HAUNTED CANADA 🍁 Ghosts, Hauntings, and True Crimes
Episode 12 - 🦷 The Ghost Story of little Lonnie Mohr Vernon, BC ⚖️ Haunted Osgoode Hall Toronto, ON 👰 The Grey Lady Halifax, NS
Three more ghost stories from across Canada.
🦷 The Ghost Story of little Lonnie Mohr Vernon, BC
⚖️ Haunted Osgoode Hall. Toronto, ON
👰 The Grey Lady. Halifax, NS
Support this Podcast
If you love the show the best way to show your support is by leaving a positive rating and review. Please also talk the time to share this podcast and tell a friend about the Haunted Canada Podcast.
www.HauntedCanada.com
From murderers to money launderers, thieves to thugs – police officers from the...
Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
Three more ghost stories from across Canada.
🦷 The Ghost Story of little Lonnie Mohr Vernon, BC
⚖️ Haunted Osgoode Hall. Toronto, ON
👰 The Grey Lady. Halifax, NS
Support this Podcast
If you love the show the best way to show your support is by leaving a positive rating and review. Please also talk the time to share this podcast and tell a friend about the Haunted Canada Podcast.
www.HauntedCanada.com
From murderers to money launderers, thieves to thugs – police officers from the...
Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
Welcome to Haunted Canada. Hi everyone, my name is Nadine and welcome to Episode 12 of Haunted Canada. If this is your first time listening to the Haunted Canada podcast, thank you for joining us, and if you are a repeat listener, I want to sincerely thank you for supporting this podcast. I truly do appreciate it. If you want to continue to support us, please take the time to follow us, give us a like and a five-star written review, as that always does help, and also please take the time to follow us on Facebook, instagram and TikTok for all the updates, and you can also access us through our website, hauntedcanadacom.
Speaker 1:On episode 12, we are going to venture across Canada for three more spooky ghost stories. First, we're going to start in Vernon, british Columbia, to hear the tragic tale of little Lonnie Moore, who sadly died in 1894 after a visit to the dentist, and her spirit is still present in the family's historic home. Then we're going to head to York University in Toronto, ontario, to talk about the historic and haunted Osgoode Hall. And for the third story, we're going to end up in Halifax, nova Scotia, osgoode Hall. And for the third story, we're going to end up in Halifax, nova Scotia, to delve into the story of the Grey Lady who is seen wandering throughout Citadel Hill still to In the beautiful city of Vernon, nestled in the picturesque Okanagan region of British Columbia, a haunting tale remains shrouded in tragedy and mystery.
Speaker 1:The most well-known and retold ghost story in Vernon is that of 8-year-old Louisa Moore, known as Lonnie, a beautiful little girl who tragically died in 1894. And the legend has it that Lonnie's spirit is still wandering around the Moore home, which has transformed many times over the years, including being used as a dentist's office. The Moore home is still located on the prominent corner of Pleasant Valley Road in Vernon, covered by trees, the warm sunshine of British Columbia, and it is a great example of the Second Empire style of homes that was common in the late 1800s and became the official style for federal buildings in Canada in the 1870s and 1880s. Vernon is a beautiful and tranquil city in the Okanagan region of the southern interior of British Columbia, canada, about 440 kilometres northeast of Vancouver. The city itself was named after Forbes George Vernon, a former MLA for the British Columbia government from 1886 to 1894, and who also helped establish the Coal Stream Ranch, with the city of Vernon itself being incorporated on December 30, 1892.
Speaker 1:The Moore family, which consisted of Charles, elizabeth and their five children were all living in Tolberton Township, ontario, which is where Lonnie was born on August 26, 1886, with Lonnie being the second youngest of the five children. Like most families in the 1800s, work was very scarce in Ontario and the lure and promise of prosperity and work out west enticed many people to move, including the Moors. The family packed up all their belongings and moved west, arriving in Vernon from Ontario in 1893. However, prior to their arrival, charles, a labourer and carpenter by trade, had a beautiful one and one-half-storey home built for the family on the corner of Pleasant Valley Road. The form of the house was a rectangular shape and featured a masonry roof with seven gable dormant windows. Other unique features of the Second Empire design details included the shallow roof overhang, pairs of eave brackets and the rounded headed gables on the dormant windows. The family enjoyed living in the growing community of Vernon and, though it was hard work, charles Moore became a well-liked and well-respected man in the city of Vernon, becoming a prominent member of his church and his community.
Speaker 1:The family were living a quiet and idyllic life when tragedy struck In March of 1894, eight-year-old Lonnie began to complain of a toothache. Over the next several days, the toothache grew more and more severe, so much in fact that Lonnie was taken to the dentist in the nearby city of Kamloops for treatment, as there was no dentist in Vernon. When the dentist in Kamloops examined Lonnie, his recommendation at that time was to pull the infected tooth In 1894,. This dental procedure was a painful and crude extraction by the standards of the time, which unleashed a chain of events that would seal the little girl's fate. With the tooth removed, it did not stop the pain, which grew worse and worse every hour. After a few days of unimaginable pain and suffering, the local doctor from Vernon, dr Morris, was brought to the family home and to Lonnie's bedside, but sadly nothing could be done as the young girl had developed septicemia. Septicemia is an infection that occurs when bacteria enters the bloodstream and spreads. It can then lead to sepsis, which can cause organ damage and death. Sadly, too much time had passed and there was nothing that could be done to save the little girl. When, on Saturday, march 31st 1894, eight-year-old Lonnie Moore died, surrounded by her family, in her home on Pleasant Valley Road in Vernon, british Columbia, the family were devastated. Even in 1894, nobody could understand how a toothache could lead to a little girl's death. As per the custom of the late 1800s, lonnie's wake and funeral took place inside the family home, with friends and neighbors stopping by to visit and pay their respects to the family. Lonnie was then buried in the local cemetery known as the old Pioneer Park Cemetery.
Speaker 1:By 1901, a new cemetery had opened on Pleasant Valley Road and the Moore family had decided to exhume and reinter Lonnie in the newly opened Pleasant Valley Cemetery. When his daughter's body was exhumed, charles Moore decided to examine his daughter's body. Why Mr Moore wanted to view the body of his little girl that had been deceased and buried for seven years was a mystery. However, it was during this macabre viewing that Charles Moore would discover the truth of his daughter's death and the terrible fact that her jaw had been fractured. The little girl would have suffered this painful injury at the hands of the dentist in Kamloops, who had extracted the little girl's tooth with such a force that the dentist fractured her jaw a cruel twist of fate that contributed to the little girl's untimely death. While the family was now aware of what really happened to their beautiful little Lonnie, it didn't change the fact that she was dead. Sadly, lonnie's body was reburied in the new cemetery, which was a closer distance to the family residence.
Speaker 1:Over the years, the Moore's home has passed through many hands as a personal residence and has also been used as an office space for local businesses. When the house was turned into a dental office, it seems that that's when little Lonnie Moore began to make her presence known. Employees would often report over the years that doors would open and close in the dental office all by themselves. Dental equipment such as drills would turn on and off all by themselves when there's nobody in the room, and the dental swivel chairs that patients would lie in would move back and forth and rotate up and down all by themselves when there was nobody in the room.
Speaker 1:One spooky story that I came across in a book that I was reading called Spirit of the West spoke of an incident with a young patient. A young girl was at the dentist's office for her checkup and was holding a teddy bear very tightly. As the little girl was lying back in the dentist's chair having her teeth examined, she was gripping her teddy bear very tightly for comfort. By the end of the dental checkup, when the little girl sat up in the dental chair, her teddy bear had vanished. The staff at the dental clinic looked everywhere for the little girl's teddy bear under the chair, in the cupboards, all throughout the office, but it was nowhere to be found. The staff had looked in every possible spot, but the little girl's teddy bear had literally just vanished. The little girl was very upset and she was crying uncontrollably. The dentist and the staff promised the little girl and the mother that they would continue to search in the office and as soon as they found the teddy bear, they would call them.
Speaker 1:The disappearance of the teddy bear baffled everyone in the dental office as nobody could understand what happened the next morning when the employees arrived at the office for work and unlocked the front door. The next morning, when the employees arrived at the office for work and unlocked the front door, as all the employees began to walk into the dental office, they noticed sitting on top of the reception desk was the little girl's teddy bear that had mysteriously disappeared the day before. The employees all just stood there, completely shocked. They knew that they had checked the entire office the day before and that they could not find the teddy bear. And when checked the entire office the day before and that they could not find the teddy bear. And when they left the office the day prior that there was no teddy bear on top of the reception's desk, while other staff working at the dental office over the years reported that they would often feel sudden bursts of cold air all around them, followed by the sense as if someone was bumping into them into the hallway, sometimes knocking them to the ground. While the residents of Vernon walk by the historic home on Pleasant Valley Road, it is well known that the spirit of little Lonnie endures still to this day, with many strange and spooky occurrences, and that little Lonnie's spirit is still inside, wandering throughout the family home, a place where she so tragically died in 1894.
Speaker 1:In downtown Toronto is the very historic and haunted Osgoode Hall. Built in 1829, the building was named after William Osgoode, the first Chief Justice of Upper Canada, which is now Ontario. The building itself was constructed in the late Paladine and Neoclassical style and is part of York University. While originally the building housed the regulatory body for lawyers in Ontario, today it is home to the Law Commission of Ontario, the Journal of Law and Society Policy and the Library of the Law Society as well. Yet still to this day, the imposing structure is surrounded by black iron gates that can be viewed as guarding and restrictive. Yet when Osgoode Hall was constructed in 1829, the iron gates were originally constructed to keep livestock and cattle off the illustrious and privileged spot of higher learning. Osgoode Hall was designated a National Historic Site in 1979 because it represents the judicial institution in Ontario and the role of law in protecting underground railroad refugees from extradition, and because it ranks among Canada's architectural and historical treasures. Yet while the building is steeped in Canadian legal history, it is also known as one of the most imposing and haunted buildings at York University.
Speaker 1:There have been many stories of ghosts and hauntings that have been passed down throughout the generations of people that have been wandering through the hallways of Osgoode Hall, from the mysterious figures of people sitting at the tables in the library after closing time to employees witnessing the apparition of strange figures walking through the library only to then disappear into thin air, to also hearing the sounds of people chattering and talking in rooms. Yet when staff enter the room to check, it's completely emptied and the doors will often slam shut. One very interesting story that I came across in my research speaks to a first-hand account that a former librarian had in the 1960s. Mr Johnston was the chief librarian of the Law Society at Osgoode Hall from 1939 to 1965. Mr Johnston was described in an article as being a serious man who was not given to flights of fancy. Basically what that means is he was a very serious and diligent individual who would not have reported a ghostly encounter if it hadn't have happened.
Speaker 1:When Mr Johnston was the chief librarian from 1939 to 1965, the library was always closed late Saturday evening, with the doors being locked, and the library would always stay closed all day Sunday, and the library would reopen on Monday morning. Since the library was closed on Sundays, this provided a great opportunity for Mr Johnston to enjoy the peace and quiet of the empty library in order for him to get some extra work done. The story goes that on one Sunday afternoon Mr Johnston went to the library to get some extra work done. As he entered the building, he unlocked the door and then relocked it behind him. As Mr Johnston began to walk through the library towards his office, he was surprised to see a man sitting at the desk. He described the man as being bent over reading some books as if he was studying. The man as being bent over reading some books as if he was studying. Now Mr Johnston knew that he had locked the library doors when he entered and that of course, osgoode Hall was always closed on Sundays. But he just assumed that someone had let the student in to continue with his studies. The chief librarian really didn't mind that much, so he went about his business that day.
Speaker 1:As it got closer to 5 pm, mr Johnson began to pack up his items to get ready to head home. Yet he noticed that the man was still sitting at the desk reading the same book. So Mr Johnson decided to approach the man to remind him that it was now 5 o'clock and it was time to leave. Yet as Mr Johnson began to walk towards the man, the man stood up and began to walk towards the locked library doors. The chief librarian then watched the man walk directly through the locked doors and then just vanish in front of his eyes. Mr Johnson just stopped in his tracks. He was terrified as to what he had just seen happened. When he went to check the doors, they were still locked. With that, mr Johnson grabbed all of his items and left the library that day, but he did tell many people what happened as it shocked him for many years to come.
Speaker 1:Over the years, many people have witnessed the man sitting at the table in the great library reading the same book over and over again. Yet when people begin to approach the mysterious man, he just gets up from the table and vanishes in front of them, while on other occasions, when people are in the Great Library, they'll often hear footsteps walking all around them or get a sudden feeling as if someone is just staring at them, while many other people report that when they're in Osgoode Hall that they can often hear conversations coming from some of the chambers and rooms, yet when staff go to check, there's nobody in there, and then they'll hear the doors slam shut. While Osgoode Hall is a historical building steeped in Canadian law, it is also believed to be haunted by the many spirits that are still roaming throughout this historical building. Osgoode Hall is open to the public and, if you're ever in Toronto or at York University, I highly recommend venturing inside to see the stunning architecture and the building that is full of amazing haunted history.
Speaker 1:In the heart of Halifax, nova Scotia, atop a hill, is the star-shaped Halifax Citadel, filled with historic and haunted tales. Halifax was founded in 1749, the same year that the Citadel Hill was fortified, and at the heart of this historic site stands a three-story rectangular cavalier building, a spooky structure of stone adorned with multiple chimneys and a veranda. But within its cold walls a ghostly presence lingers, waiting to tell a tragic tale. Staff who have worked at Citadel Hill over the years have had many of their own encounters. Yet it is the story of the ghost of the Grey Lady wandering throughout the second floor of the Cavalier building, gliding along the veranda or staring out the windows, that still intrigues everyone who visits. The Grey Lady ghost is known as Cassie Allen, a beautiful young woman from the early 1900s who fell in love with a young and handsome soldier, sergeant Major Edwards, who had recently arrived in Halifax from Bermuda and was posted at Citadel Hill. Their love for each other grew very quickly, with the Sergeant Major eventually proposing to Cassie and asking for her hand in marriage. Cassie Allen immediately said yes and was so excited to be married, you see, being married to the Sergeant Major Edwards. This would provide the young Cassie with security and a position in society. So Cassie wasted no time getting the wedding preparations organized and having a beautiful white dress made for her wedding day.
Speaker 1:On Wednesday November 14, 1900, the beautiful bride Cassie Allen stood at the altar of the Trinity Church in Halifax in a beautiful white wedding dress, holding a bouquet of red roses, with her heart filled with love for the man that she was soon to marry. Yet as the time for the wedding came and went, cassie's excitement turned to worry. As her groom never arrived at the church, cassie began to pace back and forth, not knowing what to do. Yet soon she could hear the sounds of the horses approaching the church. Cassie gave a sigh of relief, believing that it was the groom arriving at the church to marry her. However, as the horses arrived, pulling the carriage to the front steps of the Trinity Church, the carriage was empty.
Speaker 1:The driver of the carriage was tasked with the job of telling Cassie the grim and devastating news that her groom, the Sergeant Major Edwards, had been found dead that very morning in his room on the second floor of the Cavalier building at Citadel Hill. The groom had taken his own life when the soldiers at the Citadel found out that he was already married and threatened to tell the Sergeant Major's superiors. Sergeant Major Edwards believed that he could hide his first marriage, as his first wife was in an asylum in Bermuda. Edwards thought that by coming to Halifax his past could be forgotten about and he could start a new life, and nobody would be the wiser. Yet this was not to be. When fellow soldiers heard the news that Sergeant Major Edwards was about to be married to Cassie Allen, they confronted him.
Speaker 1:Major Edwards was about to be married to Cassie Allen. They confronted him, told him that they knew that he had a wife back in Bermuda and if he tried to go through with a second marriage, that they would inform his superiors. This could result in the loss of Sergeant Major Edwards' rank, his position, and he could be imprisoned. Edwards was so fearful that his secret and deceit would be unearthed by his superiors that he ended up shooting himself in his room on the second floor of the Cavalier building at Citadel Hill just hours before his wedding.
Speaker 1:When Cassie heard the news that the love of her life was now dead, she just stood inside the Trinity Church, devastated with the news, not knowing what to do. She was in complete shock. Cassie's grief and disbelief manifested in devastating cries that pierced throughout the church and all of Halifax as she refused to accept the tragic truth that her groom was dead. With Cassie crying uncontrollably, walking up and down the aisle of the Trinity Church in her white wedding dress holding her bouquet of red roses. A few years later, the church where Cassie Allen was supposed to be married burnt down in a fire. Some of the wood that was recovered from the altar of that church was used to build chairs, and those chairs were then placed in the second floor of the Cavalier building.
Speaker 1:It was around the late 1960s when people who worked at Citadel Hill began to notice the ghostly presence of a woman in a white wedding dress walking along the veranda and inside the rooms of the Cavalier building, with many people believing that it is Cassie Allen's ghost, still searching for Sergeant Major Edwards, the man she loved and was to marry. Employees and visitors have reported over the years that when they're exploring throughout the historic site and they're looking around the second floor of the Cavalier building that they're often greeted by a woman in a white dress sitting in one of those historic chairs. Many people describe the woman in a 1900s white dress with a distinct smell of roses in the room. When people see this woman in the Cavalier building, of course they're a bit taken back. Yet visitors and staff reported that when they tried to engage the woman in a conversation, that she will just stare blankly at them and then vanish in front of their eyes, While other people report that they'll often see the Grey Lady holding the bouquet of red roses walking back and forth on the veranda on the second floor of the Cavalier building.
Speaker 1:The staff of the historical building have been documenting the sightings of the ghost of the Grey Lady, with records being kept in logbooks going back to the early 1960s. On many evenings, as security guards are doing their nightly checks to ensure that the buildings are secure and all the doors are locked, they will often see the ghost of the Grey Lady walking on the second floor veranda. When staff see the Lady, they'll often call out to the woman telling her that she's not supposed to be in here and they need to escort her out. The staff report that as soon as they walk towards the Grey Lady to escort her out of the area, that she just vanishes in front of them, while on other occasions, security guards report seeing the Grey Lady almost floating back and forth on the veranda, only to have her just vanish into the darkness. These sightings have happened so many times now that it has become common knowledge for anybody who works in the evenings that they will likely run into the ghost of the Grey Lady.
Speaker 1:The legend of the Grey Lady is a chilling ghost story that continues to send shivers down the spines of all those who dared to enter the haunted halls of the Halifax Citadel. The ghostly figure of the Grey Lady, believed to be the tormented soul of Cassie Allen, drifts through the dark hallways of the Cavalier building. Many people who visit the Halifax Citadel believe that Cassie's spirit is not merely searching for her beloved Sergeant Major Edwards, but that she is seeking revenge upon all those who dared across her path, with sightings of her being a haunting reminder of a tragic love story as she continues to wander throughout the dark corridors searching for her beloved. The story of the Grey Lady is such a famous ghost story, steeped in Halifax folklore, that it was selected by Canada Post in 2015 to be featured on a series of stamps dedicated to ghost stories from across Canada.
Speaker 1:Well, everyone, that is the end of episode 12 of Haunted Canada, and again I want to truly thank every single person who has taken the time to listen to this podcast. I truly do appreciate it. If you are enjoying this podcast, please take the time to like, follow and leave us a five-star written review, as that always does help. You can also follow us on Facebook, instagram and TikTok for all the updates. If you have any stories that you'd like for us to cover on Haunted Canada, please email us through our website at hauntedcanadacom. Again, I would like to sincerely thank everyone who has taken the time to listen to this podcast. Again, I would like to sincerely thank everyone who has taken the time to listen to this podcast. I truly do appreciate it. I am loving creating these episodes and discovering more spooky ghost stories to share with you. Have a good night, everyone, and stay safe. You.