It is a cold June, like winter in Summer as the Fire Festival of Summer Solstice approaches at Tea at Tympani Lane Records. A spoken word reading is happenning in St. Louis Square on Saturday, June 20th, 2015, it is an "Open Poetry Call", anyone may attend and read their poetry.

Review: "Haunted Downtown" Montreal Ghost Walking Tour
with Donovan King and Nicola O'Dwyer

Be afraid, be very afraid . . . fact can be stranger than fiction and the history of ghosts in downtown Montreal is fascinating. On a cool night in Summer, a group of us met for a walking tour at St. Andrew’s Pub on Guy Street in Montreal. Donovan King and his assistant Nicola O’Dwyer, are dressed entirely in black and Donovan in black makeup. We head across the street and Donovan magically falls into character, assuming the accent of a Swedish doctor, introducing himself as Professor Dr. Beebblebock and his lovely research assistant, Liv O’Dwyer. What follows is the modern day manifestations of ghosts/paranormal activity and a history of the spellbinding historical events that trigger them amongst the stunning stonework architecture of downtown Montreal.

Beginning with the haunting of St. Andrew’s Pub . . . first there is an awful gunpowder smell, then of a night, if you look in the mirror over the bar, an horrific apparition of a bloody headless man appears. It is believed the man was James MacDonald, a patron at the bar who was gunned down by the Irish Mafia. Next, on the tour is the Grey Nun’s Motherhouse that was purchased by Concordia University for $18 million and turned into a dormitory. The spectacular architecture, high ceilings, tall windows and huge rooms is impressive. One student complained of mysterious noises and was haunted by nightmares of the trampling sounds of panic stricken people as if they were trying to escape. On Valentine’s Day in 1918, there was a fire in the orphanage on the top floor and dozens of children were burned alive, they managed to contain the fire but the children were lost. The student moved from the room and has not been bothered by nightmares since. There is the story of the “murderous cross” painted red on the corner of the Grey Nun’s residence, hauntings by demons, the ghost of a beautiful woman that appears at a nightclub that was formerly a funeral parlor, Mark Twain’s only paranormal experience at the Old Windsor Hotel, the stories around the cholera cemeteries at Dorchester Square and Place Canada amongst others. As the evening descends into night, the stories are told as we walk around the beautiful downtown architecture (the old fashioned stone work and casements of heritage buildings) and wonder at the horrific historical events. Although we did not see any ghosts this night, it is rumored of a night, and a particular cast of moonlight can cause the ghosts to walk.
“Haunted Downtown” walking tour a spectacular event in downtown Montreal.


Love,

Rebecca