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22 - The Oakville Beaver Weekend, Saturday February 17, 2007 Ghosts of Oakville and haunted Halton The Ghost Buster In the Fall a young lady joined one of our ghost walks. During the refreshments after the walk I learned that she was a ghost buster and invited her to go through Erchless, The Museum. I wanted to know if she could identify any of the presences we were aware of in the building. Katherine agreed and a date was set for three weeks later. Mary Jane MacDougald (Francine Landry) and I met Katherine and then followed her in silence as she went from room to room feeling for presences. First she described a stout older woman in the kitchen area, possibly a cook, then a young teenager as a kitchen helper and finally a man servant, most likely a butler. She described Rebecca as she saw her in one of the bedrooms and then Emelda as a rather sad woman in her bedroom. She felt the spirits of two children and two others, unidentified. Half way up the main stairs Katherine called us to come and stand on her step and tell her if we felt anything. All we could say was that the temperature changed and it felt colder. Then as we continued up the stairs it returned to the regular heat. Now I understand why the tenants living in the apartments of this house before it became the museum constantly heard a lot of activity and felt some of the many spirits roaming around in it. And why the staff and night workers may still feel some discomfort. The Captain And The Mystery Light Michael Brown, our town's writer and actor of historical plays, agreed to share with me some interesting ghost stories connected to the Bronte area where he grew up. Perhaps he is best known for his role as Charles Sovereign in his one-man play Sovereign House. The fleet of sailing vessels on Lake Ontario engaged in carrying lumber and grain for trading were mostly built in the shipyards on the Sixteen Mile Creek, and commanded by local Captains. These Lake people remember the hard existence on the lake as not everyone returned. It is said that during the night of a violent storm, things not normally seen or known can be witnessed or heard along the lake front. On those nights, just over from the foot of West River Street one can hear the shrieks and moans of dying men from the ship wreck on the rocks. They were wrecked, it was reported, when they headed for an area of light they thought was the harbour, only to discover too late it was a lamp held by somebody. It was held in hands of a young girl in a long gown. It is said that this same girl can be seen out on the bluffs on the nights of violent storms. The unfortunate captain of the wrecked ship forever walks Chisholm Street on his endless journey between the marsh and the graveyard. He still smokes his pipe as some people have claimed to have smelled the tobacco moments before he appeared and there was no one else around. Michael says he has talked with several very sensible people who have sworn this to be true. Of course there is one way of finding out for certain. The next night when there is a violent storm, go down to the foot of West River Street, and to be sure to bring with you plenty of courage. Michael continued, "The girl with the lamp is a story I'd heard as a child. It was a story of long ago. However, something happened in the 1970s that brought this story closer to home literally!" "When I was away studying the theatre at the University of Windsor's School Dramatic Art, my parents were living alone in an old house at 36 West River Street. This was a cute yellow house that we were told was once the home of a Sea Captain, a good possibility, as Bronte ships did indeed travel the Great lakes and even the Oceans. One can't get much closer to the Lake than West River Street. My parents settled in nicely to their home, and had been there less than a year, when the girl with the lamp made her appearance. "My father didn't believe in ghosts. He was a straightforward kind of man who wouldn't waste his time with that sort of speculation. One night all that changed. Before the night was through he believed in Ghosts. He had just dozed off to sleep in the main floor bedroom, when he was awakened by the growling of the dog, Sandy. He quickly put on his glasses, and he saw a young lady standing by the bed! She was wearing long clothing from the 1800s and was looking at him. I don't know if she had the lamp or not. My father was so startled. He couldn't make a sound. He stared back in disbelief. After a few moments the young lady turned and walked slowly out of the bedroom, down the hallway and into the kitchen. The entire time Sandy watched her every move, growling continuously, as the fur hunched up back stood up straight. When my father gained his composure, he thought he better follow the stranger in his house, so he walked swiftly down the hallway and saw her going through the closed and locked door! My father's shouting woke up my mother, who hadn't seen any of this, as he, quite shaken, related the story to her. I only heard this story years later, first from other family members, and then late in his life from my father himself. The house at 36 West River Street was torn down a few years ago, and replaced with a larger newer house. I wonder if the young lady ever visits the new owner." Haunting Footsteps At The Oakville Club In the dead of night during the Fall, the sound of footsteps of a ghostly visitor echoed throughout the Oakville Club. Established in 1908, the rambling clubhouse has since acquired a history of strange occurrences. In 1959 a cabaret was held with more than 350 people present at the performance. By 1 am everyone had gone home except the eight bartenders. They remained to clear the glasses off the table and check the ash trays. All the rooms and been checked to make sure no one Continued on Page 11 Family Owned & Operated for Over 33 Years WE ARE PROUD TO BE A PART OF OAKVILLE HERITAGE! Come see the difference Ren's makes! da k in the Bac y Here we are today! OT Trafalgar Rd. Hwy #25 4002 TRAFALGAR RD. Family Owned and Operated for Over 33 Years REN'S Pets Depot Corner of Trafalgar & Burnhamthorpe Burnhamthorpe Rd. Store Hours: Mon. to Fri. 8am-8pm, Sat. 9am-5pm, Sun. 10am-5pm Q.E.W #403 905-257-4611 Excuse m can you tae, k me to Rens e ? Derry Road #407