NEW BRUNSWICK's

most haunted locations

back to all haunted locations

BAY OF CHALEUR

THE FIRESHIP



This file is licensed under theCreative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license.

Attribution: busand2003


History and Paranormal Activity

This phenomena is most often seen on the bay just before the weather turns bad.

There are 3 versions as to the origin of this haunting:

1

In the early 16th century, a Portuguese Captain returned to Heron Island to capture slaves from the indigenous peoples. Fortunately, they remembered him and attacked his ship when he tried to make harbour.  The Captain was captured and tortured to death by the native population.

A year later another Captain – said to be the brother of the first – arrived and attempted to land. The island’s population set his boat a flame and it floated back into the bay where the sailors jumped ship swearing to haunt the bay for 1,000 years.

Apparently, the victims of the fire washed up on shore and were buried in French Woods on the island’s west side.

The Pettigrew family who lived on the island in the 19th century reported the ghost of the burning ship many times; it is said to be most often seen on the nights of full moon from the island’s north shore.

Mrs Pettigrew actually had a burned sailor come to their farmhouse and ask for help for his terrible burns. When she returned to help the man, she realized he was a ghost when she saw he was legless but still walking.

2

Sailors aboard a ship fleeing a storm blamed one of their own on their bad luck with the weather. They murdered him and tossed the body overboard. Sometime later the ship caught afire and burned to the keel. This was said to be the sailor’s Catholic blood taking revenge.

3

A woman captured by pirates was raped and killed. With her dying breath she cursed the pirates, “for as long as the world is, may you burn on the bay”.

Now, sailors do tend to be a superstitious lot so the second story is plausible. Not too many pirates operated in waters so far north but its not impossible just implausible for the third story.

The first story was handed down verbally by the indigenous island population so is considered at least somewhat historically accurate.

Of course, the non-believers say its just St Elmo’s fire, undersea gas or rotting vegetation.

HILLSBOROUGH

GREY'S ISLAND CEMETERY

(Sometimes called Grave’s Island)

26 Grey’s Island Road #18

Status: Historic Cemetery; Urban Legend



History

Years ago, a man’s wife was murdered leaving him broken hearted. Obviously, it was impossible for him to bring his wife back to life, so he commissioned a statue of her to be made. He put the statue in his backyard and was seen many times seeming to be engaged in conversations with the statue as if she was his wife; or perhaps just the next best thing.

When the husband finally passed away himself, he was found curled up at the bottom of his wife’s statue. The wife’s statue was moved to the family plot at Grey’s Island Cemetery after the husband’s death.

 

Paranormal Activity

There are now 2 versions to the legends surrounding this statue. Each involve circling the statue three times – and, yes, three is a common number in these urban legend type stories - and three is a powerful number so its not without precedent.

One story is the statue’s eyes will open and even cry blood.

The other story is once you’ve done your three circles you must keep your back turned to the statue. She will then reach and touch your shoulder. Rumor has it a number of people have had to go to the hospital from the shock of this actually happening.

The statue’s hand has since been taken; either stolen as a ghoulish souvenir or by the cemetery to stop people from trying out the legend. Either way removing the hand hasn’t affected it at all; the statue will still reach out and touch your shoulder.  

Judging by recent photos her head has also been removed too.

OROMOCTO

OROMOCTO PUBLIC HOSPITAL

103 Winnebago Street

(506) 357-4700

Status: Operational Public Community Hospital



History

Opened in 1967 with 92 beds – 40 of them were reserved for the military use for nearby Canadian Forces Base Gagetown (CFB Gagetown) which is home to the 5th Canadian Division – this hospital was designed to serve both the armed forces and community right from the beginning.

In 2017 the hospital celebrated it’s 50th anniversary.

Due to staff shortages, and repercussions from the Covid pandemic, as of June 2021 the hospital’s Emergency Department has been forced to operate on cut hours and be closed on holidays.

 

Paranormal Activity

The apparition of a man is seen on the roof of the hospital near the big H. He is said to have committed suicide there but jumping through a hole that no longer exists.

Staff working overnight have reported the apparitions of former patients walking in the halls.

Patients have complained about children coming into their rooms and tickling their feet on wards that never have children on them outside of visiting hours. The children apparently giggle and have to be all but kicked to get them to go away.

Other Reported Activity: shadow figures; disembodied voices and echoes; being touched by an unseen entities; electrical disturbances; light anomalies and feelings of not being alone.


Testimonial

By S

I work at this building for a few years now and have been told more stories and eye witnesses. To add to those reported stories when you get off the 2nd floor elevator it is said you can hear children laughing also certain housekeepers said that the children will play with them or hit the bed alarms when the day surgery unit is closed with no one in there. It was also reported by two people at the same time in different areas of the basement that a ghost walked through the kitchen into the central supply (CSR) both staff said they seemed the same thing. Kitchen staff have also reported of of coffee pots being thrown from under the shelf on the floor. On the units there is the lady in black who often appears when someone passes or is about to, she is said to be seen the most from staff. I have also witnessed on the units bed alarms going off with no one in the bed even after staff unplug it from the power they would go off.
Outside between the hospital flagpole and the road it is said that children can be seen running down the hill usually always at night along with the person sitting above the H. These are just a few that i'm aware of i'm sure there is more.

ST ANDREWS

CHARLOTTE COUNTY COURTHOUSE

NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE

(Charlotte County Archives)

123 Frederick Street

(506) 529-4248

Status: Former Courthouse; Historic Building; Seasonal Ghost Walks are Available

Website



History

This is the oldest courthouse in Canada being built in the 1840’s. It was in continuous use until 2016 and then only closed because court cases were no longer being heard in St Andrews.

It was built across the street from the old goal which was used until the 1870’s.

 

Paranormal Activity

This location is said to be haunted by the criminals who were executed in the goal.

One apparition of a male prisoner is seen walking the grounds.

Cold spots and feelings of being watched and not wanted are very common in the building.

ST ANDREWS BY THE SEA

ALGONQUIN RESORT

(The Algonquin Resort St. Andrews-By-The-Sea, Autograph Collection)

184 Adolphus Street

(506) 529-8823

Status: Historic Hotel

Website


The Algonquin in St Andrews.jpg


By <a href="//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Skeezix1000" title="User:Skeezix1000">Skeezix1000</a> - <span class="int-own-work" lang="en">Own work</span>, CC BY-SA 3.0Link

Algonquin hotel New Brunswick.jpg


By <a href="//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Skeezix1000" title="User:Skeezix1000">Skeezix1000</a> - <span class="int-own-work" lang="en">Own work</span>, CC BY-SA 3.0Link


History

The original Algonquin Hotel was built in 1889 as an 80 room shingle style building.

The main attraction was the salt water baths. Water was pumped from nearby Passamaquoddy Bay and held in tanks. Every room had a bathtub with 4 taps – 2 fresh water and 2 salt water. With the baths and the fresh ocean air the resort was thought to have healing qualities and was advertised as “no hay fever here”.

In 1914 a fire destroyed the entire hotel except 2 new wings that were built in the 20th century. The Tudor style building that exists today was built on the same spot as the original hotel. It is unknown how many – if any – people died in the fire.

The New Brunswick Railway built the original railway spur to St Andrews but the Canadian Pacific Railways (CPR) bought a 990 year lease on the rail line at the end of the 19th century. In 1903 the CPR bought the hotel itself and built golf courses around the site.

In 1970 the CPR sold it’s interest in the resort although it continued to operate under the CPR name. In 1973 the Government of New Brunswick leased the property and added a private beach at Katy’s Cove.

The resort went under a number of different number of owners until 2013 when it was purchased by Marriott Hotels and opened under it’s Autograph Collection making it the first Autograph hotel in Canada.

Many famous people have stayed at the resort throughout it’s history including: US Presidents Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin D Roosevelt and Lyndon Johnson, almost every Prime Minister of Canada and HRH Princess Diana and Prince Charles.

 

Paranormal Activity

The hotel did offer a package with a tour of the haunted areas; but the last one was in 2019 – probably due to the Covid epidemic. Hopefully they will offer these again in the near future.

Many guests have asked the front desk about the friendly old man who helped them with their bags and told them stories about the hotel’s history. The only problem is the friendly bellhop is one of the hotel’s most famous ghosts who only appears when he wants to.

The ghost of a night watchman makes his presence known with phantom footsteps and the phantom jangling of keys.

Another former staff member that has stayed on after their death is a woman who continues to set and rearrange tables in the dining room.

In Room 473 the ghost of a bride forever weeps. No one is sure why she cries eternally but the most popular story is that her love was lost at sea and she died of a broken heart. Others believe the bride was abandoned at the altar by her groom.

On the 4th floor objects are known to unexplainably disappear only to reappear somewhere else.

Rooms 308 and 373 are also reported as being haunted. Objects move on their own and people feel as if they are not alone in these rooms. Electrical devices stop working in the rooms only to be working fine when brought out of the room. There are also several reports of apparitions appearing in both of these rooms.

On the 3rd floor the ghost of a small child is seen and heard playing with a ball in the hallways. The story says they chased their ball out of a window falling to their death.

On the 2nd floor doorknobs turn by themselves and front desk receives calls from empty rooms and dead lines.

The hotel’s tower has been closed for many years but occasionally a light is seen in it and if you’re really lucky you will see the woman in the white dress in the lit window.

SAINT JOHN


PARTRIDGE ISLAND

Bay of Fundy

Status: Former Quarantine Station; Former Military Base; Illegal to Enter



History

The island itself is over 300 million years old and was formed by deposits of ash from a long gone volcano.

Aboriginal legend says it was built by beavers; beavers much much larger than the beavers we have today.

In 1785 this island in St John harbour was turned into a quarantine station by Royal Decree. It was also put aside for possible other uses including a navigation aid and a military base.

In 1791 a lighthouse was built on the island. It was only the third lighthouse to be built in what was called British North America (now Canada).

A hospital was built on the island in 1830.

The station was at it’s busiest from 1840 to 1900 when thousands of immigrants were processed here. A number of them died here – especially during the typhus epidemic in 1847 – and there are 6 graveyards on the island.

Numerous memorials have also been set up for the many who died; the most famous is the Celtic cross for the Irish.

From 1800 until 1947 the island was also fortified and it’s guns served as the only defense for St John in the War of 1812, World War I and World War II. The ruins of these fortifications are still on the island.

The once small but thriving community on the island has long since left. There were even boat tours and a museum there until 1995.

The island is only accessible now via a breakwater made of broken concrete and rocks now. It is illegal to cross the breakwater – mainly due to the dangerous conditions – but has also become a rite of passage for teens in the local area.

Numerous people have had to be airlifted both off of the breakwater and the island due to injuries – the majority being broken bones – so the danger is real.

The Provincial and Federal governments have done studies on the cost of turning the island into a tourist attraction, but no work has began as of yet.

 

Paranormal Activity

 The island is said to be haunted by the thousands of pandemic victims buried here as well as a soldier said to have killed himself in the tunnels below the military fortifications.

The ghosts of people lost in the same tunnels are said to haunt the island.

Unexplained lights – not from the lighthouse – are reported by people on the mainland.

Disembodied voices, screams and sounds of battle are frequently heard by visitors.

One occurrence of a man yelling for help heard by both the nearby ferries and by people on the mainland resulted in a lot of wasted by the St John’s first responders on a foggy day. Although they did find 8 people trespassing on the island none of them had been yelling – certainly not for help – and no one has ever discovered where the cries came from to this day.

SAINT JOHN

GROUNDS OF THE FORMER PROVINCIAL LUNATIC ASYLUM

(Centracare Psychiatric Facility)

211 Lancaster Avenue, Wolastoq Park



History

This facility was built between 1846 – 48 and opened on December 12, 1848 with 90 patients on a bluff above the St John River near the Reversing Falls. It was built to replace an aging wooden building on the corner of Wentworth and Leinster which was the first mental health facility constructed in British North America (Canada).

Patient population grew after both of the two World Wars and more buildings and facilities were constructed including wards for woman and a farm. In 1956 the largest number of patients were admitted at 1,697 and the institution was nearly closed in 1958 but plans changed when the Provincial Government was changed.

In 1985 the name was changed to Centrcare and in 1992 the administration was given to the Atlantic Health Sciences Corporation. For many years the facility had both needed and been asking to be fully upgraded with modern necessities and services and in 1996 the decision was made to build an entirely new facility rather than update the old hospital.

In 1998 the new facility was opened in South Bay and the 48 remaining patients were moved to the new building. The grounds passed back to JD Irving (whose family had owned the land before the Provincial Government purchased it) who completely demolished the facility in a few days in March of 1999, reseeded the land, and converted the lands to a private (pubic accessible) park with views of the Reversing Falls.

The grounds of the former hospital are now Wolastoq Park.

There are rumours of an accessible tunnel system beneath the park.

 

Paranormal Activity

Apparitions of former patients and staff are still seen walking through the park. Shadow figures are often seen in the area.

Disembodied voices and whispers are heard including a report of babies crying in the area that was formerly the infant and children’s facility.

There are also reports of feelings of unease, fear, being watched and not being alone. Electronic objects have a history of malfunctioning in this area.

Light anomalies and mysterious mists are also reported.