Now it is time for you and I to walk those dark streets together, take a peek into the history, the violence, and danger inherent in this locale once known as Bytown, into the city where people who formed our great nation resided, and where those who should have passed on to other worlds continue to reside, skulking through the shadows, whispering to us from the past, and reminding us that there are, indeed, more things in heaven and earth than are dreamt of in our philosophies.
Come, take my hand.
Let’s explore the dark corners, the deep rich shadows of the past, the tales best told in the dark thick of the night.
Let’s walk together and I shall share with you a few fascinating things I have learned about the city of Ottawa and the surrounding region.
The Rideau Canal lower locks, nestled between the Château Laurier and the Bytown Museum.
Author’s collection.
Acknowledgements
As always, when it comes to thanking everybody who helped me with a book, there are always so many people along the way who I’m more likely to accidentally leave out than remember to include. My biggest fear at this point is doing just that. Because regardless of how minor it might have felt to the person who was assisting me, it is always so greatly appreciated, likely far more than the person lending the hand might ever know.
I would first like to thank folks from the following locations: the Bytown Museum, especially Sandy Trueman and Grant Vogl; staff from the Fairmont Château Laurier; and staff and guides from the HI-Ottawa Jail Hostel.
I owe a great deal of thanks to all of the wonderful people at Haunted Walks Inc. in Ottawa, especially Jim Dean, creative director, for providing photos of the amazing walks that inspired me to research, write, and share historical ghost stories, and to Glen Shackleton, founder, not just for the walks but the books he has written.
Matthew Didier, founder and director of the Ontario Ghosts and Hauntings Research Society, was also very gracious with his time, resources, and permissions, and I am truly grateful for his assistance and support.
Thanks to Joel A. Sutherland for writing the foreword for this book. Joel is not only a talented writer and a wonderful person (not to mention a librarian, one of my favourite types of people — but then again, aren’t all book people amazing?), but he’s also proof that writers look out for and are supportive of one another. You’d be doing yourself a favour to check out his books. In a similar fashion, I owe thanks to John Robert Colombo, who not only also wrote a foreword for my previous book, but also mentored me in the collecting of haunted stories, provided advice and encouragement along the way, and inspired me with his own writing. Dundurn has published a good number of John’s books, several of which are referenced in this book, and they are also worth seeking out.
As always, the team at Dundurn is amazing to work with. Thank you to Beth, Karen, James, Margaret, Jaclyn, and Sheila for all of the ongoing support throughout the year. And a huge shout out to Kathryn Lane and Jennifer McKnight for their editorial insights and helping me take a decent submitted manuscript and crafting it into something I can be truly proud of.
And finally, a special thank you to Liz Anderson, my partner, not just in this life journey, but in the many fun adventures we share along the way. Her assistance, encouragement, support, and inspiration throughout the process of putting this book together are appreciated more than I could ever express. I especially want to thank her for holding my hand, having my back, and ensuring that none of the ghosts got me while we were researching some of the haunted locales.
Map of Downtown Ottawa
A map of downtown Ottawa, showing eight of the locations mentioned in this book. A full map of many of the Creepy Capital locales can be found on Mark Leslie’s Pinterest page at www.pinterest.com/markleslie/creepy-capital.
The Grant House at 150 Elgin
On a chilly Halloween eve in 2014, just days prior to the grand re-opening of Beckta Dining & Wine, owner Stephen Beckta drank champagne from a 140-year-old glass that once belonged to the Grant family, who used to live at that residence.
When questioned as to whether the stories he had heard about the building’s history and the alleged spirit still there concerned him, Beckta shrugged and said with a laugh, “Not at all.”
But not everybody else is so brave in their approach.
The building at 150 Elgin Street was originally built for Doctor James Alexander Grant in 1875. Designed by Bradish Billings Jr., the home, considered a mansion, cost approximately $11,000 to build at a time when the average home’s cost was less than half of that.
Born on August 11, 1831, in Inverness, Scotland, James Grant came to Canada as an infant. His parents settled in Glengarry, Ontario, about an hour’s drive southeast of Ottawa. There, Grant’s father set up a medical practice and established himself as a one of the region’s most distinguished physicians. Grant followed in his father’s footsteps by receiving his undergraduate degree at the University of Queen’s College (Queen’s University) in Kingston, then moved on to study medicine at McGill College in Montreal. He became a medical doctor in 1854 and established a practice in Ottawa. Grant married Maria Malloch in 1856 and the two had a dozen children together.
Further following in his father’s footsteps, Dr. James Alexander Grant ran a very successful medical practice. Due to his renowned skills and relentless work ethic he became known and sought out by many of the more prominent members of the local community.
Grant published several articles in medical journals in Canada and England and his vast interest and knowledge in the scientific fields led to his role as a charter member of the Royal Society of Canada. In addition, he served as president of the College of Surgeons on Ontario and the Mechanics’ Institute and Athenaeum of Ottawa. Grant also served as the official physician for the Governors General from 1867 to 1905.
Grant also became involved in politics. He served as a member of Parliament for the Conservative Party between 1867 and 1874, as well as between 1893 and 1896.
After he saved the life of Queen Victoria’s daughter, Princess Louise, when she had a sleigh accident near Rideau Hall, Grant was knighted Sir James Grant and he was awarded the Most Distinguished Order of St Michael and King George (KCMG).
Grant died on June 5, 1920, after having lived at his Elgin Street home for nearly half a century.
Given the status that he held and his long-time association with the building, it’s no wonder that when tales of odd and eerie occurrences started being reported people’s thoughts turned to Sir James Alexander Grant. Perhaps Grant’s role as a physician — which included stories that the basement of the residence at 150 Elgin was used as a morgue — has been a factor in some of the ghostly tales that are shared about the building.
After the Grant family moved out of the home, the building was purchased by the University of Ottawa’s University Club. In the late sixties and early seventies, highway-construction projects threatened the building and in 1974 the city came under attack for what was described as its “lack of interest in preserving a historic property.” A proposal was made to bring a sixty-bed youth hostel to the building, but it never came to fruition. What finally took over the building was a restaurant known as Friday’s Roast Beef House, which occupied the site from 1972 to 2009.
During that era was when most of the tales alluding to a ghost within the building’s walls started to come out.
The majority of sightings and ghostly encounters have