Ghosts at Fort Wellington Robert B. Stewart |
From my cynical perspective, this is the obligatory ghost page. Whenever you read about an old, unoccupied structure, you are almost certain to hear some
ghost stories. Fort Wellington is no exception to the rule.
My comments about my own experiences at Fort Wellington have been published by Mr. John Robert Colombo in his book, Strange But True: Canadian
Stories of Horror and Terror, 2007: Dundurn, ISBN 978-1-55002-735-8.
For the sake of those who do not have access to this excellent book, written by one of Canada's greatest literary stylists, here are the gory details:
ghost stories. Fort Wellington is no exception to the rule.
My comments about my own experiences at Fort Wellington have been published by Mr. John Robert Colombo in his book, Strange But True: Canadian
Stories of Horror and Terror, 2007: Dundurn, ISBN 978-1-55002-735-8.
For the sake of those who do not have access to this excellent book, written by one of Canada's greatest literary stylists, here are the gory details:
- On the second floor of the blockhouse at Fort Wellington, various people have encountered a manifestation which has been called "Terrance" since the
early 19080s. Terrance was contacted by staff members during a ouija board session in about 1983. He described himself as the immortal soul of a
British soldier who had been stationed at Fort Wellington in the early nineteenth century.
- A second manifestation has been seen by observers crossing the parade square between the entrance gate and the blockhouse. This takes the form of a
man walking towards the blockhouse who never seems to arrive. He is non-descript in appearance, and appears at twilight.
- Arguably, there is a another manifestation on the second floor of the blockhouse. This is a physical manifestation in the form of a shape located in the southwest
corner of the east barracks room. It has been seen as a moving non-distinct shape, but also in human form. It may be the same manifestation as Terrance,
although the evidence implies that Terrance is communicative, but does not physically appear.
- Perhaps creepiest of all is the walking door-opener on the third floor of the blockhouse. This floor comprises a large, square room on each of the walls of which
there are two doors opening out into a machicolated gallery projecting from the stone wall and overhanging the base of the building. Each of the eight doorways
has a door which is secured by a latch. In winter, these doors are sealed with plastic frames to keep heat from inside the building from escaping. On several
occasions, the doors have opened on their own, while the blockhouse itself is locked. In the early 1980s, the entire floor was equipped with motion sensor
alarms and door alarms, the latter of which would be triggered if the door were open. On one occasion during the winter, all eight of the door alarms were
triggered, one after the other, but the motion sensor detected nothing. At the time, the blockhouse was locked and had been for many weeks beforehand. On at
least one occasion, persons who entered the blockhouse to investigate the door-openings heard footsteps from the third floor of the building.
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- There is a persistent rumour that the old Stockade Barracks, located a block east of Fort Wellington on East Street in Prescott, is haunted. This was the first
fortification and military building in Prescott and dates from approximately 1805. It is now a private residence. As a military hospital and storehouse during the
War of 1812, the Stockade Barracks would certainly fit the stereotype of an old, somewhat gloomy building with a tragic history. However, I have long been
friends with its former owner who insists that in all of his years living in, and restoring, the Stockade Barracks, he never experienced any ghosts.
- Tragically, the Town of Prescott has long threatened to become a "ghost town" itself. The construction of the St. Lawrence Seaway in the 1950s put an end to
the lucrative port trade which made Prescott rich. Almost all ships using the Seaway sail right past Prescott without even slowing down. Free Trade closed
many of Prescott's textile factories, and the gradual shift of Ontario's industrial base to the Toronto to Windsor corridor has threatened the rest of Prescott's
industries. Fortunately, salvation may have come in the form of Highway 416, which is the major highway link between Ottawa and Highway 401. The
intersection of these two highways is at Johnstown, about five miles east of Prescott. As a result, people in Ottawa who wish to buy a weekend home in a quiet
community have been gradually buying up Prescott's handsome and historic houses.