Blog Post: The Haunting of the Fort Garry Hotel

By Juniper Ravenwood

A Historic Landmark Steeped in Shadows
The Fort Garry Hotel in Winnipeg, Canada, stands as a testament to early 20th-century grandeur 🏰. Built in 1913 by the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway 🚂, its chateau-style architecture, with towering turrets and opulent interiors ✨, was designed to dazzle travelers. But beneath its polished marble staircases and glittering chandeliers lies a darker legacy 🌑—one that’s earned it a reputation as one of Canada’s most haunted hotels.

Room 202: A Portal to the Past
The heart of the Fort Garry’s hauntings beats in Room 202 💀, where a young woman’s grief became eternal. Legend tells of a woman who, upon learning of her husband’s death in a car accident 🚗, hanged herself in the room’s closet. Her sorrow seems to linger, manifesting in ways that defy explanation.

Guests report waking to the sensation of someone slipping into bed beside them 🛏️, only to find the room empty. In 2004, former Ontario Liberal MP Brenda Chamberlain made headlines 📰 after feeling this ghostly presence twice in one night, describing a weight on the mattress that left her shaken.

Even more unsettling are accounts of blood dripping from the walls 🩸, only to vanish when staff return to investigate. A young boy on a Make-a-Wish trip added to the lore when his photos from Room 202 failed to develop 📷, every frame blank—a phenomenon he gleefully attributed to “camera-shy spirits.”

Echoes Beyond Room 202
The hauntings aren’t confined to one room. The woman, often seen in a cloak or ball gown 👗, drifts into the Palm Lounge 🍷, her sobs piercing the air. Guests and staff have reported other apparitions: a woman gliding down hallways, a man in a dark cloak 🕴️ lurking in corners.

In 1989, a kitchen worker unlocked the dining room at 4 a.m. 🍽️ to investigate strange noises, only to find a man sitting silently at a table—gone when he returned with a colleague. Another chilling tale involves a security guard discovering ten candles arranged in a star ⭐ in the ballroom, with no event scheduled and no explanation.

A Skeptical Glance at the Shadows
Not everyone is convinced 👀 the Fort Garry is haunted. Skeptics argue that tales of blood on walls or ghostly presences could be tricks of the light, vivid dreams 🌙, or the power of suggestion in a hotel known for its spooky reputation. The blank photos? Possibly a faulty camera or a processing error.

Hotels like the Fort Garry benefit from their haunted mystique—it draws curious guests and ghost hunters alike 👣. Yet, the sheer volume of consistent reports from diverse sources makes it hard to dismiss entirely.

Ghost Tours and Paranormal Proof
For those brave enough 🕵️‍♂️ to explore, Squarepeg Tours offers three-hour ghost hunts in Room 202, complete with dowsing rods and K2 meters ⚡. Paranormal investigators and YouTubers flock to the hotel, capturing EVPs 🎙️ and shadowy figures on camera.

A 2021 video showed equipment spiking wildly in Room 202 📹, accompanied by unexplained whispers. These modern encounters, paired with the hotel’s century-long history of hauntings 📖, keep the Fort Garry’s reputation alive.

Why the Fort Garry Haunts Us
The Fort Garry Hotel is more than a historic landmark—it’s a vessel for stories of loss and longing 💔. Its hauntings, rooted in documented accounts, resonate because they tap into universal fears: grief that never heals, presences we can’t see 👻, and spaces that feel alive with the past.

Whether you’re a believer or a skeptic, the Fort Garry’s tales invite you to question what lingers in the shadows 🌑. Would you dare to spend a night in Room 202? 🛎️

Let us know your thoughts at shadowpodcast@protonmail.com or join the conversation on our socials.

Stay spooky,
🖤 Juniper Ravenwood