridge actually exist, is not what matters for Crowson.
The ghost guru simply wants the same thing as the ghosts in our city, for people to know they’re not alone.
