#katward

[John] This is a bit of a different post for us. Some time ago, we invited our friend, Kat Ward, to write an article for us about her 2016 Hallowe’en Haunted House experience. It has taken us a while to finalize everything and post it for all to enjoy (we’ve had a little bit on our plates as of late) but it is here now, so please join us and tour the haunted house with Kat. (and Kat... please forgive us for the serious delay in releasing your piece!)

A Haunting Adventure in Wainwright, Alberta By Kat Ward

Who doesn't enjoy being terrified at a haunted house during Hallowe’en?

The people in the town of Wainwright sure are no exception. Wainwright is located in the Canadian Prairies, in the Eastern Central part of Alberta. From October 27th to 31st, the people of this quaint town and its surrounding communities gather for the fright of a lifetime. For the past two Hallowe’en seasons, 2015 and 2016, the chosen location for this haunting experience has been the old Wainwright Hotel.

Wainwright Hotel, Wainwright, Alberta, Canada Photo courtesy of Kat Ward

For two months prior to this frightful adventure, volunteers help to set the scene for a blood-curdling time...for those visitors who are brave enough to enter. Mike Comeau is the creative genius behind this creepy funfest. After seeing his imagination come alive, I'm not sure how this man sleeps at night. One thing is certain however; Mr. Comeau is indeed brilliant at making people's terrors become a reality.

Mike Comeau, Creative Genius Photo courtesy of Kat Ward

For five evenings, our volunteers put on their costumes and did their best to frighten one and all. I must admit, we didn't really have to try very hard; most people were terrified before entering the Wainwright Haunted House. Up the road, you could hear the screams from people of all ages. For those who wanted to see the spooktacular building but were too frightened to do so at night, we opened the doors two hours early so they could walk through with all of the lights on. Not only did families with small children take advantage of the not-so-creepy early show, many adults did as well. As soon as it was time for the real show to start, all gloves came off and the true fun began.

We had many costumed volunteers dressed as clowns, jesters, and even a version of Beetlejuice was there to greet our guests.

Photo courtesy of Kat Ward

Jeeves in the dining room, offering hors d'oeuvres. Photo courtesy of Kat Ward

Photo courtesy of Kat Ward

Photo courtesy of Kat Ward

Our Surgical Room was a very creepy place for a lot of people. Many hesitated to enter, for this room held many of their nightmares. The skull on the table was donated to us and was, apparently, a movie prop at one time. We are unsure of which movie it was from, but it was a welcome addition to this room.

The Surgical Room Photo courtesy of Kat Ward

As our guests entered, the surgeon approached them asking if anyone would be her assistant, or perhaps be willing to ‘donate’ a limb or two. No one was willing and in fact, they were quite anxious to leave. On their way out, they were met by the nurse who bid them farewell with a blood-curdling scream and watched as they anxiously exited the surgical room; moving onto the other terrors that we had in store for them.

The Surgical Room Nurse Photo courtesy of Kat Ward

As they continued on, our brave visitors found themselves in the Spider Room. This room was filled with webs, which made it extremely difficult to find the walking path (adding to the fear factor). Giant animatronic spiders each about the size of a small dog, with eyes glowing red, were found in this darkened room. These chittering spiders could be heard as they awaited someone to be caught in their traps for the next meal. People screamed as our arachnids lunged towards their prey.

The Spider Room being created Photo courtesy of Kat Ward

Next came our Torture Chamber, where an unlucky Santa found himself on the stretching rack. His painful wailing of “HO HO HO” could be heard throughout the hotel. I heard one person, in an attempt to alleviate her own fears, tell our Kris Kringle that this was payback for not giving her the toy she so cherished as a child. Nervous laughter followed.

Moving on, you could find the Witches Den where our cackling hags mixed potions and cast spells for all to watch. Snakes slithered on the floor while candles and skulls could be found on tables. As they continued walking along, a cauldron full of bones was not what our guests wanted to see, perhaps fearing that they might be the next ones to become part of the magical soup.

Our next room was not as large as the others but was still one that many feared. People entered to find many bodies wrapped and hanging upside down from the ceiling. The lady of the house asked of those entering, “What are you doing in my Pantry?” Everyone stopped in their tracks, wondering what they had just stumbled upon. They were told that this was where the ‘meat’ was stored and a few guests uttered that they had made it out of the frying pan of the Witches Den, only to land in the fire of the Pantry. The lady quickly ushered them through to meet the family.

The Nursery was the next stop on our frightful tour. The guests were introduced to the children, who were anxious for a visitor to get closer to the cribs and perhaps have a snack before mealtime. When asked if anyone cared to stay for a while to play with the children, there were no takers and instead they all hastened their pace out the door.

The Nursery Photo courtesy of Kat Ward

The Nursery Photo courtesy of Kat Ward

The Nursery being the last room on the second floor, our guests had the option of either continuing on to explore the third floor or going down to the main floor to seek out the exit. Many opted for the exit but most pushed on to take their chances upstairs. Some claimed this was the worst part of the haunted house; they didn’t know what to expect. Every other room they had experienced, had things jumping out at them and so they expected the same for the top floor. However, here they could hear stories of actual accidents that had happened in the old hotel starting in the early 1900’s. These stories made their imaginations run wild, wondering if they would encounter any spirits who may still reside here.

As our guests approached the end of our haunted house tour, they had to cross a creaky bridge surrounded by trees. This was done with very little light, of course, which helped create a lot of anxiety in our guests. Several did not wish to cross but in order to reach the exit, they had no choice in the matter; this was the only way out.

An undesirable exit Photo courtesy of Kat Ward

Werewolf Photo courtesy of Kat Ward

One of the things that added to people's fears of our Haunted House was the knowledge that the old building itself, the Wainwright Hotel, is supposedly haunted. It was built in the early 1900’s but burned down in 1929 due to a fire that started from mosquito smudging at a livery barn. Smudging is a slow-burning, smoke-producing fire that was used to eliminate irritation and suffering in livestock caused by flying insects. That was a devastating fire for the town; not only was the hotel lost but most of the commercial district as well. The hotel was rebuilt in July of 1929 and this time, instead of a wooden frame, they used poured concrete. Concrete was rarely used due to transportation difficulties and cost; common materials at this time were generally wood or brick.

Photo courtesy of Kat Ward

One tragic story happened before the great fire of 1929. In 1914, a young lady of only 18 years and employed by the hotel, was cleaning her skirt in one of the rooms. She was using gasoline, since it was effective during this time for removing grease. The liquid was in a small tub and the only light source was an oil lantern; the fumes were so great as to put out the lamp. The tragedy started as she lit a match to relight her lamp and she was quickly engulfed in flames. She was brought to one of the hotel rooms where doctors tried to save her but she succumbed to her injuries early the next morning. Some locals recently told me that they saw a white figure in a window of the top floor of the hotel. The building is currently not in use; it is awaiting renovation and so the building is empty. There are no walls, plumbing, or electrical wires inside. No one was in the building at the time. Could this have been the young lady who tragically lost her life so many years ago?

Others, over the last decade or so, have also reported hearing a man's voice telling them to leave, while working in the laundry room located in the basement. No others were present in the moment, but for the ladies doing the laundry. They also claimed to feel as though they were not wanted and that this was not a place meant for them. I’m told even today that they will not go into the basement or to the top floor.

Another resident told me of the time of first arriving in Wainwright. They were living and working in the hotel; everyone was gone for the holidays, so it was only the two of them staying in their rooms. Suddenly, there was a loud banging coming from the entire hall; the sound traveled from one end of the hall to the other. To this day, they are uncertain of what that sound was but it was extremely loud and moved up the hall. Just as abruptly as it began, the terrifying sound was gone.

Photo courtesy of Kat Ward

So you see, the Wainwright Hotel was the perfect place to host the Wainwright Haunted House. As a paranormal investigator, I hope to be able to properly investigate the building and perhaps gather evidence of spirits that still reside in the old hotel to this day. Perhaps I’ll find answers to some of the mysterious experiences people have had over the years.

Kat Ward outside of the Wainwright Hotel Photo courtesy of Kat Ward

I would like to take this opportunity to thank John and Lana of Carbon Lilies, for asking me to be a guest of their blog. I am greatly honoured and am very happy to share a bit about our yearly Hallowe’en Haunted House. It is something Wainwright and surrounding communities look forward to every Hallowe’en.

Also, thank you to Mike Comeau. Without his creepy, twisted, creative genius, we would not be able to have such a successful Hallowe’en every year.

I’d also like to thank Nichole Leitheiser, Executive Director of Buffalo Park Foundation, for letting us have the Wainwright Haunted House at the Wainwright Hotel for the past couple of years. Should anyone like to help restore this magnificent building back to her original glory, please contact Nichole at [email protected] or feel free to go to the foundation's website at http://www.buffaloparkcentre.ca.

If ever you find yourself in Alberta, Canada around Hallowe’en time, come visit us in Wainwright. We, at the Wainwright Haunted House, will welcome you and would love to give you the scare of a lifetime. 

Love and light to you all.