Exploring Lethbridge and southern Alberta’s spooky past

The old Galt Hospital, now a part of the Galt Museum & Archives, is a facility with plenty of history.

Crowson said there are many stories associated with the Galt Hospital, most notably that of George Bailey, a 60-year-old farmer who passed away in the hospital.

“It’s important to note that when the Galt Hospital was originally built in 1910, there was no elevator. People had to be accrued up the stairs to the operating room, or down the stairs to the morgue,” she said, adding Lethbridge City Council approved funding to expand the building in 1929-1930.

The expansion added a much-needed elevator to the hospital. To this day, the elevator is still connected with the hospital’s ghostly tale.

“In February 1933, George Bailey came to the Galt Hospital for exploratory surgery. He was put on to a gurney, on the main floor, pushed down the hallway and then on to the elevator. That’s when everything went horribly wrong,” Crowson said.

She explained that when Bailey’s bed was halfway on and the elevator doors were wide open, the floor of the lift started to rise.

Bailey and his hospital bed were caught and “then dangled above the elevator shaft”. Crowson said he slipped through, falling and hitting his head on the floor below.

“When they got down to him, he was still alive, but he was shuffling around that room downstairs. He died later that night. Some people have declared that George has never left the building,” she added.

“Somebody whose office was in the basement reported hearing shuffling feet come up to his door, but when he went to the door, there was no one there.”

Others have reported seeing blue lights floating down the hallway, as well as “strange shadows” watching them work.

“A woman who came into the hospital to have a baby, not long after George had passed away, actually recalled meeting George,” Crowson said.

The women’s room where she had her baby was on the top floor of the Galt Hospital.

“She came down to the main floor, to the room that was called the sunroom, so she could have a break. When she went to go back upstairs, she pushed for the elevator to go upstairs, but instead it took her downstairs,” Crowson added.

“When the doors opened, she looked outside the elevator and realized she could see a man standing there. She didn’t think much about it until she realized she could see right through the man.”

The woman quickly pushed the button to get back up the elevator, rushing to the nurse’s station to inform a nurse of what she had seen.

“The nurse calmly replied, oh that’s just George! When he gets lonely, he brings people downstairs.”

YATES THEATRE

Crowson also spoke about the Genevieve Yates Memorial Centre, commonly known as the Yates Theatre in Lethbridge.

“People driving past the theatre have observed visitors in the lobby, long after the theatre has closed,” she said.

“There’s also been people who reported a mysterious singer who they hear from the empty stage. When they go to try to find the voice, there is no one there.”

Crowson said one evening, a staff member came across several young girls playing ‘Ring Around the Rosie’ in the hallway of the theatre, long after the centre had closed for the day.

“She wanted to tell them that they had to leave, when the girls raced off and entered Pebble Beach.”

Pebble Beach was the old storage area that used to be under the seats, which has since been removed. Crowson explained that there was only one door in and one door out of Pebble Beach.

“She [the employee] followed them in, but when she went into Pebble Beach, they were nowhere to be found. The girls had simply disappeared.”

UNIVERSITY OF LETHBRIDGE

Crowson said one story out of the U of L centres around University Hall.

A new employee had started at the post-secondary institution and according to Crowson, enjoyed her job “for the most part”.

“But every so often she had this feeling of great disapproval, as if somebody was watching her and was angry and upset,” she explained.

“This would go on and off quite often.”

Crowson said one day the employee was in the cafeteria.

“As she was getting her food and she was there with the cashier, all of a sudden she felt this great disapproval and she shivered.”

The cashier went on to ask the employee if she saw “him” or felt “him”. The employee was confused and asked the cashier to explain.

“[The cashier explained] that a young man had suicided there in University Hall and that his presence was still to be felt among people who worked and resided in University Hall.”

Some of the other locations discussed by Crowson included the Fritz Sick Pool, the old LCI building/Hamilton Junior High, St. Michael’s Hospital and the YWCA building.

She also touched on the legend of the ‘Ghost Train’ between Lethbridge and Medicine Hat, among other ghostly tales from across southern Alberta.

Crowson’s presentation in full can be viewed below, courtesy of SACPA on YouTube.

(Southern Alberta Council on Public Affairs – YouTube)

by Justin Goulet

Exploring Lethbridge and southern Alberta’s spooky past

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