(Southern Alberta is a Pretty Spooky Place

Photo Courtesy of Travel Alberta / Roth & Ramberg

Many cultures believe that our ancestors remain after their lives have ended. But what makes southern Alberta different is just how many stories there are of sightings, hearings, and feelings of those ghosts and spirits.

Perhaps the most famous tales concern the Empress Theatre in Fort Macleod - and the ‘Ghost Train’ of Medicine Hat.

Spooky occurrences at the 1912-era Empress Theatre are a constant. Staff talk about hearing footsteps approaching only to look up and find no one there. Which, when you’re alone in a big, old 400 seat theatre, could be an experience to have you heading for the doors pretty sharpish!

Big changes, events or even parties can ‘wake the spirits.’ After renovations in the 1980’s, things happened more often, like footsteps, lights turning on and off, and even ladders suddenly falling. Many people have eerily similar descriptions of the ‘ghost’ who sometimes shows up for performances, sitting in the balcony in his cowboy hat. The same gent has also been seen in bathroom mirrors, or even selling tickets to latecomers! The ghost is widely believed to be a man named Ed, who was a caretaker at the theatre in the 1930’s.

Margaret Ann Bianco, the theatre director: “We had a cleaning lady who actually knew Ed when she was a girl, and she saw his ghost regularly. When people didn’t have good energy, Ed would cause a lot of havoc! But now, the energy is very warm and welcoming.” Ed is still a prankster. “We put on children’s summer theatre camps, and it’s become a game to find your lunch wherever Ed has moved it to!”

‘Ed The Ghost’ has a clearly refined artistic taste, too, as he’s known to shut off the lights off if an actor is messing up their lines, or the microphone if a singer is doing poorly.

Whoop-Up - Spook Up

Fort Whoop-Up in Lethbridge is another renowned site of paranormal activity. Apparitions here are often Blackfoot. Ticket takers have seen an old Blackfoot couple dressed in buckskins walk in chatting and go straight into the fort. When sought out, they are nowhere to be found.

Shortly after paying their admission, two Japanese husbands returned and sat in the gift shop, waiting. Asked why they weren’t exploring the fort, the men said that ‘some native men had refused them entry, but allowed their wives to continue.’

There were no First Nations staff or visitors that day. Doran Degenstein once ran the facility, and holds great respect for Blackfoot tradition about keeping spirit stories to oneself. But his staff members tell of the danger of ‘waking up’ the spirits with after a big Halloween party at the fort, where participants wore shaman costumes and called on spirits.

The next morning, Doran received a phone call informing him that the fort’s doors were open, money was scattered about the floor, and no one was around! When the woman who was on duty that morning was tracked down, she described putting the cash drawer in place and feeling a tug on her skirt. Looking down, she saw a little white girl, who enthusiastically said “Last night was so much fun! When are we going to do it again?”

And then disappeared. The cash box went flying, a scream rang out, and a terrified exit followed! The Fort is far from the only ‘haunted’ site in Lethbridge. Well known local psychic Elaine Jagielski says most folks get unpleasant vibes from the jail cells in the basement of the old fire hall downtown. Helping any ghosts get what they need, she says – whether a good performance, or a way to find the light at the end of the tunnel – can make everybody’s life, and afterlife, more pleasant!

Maybe our many ghost stories explain the last “Ghost Busters” movie shooting in a home on our prairies. Who ya’ gonna call?

The Ghost Train

The story concerns two conductors on trains heading east of Medicine Hat back in 1908. They saw a train coming right at them, threatening a head-on collision! But the train was not real. The experience so spooked one conductor he quit the railway. It happened twice before the ‘ghost train’ became a real train, with a crash resulting in 7 deaths!

A TV report on the Ghost Train from CHAT-TV can be found on YouTube.

By: Allen Gibson

Photo Courtesy of Travel Alberta / Katie Goldie Photo Courtesy of Travel Alberta / Chris Amat

Exploring corners of your province is likely to be a big thing this year, so here’s some tips to use the city of Lethbridge as a base for adventure in Alberta’s southwest.

Just 2.5 hours south of Calgary, Lethbridge is home to over a 100,000 people. The region’s best selection of accommodations are here with the Coast and Sandman Signature Lethbridge Lodge – two of the higher end offerings. Both also have really good restaurants in-house. Other accommodations choices are at visitlethbridge.com.

In the city itself, Fort Whoop Up and the Nikka Yuko Japanese gardens are worth a visit. The first if you have kids, the gardens if you need a bit of Zen. Their sake-sipping experience will open your taste-buds to the variety of this rice wine.

There are 3 directions to travel from Lethbridge for adventure: West to the Crowsnest, southwest to Waterton National Park, and southeast to Writing On Stone Provincial Park – one of the newest UNESCO World Heritage sites. Each offers their own captivating experiences.

Off to the West

Heading 30 min west after a leisurely breakfast, enjoy a walk around historic downtown Fort Macleod – site of the first fort built by the North West Mounted Police. This is literally where the famous “Musical Ride” began – as a training exercise for bored troopers. A re-creation is run every summer at the fort in town. Main Street still features a bunch of historic buildings and has been featured in many movies.

Continuing west, you will start climbing after Pincher Creek up to the Crowsnest Pass. The pass has held much significance in Canadian history, from its early days as a coal-mining centre for the railway, to the use of the ‘Crow Rate’ which, guaranteed prairie farmers a return on their grain exports for many decades, to the site of the biggest coalmine disaster and landslide in Western Canada. Visitors can explore those massive events at the Frank Slide Interpretive Centre and the Bellevue Underground Mine tour. Here, you can learn about the brutal work of coal mining, the potential for death and disaster, and even get to go far enough in to the mine to discover just how cold it is underground, even on a hot summer day! (Con’t pg??)

EXPLORE THE REGION & BOOK YOUR STAY ON

The guides at both sites are full of great stories and information. And a stop at any of the pubs or historic hotels along the highway will make clear the region’s blue-collar past. This is also a great area for many amazing hikes.

Now to the southeast

Returning to Lethbridge, your next adventure involves a very different drive. Heading southeast on Hwy. 4, you’ll experience the real prairies. Miles of flat fields! In fact, you’ll know you’re approaching Milk River, the turnoff for Writing On Stone, when you see what you’ll swear is a pyramid in the distance! The unique hill is part of what we call the Sweetgrass Hills, a sacred place for generations of Blackfoot.

Everyone who visits Writing on Stone is always affected by the experience. The hoodoos in the valley are eerie and wonderful. A tour to the archeological preserve is recommended. They will take you to the ancient sacred rock art proliferating here.

Last but not least, off to the southwest

Our last adventure involves exploring Waterton Lakes National Park. From Lethbridge, the 1.25 hr drive to Waterton via Cardston is relaxing and scenic, with the multi-coloured fields dotted with cows and horses eventually giving way to a lovely stretch of curvy highway from the hamlet of Mountain View to the park gates. Keep your eyes open for wildlife in this section, especially around dusk.

For full details on the many options for hiking, or eating, in Waterton, see our full guide to the park. But the two prime options to consider booking ahead are a boat trip down the lake with Shoreline Cruises, or a hike on one of the many trails. Hike options can be a half hour walk from town, to a grueling 8-hour adventure tackling the Akamina Ridge. The folks at Tamarack outfitters offer a shuttle service that lets you leave your car in town and then hike back to it. By: Allen Gibson

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