Derivative Omages

With over 100 years of history, the Fort Garry Hotel has played host to many guests over the years. One of these guests is reported to haunt the infamous ‘Room 202’.

The Fort Garry Hotel is infamous for its haunted Room 202. A woman apparently committed suicide in the room many years ago after hearing of the death of her husband in a car accident. Overcome with grief; she hung herself in the closet.

Staff have reported seeing blood dripping down the walls upon entering the room, and guests have witnessed the apparition of a woman in a cloak hovering at the foot of their bed. During a stay in Room 202 in 2004, former Ontario Liberal MP Brenda Chamberlain claimed she was awoken by the sensation of someone getting into bed with her, twice!

A young boy who was on a trip with his family organized by “Make-a-Wish” wanted to stay in 202. He was fascinated with the whole thing and decided to take some pictures of the room with his film camera. After getting the photos developed a couple of months later, all the photos from the trip turned out, apart from the ones in and around Room 202! The boy was thrilled, believing the spirits in that room were just camera shy and didn’t want to be seen.

The woman associated with Room 202 is also said to haunt the hotel lounge. She has been witnessed by staff and guests alike here, often crying in the corner.

Employees also reported seeing the ghost of a young woman dressed in a robe walking down the hallway.

Ghostly figures have also been witnessed in other rooms, often at the foot of their beds. Sometimes a man has been seen, and in other instances, it’s a woman reported wearing a ball gown.

On one particular occasion in 1989, a hotel employee was cleaning the kitchen overnight. He had gone up the back stairway around 4 am when he heard strange sounds coming from the locked dining room. He immediately went to get the key, and upon opening the door, he witnessed what looked like the figure of a man sitting at a table! He quickly ran to get another member of staff to show them what he had seen. However, when they returned to the dining room, the figure had vanished.

The Fort Garry Hotel was built in 1913 by the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway. The hotel was originally planned to be called The Selkirk. However, it was decided that it should be named after Upper Fort Garry, which once stood at the junction of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers.

The hotel was a real draw from the beginning and played host to many famous guests, including Queen Elizabeth, King George VI, Laurence Olivier, Louis Armstrong, and Liberace. The Fort Garry Hotel is now a National Historic Landmark.

https://www.hauntedrooms.com/canada/haunted-places/haunted-hotels/fort-garry-hotel-winnipeg