Haunted Canada: True Ghost Stories

by Pat Hancock

A collection of true ghost stories, widely representing Canada all across our country. Ghosts witnessed in the grand old hotels and theatres of Winnipeg, lake spectors, sea vessels, lights along train tracks, legends on hills, and amidst the snow.

Genres: Nonfiction, Horror, Ghosts, Paranormal, Ghost Stories, History, Canada

106 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2003

About the author

Pat Hancock’s five Haunted Canada books combine spooky stories and eerie illustrations with interesting facts about Canadian history. Readers will be thrilled and chilled by her hair-raising stories! Haunted Canada: True Ghost Stories garnered the Saskatchewan Silver Willow Award in 2004. A longtime collector of funny but true facts about Canada, Pat is also well-known for her three collections of Crazy Canadian Trivia books.

Pat spent much of her life teaching science and English, until she retired and became a full-time parent. She says that reading to her three children sparked her interest in writing. She continues to teach English courses at the University of Toronto and Ryerson, and also leads writing workshops.

Reviews

[Manybooks · Rating 3 out of 5]

Even though I do have the tendency to be easily creeped out by spooky stories (and in particular if reputed to be true), well, I cannot really say that author Pat Hancock has penned her Haunted Canada: True Ghost Stories (which is actually the first in a series) in a manner that is really all that potentially spine chilling.

For while the specific and general contents of Haunted Canada: True Ghost Stories are indeed replete with spooky occurrences (of unpunished crimes, tragedies etc. leading to hauntings from Western Canada to Eastern Canada as well as up North), Pat Hancock’s writing style, it to and for me reads more like a rather mundane and even quite trivial shopping list of historical facts. In other words, while thematically Haunted Canada: True Ghost Stories is definitely interesting enough and also often provides background information of historical significance, in my opinion, if Pat Hancock wants to not only enlighten but also to somewhat creep out and frighten potential readers, stylistically, I do think that she has rather failed. Because truly, none of the presented Canadian ghost stories have managed to even mildly frighten me, and indeed, even whilst reading tales of possession, of a person supposedly being frightened to death (and which does tell me that with regard to Haunted Canada: True Ghost Stories being read as tales of spirits, of uncanny noises and the like, there is just not enough chillingness, there is simply not sufficient creepiness encountered for me to recommend Haunted Canada: True Ghost Stories for those readers who desire to not only be enlightened by Pat Hancock’s anthology of stories but also want to be frightened a bit, want to experience the recounted ghostly tales emotionally and also viscerally, physically).

Thus, three and a half stars in general for Haunted Canada: True Ghost Stories, for a decent and interesting enough collection of coast to coast Canadian ghost tales reputed to be true, reputed to have really occurred (and to sometimes still be happening) that is nevertheless not really sufficiently spooky and eerie style and narration wise for me. But yes, I have decided to lower my rating to three stars instead of upping it to four because I am really left wondering why Pat Hancock has not included in Haunted Canada: True Ghost Stories one of the most famous “true” Canadian ghost stories ever, namely the rather relentless haunting of Ottawa’s main youth hostel (which in the 19th century was the main city prison and gallows), something that I really have missed and something that in my humble opinion should not only have been included by Pat Hancock but should from my perspective also be the very first story encountered in Haunted Canada: True Ghost Stories (and well, that Hancock has finally included the Ottawa youth hostel haunting story in the third anthology, it does kind of feel a bit like too little and too late).

[Brandon Skanes · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved seeing stories from Atlantic Canada in this.

[Janika · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was not horrible but I’ve definitely read some better ghost story books. I wasn’t expecting much going into it so it didn’t have the opportunity to disappoint me. I prefer more detailed accounts of hauntings when I read about this subject.

[Madeline Nixon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Baby Maddi loved these.

[C. (Comment, never msg). · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved Pat Hancock’s “Crazy Canadian Trivia”. I modestly enjoyed “Haunted Canada: True Ghost Stories”. I praise its sampling. It is frustrating if the same places are favoured. Pat’s coverage of our country is excellent and not just of cities but little places. There are three reasons for my lack of elation. I understand that ensembles like these aren’t a study of one case or province and the vignettes are merely short summaries. Sometimes that’s all there is to the documentation of a paranormal case. However I know some of these cases from other books or because I am a Winnipegger for instance and at least the telling of my city’s haunted locales was lacking.

Regarding the Walker Theatre, the raconteuse of “Manitoba Ghost Stories” gets across that its atmosphere is actually frightening. What I know of ghostly activity at the Fort Garry Hotel is far more thrilling and undisputable than the ‘boyfriend story’ Pat printed here. She keeps using words like ‘alleged’. It has a whole floor of prime real estate that is kept in disuse: to preserve a haunted printing press! The Scott frightened to death in a cemetery is an urban legend well-known elsewhere. It amounts to pinning one’s own clothing to the ground and thinking it’s a spectre. She released many other haunted books so perhaps those gathered better paranormal records.

The rub for me is the author’s disclaimer that she doesn’t believe in ghosts. Why compile ghost stories? Certainly, many unexplained observations can only be ‘alleged’, like noises. However the seriousness of all her articles was minimized by words like that in every instance. If an experience or sighting was credibly documented; don’t downgrade the report by writing: “They say they saw it”. Declare that they saw it! It isn’t sceptics who covet these records.

[Chloe · Rating 2 out of 5]

Haunted Canada by Pat Hancock was not my favourite book. I tried to read this type of horror book but it just was not for me. It took me so long to finish it because I did not find it intreging and honestly it was pretty boring. It was not a book that I wanted to pick up and keep reading. I thought that it would be a great book for me to read because I do like horror books but I guess this one just did not catch my I. The only thing that I did really like about this book is that their were horror stories that took place at well known places in Toronto today, for example there was one story that took place at U of T. I thought that was really cool. Overall I gave this book a 2/5 star rating.

[OneMamaReads · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a short story collection of true ghost stories, which take place in Canada. The selection covers most of Canada and includes sightings, strange occurrences, paranormal activity, even something as small as knots haunting a family. There is no hard proof, all of it is witness accounts and speculation.

These are all very interesting, and I liked journeying across the country and hearing the history of different locations. I liked that many of the tales were short and to the point. There were a lot of suppositions and unanswered questions throughout, which I found took a bit away and made it more of a campfire story. I understand that this format makes the novel more folksy and personal, but I would have loved more fact based evidence and proof. This book relies a lot on readers believing in ghosts or blindly trusting first hand accounts.

Read my full review here: https://onemamassummer.weebly.com/boo...

[Octavia Cade · Rating 3 out of 5]

Came across this little book of ghosts recently - it's a collection of a few dozen ghost stories for kids. Not fiction, but Canadian ghosts that have appeared, or are believed to have appeared, throughout history. The Canadian equivalent of Catherine Howard running through Hampton Court Palace, for instance. There are stories on haunted ships, haunted theatres, haunted railways, all sorts of things. None of them are very in-depth; this is a book aimed at ten to twelve year olds, perhaps, so the more gruesome historical details are skipped over. The chapters are generally not more than four pages long, but they outline the historical circumstances around the hauntings well enough. I actually found one that takes place in the town a Canadian friend of mine lives in... I'm going to have to ask her if she's heard of it!

[Amy Dale · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is very skinny,only 106 pages, but there wasn't a dull page in it! The stories are mainly 2-3 pages long,so there isn't a great lot of detail,but there isn't anything you don't need either. The Haunted Canada books are written for kids, published by Scholastic,a point most reviewers here seem to have missed,they complain that the stories are short and simple. However I thoroughly enjoyed this first book,I hadn't heard hardly any of the tales in it and I've been reading ghost books since I was little. Also you don't get all the analysis and skeptical jabs that adult books can bog you down with. I was excited that the story of Esther Cox was included,I am always very intrigued by her experience of possession.

[Beth Besso · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting read, short summaries of Canadian ghost stories in a way gives you a look at Canada's history.

Some stories seemed so unreal, more like a legend then truth, some gave me goosebumps. There was one story in this book that I have heard multiple times - in a TV show and another book - the summary in this book is actually the least detailed I've read so a little disappointing for that story (and still 3 pages long with a picture, so probably more like 2). I almost wondered how many other stories had less detail since it was all summaries. I would have liked more details with some stories yet others were a perfect summary. Still an enjoyable read for all ages.

[Sarah Ahmed · Rating 3 out of 5]

I mean i would give it 3.5 it wasnt too bad from the middle. They were not scary one bit and some were reputitve like oooh the ghost threw dishes and stole objects. I guess the author told them just the way he heard them and didnt make up lies which is respectable. But it was a very boring read and only 2 or 3 stories were 4 stars worthy in the middle

[Madeleine · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Hearing applause in a theatre isn't scary; it's expected. But what if it's coming from rows of empty seats?"

This was a fun read! I like the way the author explained each ghost story, and it made me want to travel to some of these places, especially the Banff Springs Hotel.

"Sometimes a ghost haunts a person, not a place."

[Ivalmoryah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really wanted to love that book. I like myself a good ghost story. I was however disappointed cause the storytelling could have gone way deeper to be truly chilling. Now, it's still good inspiration if you want some ghost stories to tell around the campfire. I would have given it a 2,5/5, like just average.

[Lilly Hollows · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my favourite series of books when I was younger, and still to this day really enjoy but this one wasn't my favourite of them all. I love how original and sometimes well known these Canadian stories are!

[Elyse · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like ghost stories - it was fun to read local ghost stories and speculate about what was going on - but this book was nothing special.

[Nazareth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some good old Canadian based ghost stories. Gotta love the tales of home!

[Aiden · Rating 5 out of 5]

silly

[Chantel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read for paranormal lovers

[Callyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Was good all of the haunted Canada books are,
I recommend the haunted Canada books.

[Lydia Hale · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a book by Scholastic aimed at kids/teenagers. It is a good book for that age group with simple short stories about ghosts; written in a way that is not too scary.

[Bronwen Sutherland · Rating 5 out of 5]

Five stars its the best book I have ever read. Read this right now.

[star_fire13 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lol not bad. I got this as a secret Santa gift. It's exactly the kind of book I would've ordered from those Scholastic book order forms when I was a child. The stories weren't as creepy as I was expecting them to be though. I had read worse when I was younger. Still, the nostalgia factor was awesome. Would've liked more stories about Ottawa lol

[Madison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome!

[Kourtney]

gooood

[Tiffany · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book because it didn't beat around the bush with the stories. You get to find out where the experience happened and what exactly happened! A nice read :)

[Noelle Walsh · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love ghost stories and books about the paranormal and the spooky. This book was no exception to spooky books I really enjoyed reading. Definitely worth reading.

[Patricia Atkinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

the stories of haunted places in Canada like houses and hotel where people have witnessed them...a interesting read for all ages.