Ghost Stories of Alberta

Ghost House Books

by Barbara Smith

Contrary to popular belief, ghosts do not necessarily reside in draughty old castles and ancient graveyards. In this book, the author has collected ghost stories specifically from Alberta where she has discovered strange tales of hauntings in schools, restaurants, theatres, hotels, government buildings and modern houses from Calgary and Edmonton to rural areas and the Rocky Mountains. Several spine-tingling tales are legendary accounts of native spirits who still inhabit the land.

In Edmonton, two former firehalls are widely reputed to be haunted; the McKay Avenue School is said to have at least half a dozen spirits; and employees of radio station CKUA have experienced a ghostly presence. "Alberta’s Most Haunted Place" is probably the Deane House and Tea Room at Fort Calgary, where a number of different ghosts are taken for granted by the staff.

This eerie collection of supernatural tales includes, among others, the story of the Medicine Hat ghost train; the strange phenomena in a rural "castle" that cannot drive its owner away; the hauntings of the Banff Springs Hotel; the ghostly arsonist in a photograph at Chateau Lake Louise; evil ghosts of the Alberta Badlands; the beautiful lady in white who haunts Prince House in Heritage Park; the Canmore Opera House spirits; and the ghostly bookworm.

Genres: Ghosts, Nonfiction

173 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 1993

About the author

Barbara Smith is a Canadian author celebrated for her captivating collections of ghost stories steeped in folklore, history, and national identity. Since leaving her job as a school secretary in 1988, she has published numerous books exploring Canada’s most enduring supernatural legends. Her passion for the paranormal was sparked as a child in Toronto and grew into a lifelong pursuit, fueled by a background in social history and mystery. With titles like Great Canadian Ghost Stories and Great Canadian Campfire Stories, Smith shares eerie tales from coast to coast, entertaining readers while preserving Canada's rich storytelling tradition.

Reviews

[Kris Anderson · Rating 1 out of 5]

With the title being Ghost Stories of Alberta I expected there to be ghost stories inside, but what I found were stories of the people or the building that had the experience with just a line or two about what the actual story should have been about.

[Peyton · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great read. Definitely makes one questions things.

[Raven · Rating 5 out of 5]

I simply couldn’t put this book down... what a great read!

[Jordan Swanson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Highly recommend