Ghost stories and sightings abound at Halifax’s most popular haunts
HALIFAX – With its long history of disasters and shipwrecks, there is an air of tragedy that hangs over Halifax, not unlike the dense fog that often rolls in from its harbour.
Though the port city has long established itself as a down-home, good-time burg — a place to unwind to a toe-tapping Celtic tune and a dram of whisky — those thirsty for spirits of the paranormal kind won’t be disappointed.
One of Halifax’s most infamous spooky sites is the Five Fishermen Restaurant and Grill, perched on the bustling corner of Carmichael and Argyle Streets. Having once served as a mortuary, it’s perhaps not surprising that the 194-year-old structure is equally known for its hauntings as well as its halibut.
The four-storey, brick-and-wood building opened in 1816 as a schoolhouse and was eventually taken over by a local family and turned into a funeral home.
It became the last stop of sorts for victims of two significant disasters of the 20th century — the sinking of the Titanic off Newfoundland in April 1912 and the Halifax Explosion of 1917. The explosion occurred when a supply vessel and a munitions ship collided in the harbour, killing 2,000 people and leaving some 9,000 injured.
Shane Robilliard, the Five Fishermen’s general manager, says tales of cutlery moving on its own, disembodied voices and shadowy figures have actually been good for business.
Robilliard recalls a recent instance when diners tried to send a text message from their table. But instead of the intended message, Robilliard says only one word flashed on the recipient’s mobile phone: death.
