Haunted Chateau Laurier Hotel

History of the Chateau Laurier Hotel :

Chateau was commissioned by Charles Melville Hays, who was General Manager of the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway in Canada. Chateau Laurier was the first hotel built in the chain of Canadian Pacific Hotels. Other famous hotels in the chain are the Banff Springs Hotel and Chateau Lake Louise in Alberta, the Empress Hotel in Victoria, Vancouver Hotel Royal York Hotel in Toronto, and the Chateau Frontenac in Quebec.

Chateau Laurier was opened on 12 June 1912, by his name sake Sir Wilfrid Laurier. It is designed in French Renaissance style using granite blocks for the base, limestone for the walls and copper peaked roof. Through the years, the secret political meetings were a success behind closed doors, away from the Parliament buildings. The hotel has been frequented by celebrities such as James Cagney, Shirley Temple, Harry Belafonte, Marlene Deitrich, Roger Moore, Karen Kain, and Bryan Adams.

One-hour tour of the hotel is available, where guests can admire the luxurious Chateau Laurier.

Haunting of the Chateau Laurier Hotel :

Charles Melville Hays, who ordered the hotel had gone over to Europe to select furniture for the hotel dining room. Unfortunately his return was where the Titanic sank on 14 April 1912, which was 12 days before the scheduled opening of the Chateau Laurier. The only surviving male in his party was the sculptor Paul chèvre 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 man who resembles Charles Melville Hays. It is understandable why his spirit wants to be anchored in the Chateau Laurier. This project was very important to him, and he has never witnessed the grand opening.

Staff and guests have heard the sounds rattling and shaking inside the Chateau Laurier. There has also been a sighting of the ghost of a little girl. On another occasion, a woman fled from the room in panic as objects began to move around the room on their own will.

Many people have had the eerie feeling of being watched, as soon as they enter the hotel. It is also argued that a guest from the media was accosted by a ghost in a stairwell.

Ghost Walk in Ottawa :

There are several ghost walks in Ottawa offered by Haunted Walks Inc. The Original Haunted Walk is 90 minutes in duration and includes visits to Chateau Laurier and the Bytown Museum. The tour leaders have lots of good two stories to tell and maybe will make a skeptic to believer.