It's Showtime!

(At the Elgin and Winter Garden Theatres)

Welcome to Series Two of i hope it’s a ghost! I’m so excited to share the first episode of Haunted Ontario with you.

The tone for this series is a little different from Personal Stories. In Haunted Ontario, we’re going to dive into some of the most haunted locations and buildings in my province.

To kick things off, I decided to start with one of my absolute favorite historical (and haunted) buildings in Toronto, Ontario: The Elgin and Winter Garden Theatres.

Toronto’s Elgin and Winter Garden Theatre

Built in 1913, the Elgin and Winter Garden Theaters make up a unique theatre complex in what is now downtown Toronto.

What makes these two entertainment spaces so special is that they were designed to work as a “double-decker” theatre. In other words, The Winter Garden Theatre sits atop the Elgin Theatre.

Constructed in two unique styles, the Elgin Theatre boasts classic red, velvet seats, and curtains, with gold leaf details.

While stunning, it’s the Winter Garden Theatre that holds my heart.

Described as a ‘botanical fantasy’, the Winter Garden Theatre was designed to look like a garden. Hand-painted greenery adorns the walls, but it’s the twinkling lanterns and beech branch ceiling that capture the eye. This theatre simply transports you to another time and place.

Vaudeville thrived at the Winter Garden, but with its decline, the theatre closed in 1928. The Elgin Theatre continued to show movies, but over time, it too fell into disrepair.

In 1984 the Eglin and Winter Garden got a second chance to shine when the Ontario Heritage Trust spent $29 million on a complete, restoration project. According to the Ontario Heritage Trust, it was during this time that the world’s largest collection of vaudeville scenery was discovered.

Today, you can visit the Elgin and Winter Garden Theatres, which hosts events, shows, tours, and more.

And with a colorful history that spans 100 years, you can bet that both theatres have their fair share of ghost stories.

An Aside: The Photo Ghost

In 2015 I managed to snag a tour of the Elgin and Winter Garden Theatres.

Now, here’s something a little strange. In preparation for this episode, I searched through my camera roll to find the photos I took of this theatre tour.

I found photos for 2014. I found photos for 2016. I can’t for the life of me find any photos for all of 2015.

Eventually, I turned to my old Instagram page for help. There, I located the three photos I posted after going on the tour. (Yes, they are the three photos included in this post).

While I wish I had some better images to share with you, all I can do is blame the photo ghost, who clearly deleted the photos from my devices.

Let’s Get Back on Track: The 2015 Tour

I also wish I had the opportunity to visit the Elgin and Winter Garden Theatres again before my fingers hit the keys to type out this episode. Unfortunately (as we’re all well aware at this point) the pandemic and resulting closures, combined with my own schedule, made this impossible.

Nevertheless, back in high school, I had the opportunity to sit in on a few performances in Elgin, and one magical afternoon rehearsal in the Winter Garden.

Seeing a show and touring the theatre, however, are two very different experiences, which is why I signed up for a guided tour in 2015.

I found it incredibly fascinating to see and learn more about what goes on behind the scenes at this historic venue. The dimmed lights, utter stillness, and all the nooks and crannies of the stage’s inner workings lend themselves perfectly to some pretty creepy vibes.

And in 2015, I was still very much obsessed with all things haunted.

I state this because I remember, quite clearly, that I did not experience anything unusual or out of the ordinary while on the tour. So, based on personal experience, I can’t yet confirm whether or not I believe the venue is haunted.

That doesn’t mean it isn’t.

A Ghostly Spectator

The Elgin theatre comes with one of my favorite ghost stories.

It goes like this:

In 1984, a rehearsal for the musical Cats took place on stage at the Elgin Theatre.

During the rehearsal, some members of the cast noticed a man in the theatre. He wore a brown bowler hat and a matching brown suit. He sat in the second row, which meant he was very close to the stage and not easily missed.

The cast thought the man looked out of place. It also seemed strange he had been sitting in on a closed rehearsal. However, they brushed it off, thinking the man had been a close personal friend of the director.

After all, the show must go on!

When it came time to go over the rehearsal notes, members of the cast asked the assistant director about the man in the bowler hat.

The assistant director had no clue who they were talking about. In fact, he didn’t believe them because he and the director had watched the closed rehearsal, sitting in the middle row at the back of the house.

They hadn’t seen a soul.

So. What do you, my lovely readers think? Have you ever experienced any ghost-related activity at the Elgin or Winter Garden Theatres? And these theatres certainly aren’t the only haunted venues in the world. Have you ever visited your local theatre? Any ghost sightings there?

I’d love to hear from you! Sound off in the comments, and I’ll ‘see’ you next week for the next episode of Haunted Ontario.

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