Take a tour with the haunted
PARANORMAL ACTIVITY, HAUNTING secrets of Ottawa’s deathly past, mysterious hangings, and chilling ghost stories—it’s no wonder the Ottawa Haunted Walk tour is the popular go-to activity for the Halloween season. Celebrating it’s 15th anniversary this year, the Haunted Walk is still drawing in locals and newcomers in droves.
“It’s a very successfully growing company—last year we had over 5,000 visitors in the last two weeks of October alone,” says Michelle Dennis, the communications manager at the Haunted Walk.
“We’re hoping to draw in 6,000 visitors this coming Halloween,” she adds.
The Walk tours run all year round, popular in the summer season when tourists trickle in.
“We had a hundred thousand visitors in the months of May and June last year,” says Dennis, adding Halloween is the hallmark of their tourist season. “It’s our Christmas.”
The tour, which was inspired by similar European walks, didn’t start in Ottawa. Its roots are in Kingston, Ont.
“Sixteen years ago, Glen Shackleton was studying history in Queen’s University and did a semester abroad in England. He was fascinated by the intrigue and allure of the haunted walks in London, and upon his return to Kingston, applied his history major [toward] launching Kingston’s first walking tour of historical and ghostly landmarks,” explains Dennis.
“Now we have 30 tour guides in Ottawa and 20 in Kingston, all because of our director’s idea,” says Dennis.
This attraction features four main walking tours: The Ghost and the Gallows Tour, Crime and Punishment Jail Tour, Naughty Ottawa Pub Walk, and Original Haunted Walk of Canada.
The Ghost and the Gallows Tour and the Crime and Punishment Jail Tour take you right inside the old Carleton County Jail. They inform visitors about the jail cells and death row, and allow participants to explore the last working gallows in Canada.
The Naughty Ottawa Pub Tour exposes the less-refined and bawdy aspects of Ottawa’s past of scandalous political occurrences, complicated love affairs, and the rowdiness of the former citizens of Lowertown.
The 90-minute Original Haunted Walk of Canada takes you through the Bytown Museum, the Fairmont Chateau Laurier, the Grant House, and other haunting locations.
According to Dennis, the tour is an alternative way to get a fright without going to the movies. It alters people’s perception about Ottawa and showcases the city and its rich history through a different light. It’s also a unique way to view Ottawa’s landscape.
“The Haunted Walk is a special attraction because it differs from what people regularly expect when they think of Ottawa. We offer stories about the off-beat, unique history of the city that you will not be able to hear anywhere else. Ottawa does not have many touristic activities that take place in the evening and the Haunted Walk is a great way to see the city,” she says.
Ottawa may surprise many with how many ghost stories roam the city.
“Thomas D’Arcy McGee, a very prominent Canadian politician, was assassinated on Sparks Street on April 8, 1868. The gentleman convicted of his assassination was Patrick James Whelan, although to this day many believe he was wrongfully convicted. His execution for the murder took place at the Carleton County Jail on Feb. 11, 1869,” says Dennis.
“Many people believe his restless spirit still roams the hallways there to this very day. On the Are You Afraid of the Dark tour, guests will learn all about the strange encounters that have happened and continue to happen in the building.”
Whether you believe in ghost stories, the Ottawa Haunted Walk is a way for people to get a real thrill this All Hallows Eve and experience Ottawa’s history without reading boring books.
“The Haunted Walk is a delightful Halloween adventure and is a fun way to learn about Ottawa’s rich and mysterious history,” says Dennis.
Admission is $17.75 for adults and $16.75 for students. Tickets can be purchased at 73 Clarence St. or at the ticket booth at the corner of Sparks and Elgin Street.
—Kajahni Tharmarajan
