Transcript
Friday, October 23, 2026
29:55 minutes (audio)
[00:00:00]
Amanda Cupido: Welcome to ON Parliament, a podcast highlighting the history, processes, and ghosts that shape Ontario. I'm Amanda Cupido, and I've got a special Halloween episode for you. I'll be taking you on an audio ghost tour around the legislative building. We'll learn about five particularly haunted spots from David Bogart, a Communications Officer at the Legislative Assembly of Ontario.
[00:00:34]
Amanda Cupido: Let's go! We're standing in the main entranceway of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario building, and you'll hear a buzz around us because we have constant tour groups passing through. What these hundreds of people might not realize is that this building is quite haunted.
[00:00:56]
Amanda Cupido: And here to explain more is David Bogart. Thanks for joining me. Why is this building so haunted?
[00:01:02]
David Bogart: Thanks so much for having me, Amanda. It's a pleasure. But I have to ask first: are you a little worried or scared?
[00:01:07]
Amanda Cupido: I love ghosts. So I'm like, “Bring it on.”
[00:01:10]
David Bogart: Are you a believer or a skeptic?
[00:01:12]
Amanda Cupido: I believe in ghosts, but I don't like to call them ghosts because that sounds spooky, like somebody with a sheet over their head. I refer to them as spirits, and I feel like there are a lot of good spirits that help good things happen in your life. There are also negative ones that I choose not to engage with.
[00:01:28]
David Bogart: That's a good perspective to have, especially with some of the stories we're going to encounter today. There's a little bit of malevolence, but also some positive stories.
It is a mix because this place is full of history. I like to think of it as haunted by our history. That energy and spirit have been here for over 130 years. The building opened in 1893 and has seen a lot of activity. It's one of the oldest locations in Toronto.
There aren't many 19th-century buildings in Toronto that are still in use. This area around Queen's Park holds so much of downtown Toronto's history, and some of the stories we'll discuss are tied to locations that once stood nearby.
[00:02:16]
Amanda Cupido: That makes sense. If you're a believer in spirits, it's easy to get on board because they're technically all around us. Why wouldn't they be here in one of the most historic sites in the city?
[00:02:26]
David Bogart: Exactly.
[00:02:27]
Amanda Cupido: What about you? Do you believe in ghosts?
[00:02:29]
David Bogart: I do, but I've never actually seen anything here, although I've been with people who've had some really interesting experiences.
I've had creepy, look-behind-your-back feelings, but I've never seen what you'd typically call a ghost. Still, many people have experienced unusual things, and because of the energy and spirit here, I feel there are things present.
[00:02:54]
Amanda Cupido: Yeah, it's charged. And you've been here quite a while yourself.
[00:02:57]
David Bogart: I have.
[00:02:58]
Amanda Cupido: Do you want to reveal to listeners how long you've been here?
[00:03:01]
David Bogart: I'm almost the ghost of Queen's Park. I've been here for almost 40 years.
I started in the summer of 1990 as a student and I'm still here today. Along the way, I've heard many stories from people who worked here. Over nearly four decades, I've built up a sort of résumé of folklore and experiences that have happened in this building.
[00:03:25]
Amanda Cupido: Well, that makes you the perfect guide for us today. Let's get started.
[00:03:36]
Amanda Cupido: Our first location is in the basement on the east side of the building. Why don't you describe what's around us?
[00:03:43]
David Bogart: It's a little creepy down here. If the lights were off, it would definitely feel eerie. It's a long exposed-brick hallway that looks very historic.
This is where self-described mediums who pick up on spirits have reported very negative feelings. The experiences are tied to the history of the site. This is not the first building that occupied this location.
Just east of here stood King's College, constructed in the 1840s. About ten years later, the provincial legislature took it over. Because it wasn't being used extensively as a college, it was converted into a hospital. Many female patients housed there reportedly had very difficult experiences.
It became known as the University Asylum. Considering 19th-century medical practices, that wasn't necessarily a good place to be. When the building was demolished in the 1880s, its limestone foundation stones were used in the foundation of this building.
That creates a connection to the previous site. Mediums who have come here report sensing female spirits in distress. They describe hearing screaming, feeling ill, and sensing unfortunate procedures taking place.
Some claim the spirits run through the walls of this location. They appear connected to other female spirits who reportedly remain here.
[00:05:17]
Amanda Cupido: It's interesting because this hallway is used constantly. You may have heard activity behind us. We're also very close to the subway, so there’s a shake and buzz down here.
It already feels charged, and knowing there are spirits associated with this area gives me chills.
[00:05:38]
David Bogart: You're describing exactly what the mediums have reported. They sensed disturbed female spirits here.
It becomes even more intense in the attic. One of these former patients is said to remain there. We also have a very malevolent spirit that's been identified by a medium as Claire or Clarice.
She's considered a poltergeist. People attribute moving curtains, strange noises, and sudden drafts to her presence. She reportedly dislikes men and has even been said to push people. One former security officer felt he was shoved in that area.
A medium who visited the attic became visibly disturbed and wanted to leave immediately.
She's probably the most troubling spirit here. The others seem to be unfortunate souls tied to the nearby historical site.
[00:06:49]
Amanda Cupido: Has anyone actually seen what she looks like, or is it more of a feeling?
[00:06:54]
David Bogart: The medium reported seeing two female figures. One in this hallway was described as wearing a pink dress as she runs through the brick corridors.
The other, Clarice, wears a blue dress and is constantly searching for her husband. When she realizes she can't find him, she becomes angry toward the men she encounters.
These spirits seem deeply distressed.
[00:07:27]
Amanda Cupido: It's fascinating, but I feel sad for them.
[00:07:29]
David Bogart: Exactly. Imagine being that upset for eternity, running through the halls and walls of this building without finding your way out.
[00:07:38]
Amanda Cupido: I can't even find my way out sometimes, and I have both feet on the ground. I can't imagine it's any easier for them.
[00:07:45]
David Bogart: Especially in an area like this. The atmosphere is definitely unsettling.
[00:07:51]
Amanda Cupido: The concrete floors are cold, and it really sets the scene. Tell me about any other happenings connected to this area.
[00:08:01]
David Bogart: Another interesting story took place farther down this hallway.
This area leads to a storage basement built in the 1920s to hold film for the Ontario Censor Board. Film was highly flammable, so a specialized storage area was constructed.
Around 2010, during demolition work, a contractor had an unusual experience. He heard footsteps behind him and noticed a man walking up the ramp from the storage area.
The contractor assumed it was his supervisor bringing him a coffee, but there was no sound or conversation. The figure wore clothing that appeared to be from the 19th century.
When the contractor looked back, the man vanished. Shaken, he stopped work and reported it. According to the account, the figure seemed to walk straight into a wall.
There's no obvious explanation, though perhaps it was one of the original construction workers from the 1880s.
[00:09:29]
Amanda Cupido: Maybe he's just trying to do his job and keep up the building.
[00:09:31]
David Bogart: Exactly. Everyone's got to work somehow.
[00:09:34]
Amanda Cupido: All right, I'm getting creeped out. Let's go to our next spot.
[00:09:36]
David Bogart: Let's go.
[00:09:40]
Amanda Cupido: Location number two. We're on the east side of the first floor, in the original wood-and-cast-iron section of the building. Tell me about this spot.
[00:09:51]
David Bogart: This area retains much of its original architecture, so it carries a lot of the building's historical atmosphere.
Unlike the more unsettling stories from the basement, things get a little lighter here. This location is associated with former Speaker Richard Scott.
Although he never worked in this building, he's said to remain one of its strongest spirits. People report whispers, slight movements of objects, and sudden puffs of air in this hallway.
His portrait hangs above the furniture behind me. Scott served as Speaker in the 1870s in the previous legislative building on Front Street. Interestingly, a medium identified him as one of the strongest spirits here.
Scott left the Speakership after only two weeks to become Commissioner of Crown Lands. Coincidentally, the office beside us has served both as the Speaker's office and as the Crown Lands Department.
That may explain why he's said to remain attached to this location.
[00:11:43]
Amanda Cupido: Oh my goodness. For people who can't see his portrait, I'll describe it. He looks quite stern, with a long, thin nose and a well-manicured beard. He has white-blond curly hair and is looking off to the side. He's wearing a black turtleneck up to his beard, all framed in an ornate gold frame.
The frame really stands out because it's much larger than the others nearby. The portrait sits in an oval opening surrounded by several inches of decorative gold detailing. It's quite grand. Was there a reason for that?
[00:12:32]
David Bogart: I'm not sure, but he was always known as a hard worker. According to the medium, he's still in his office reviewing books and records, making sure everything is in order. He seems committed to serving the public, even now.
[00:12:47]
Amanda Cupido: He's serious about success.
[00:12:48]
David Bogart: And he's not the only one. We'll hear about a few others who also appear to continue their public service in the afterlife. He's just one of the spirits most often associated with this building.
[00:12:58]
Amanda Cupido: For context, his portrait is only about ten steps from the Speaker's office, so it really feels like part of the same vicinity.
[00:13:09]
David Bogart: Exactly.
[00:13:10]
Amanda Cupido: I also know there's another spooky story connected to this area. Tell us about it.
[00:13:17]
David Bogart: Across the hallway is a room now used for school programming. At one point it served as a storage vault, and later we used it for exhibits.
We used to hang exhibit banners outside the room on a pole above the doorway. For some reason, the banner would frequently fall off the pole with no explanation.
According to some of the stories connected to Richard Scott, that was one of the ways he made his presence known.
[00:13:46]
Amanda Cupido: He just wanted to remind people, "I'm still here."
[00:13:48]
David Bogart: "I'm still working."
[00:13:50]
Amanda Cupido: Even if it means creating a little extra work for everyone else.
[00:13:54]
David Bogart: Or scaring people by knocking things off the wall.
[00:13:56]
Amanda Cupido: I love it. At least he seems to have a sense of humour. All right, let's head to stop number three.
[00:14:01]
David Bogart: Can't wait.
[00:14:05]
Amanda Cupido: We're now on the second floor on the west side of the building. This marble section was rebuilt after the fire in the early 1900s.
You may hear a bit of an echo because the ceilings are so high. It's a grand hallway. Tell us about the activity that's been reported here.
[00:14:26]
David Bogart: A variety of activity has been reported here, mostly centered around the northwest corner of the hallway and the staircase in front of us.
This area includes the Lieutenant Governor's Suite. The suite currently serves the Lieutenant Governor, but when the building first opened it also served as the Speaker's residence.
Several sightings have been reported there, including one involving former Lieutenant Governor Louis Breithaupt.
A staff member once saw someone crossing through the music room. She believed she was alone in the suite, but later noticed that the figure closely resembled the person in Breithaupt’s portrait. That incident happened about 20 years ago.
Another story involves a medium who claimed to hear two spirits conversing within the suite. Separately, one of my former colleagues was replacing a light bulb nearby when he looked up the staircase and saw two men in First World War military uniforms looking down at him.
The medium later described two spirits who seemed to be permanently stationed there. Perhaps they feel it's their duty to continue protecting the Lieutenant Governor.
A couple of floors above the suite is the Speaker's apartment, currently used by Speaker, the Honourable Donna Skelly. It has also housed previous Speakers and, at one time, the building caretaker.
According to one medium, the wife of a former caretaker who died in the building is still associated with that area and is considered one of the stronger spirits here.
There's also a report involving a former civil servant near the top of the staircase. One evening, a security officer was on patrol when he saw a mist descend from the fifth floor toward the fourth floor.
The mist seemed to form into a figure before dissipating back into the ceiling.
This area has seen many different kinds of activity, though nothing as malevolent as what's been reported in the basement or attic.
[00:17:28]
Amanda Cupido: It's interesting that so many of these spirits seem to be civil servants who continue to stay here. Why do you think that is?
[00:17:32]
David Bogart: It's not just civil servants. Some stories involve members of the public as well.
One medium told me about a spirit on the third floor who seemed determined to find an office where he could pay a government bill, as if he had unfinished business from a century ago.
The common theme is service. Whether police, military personnel, civil servants, or members of the public, their connection to this place seems to linger.
[00:18:03]
Amanda Cupido: Unfinished business. They're saying, "My soul cannot rest until this bill is paid."
[00:18:08]
David Bogart: Or, "Where's my new driver's licence?"
[00:18:11]
Amanda Cupido: You have to laugh.
All right, let's move to our fourth stop.
[00:18:18]
Amanda Cupido: Our fourth stop is the master control room used by the Broadcast and Recording Services team.
This is my stomping grounds. It's a long, narrow room with several workstations, control boards, screens, microphones, and production equipment. It's where staff help produce the Ontario Parliamentary TV Channel and monitor broadcasts from the chamber and committee rooms.
What I'm learning for the first time is that it's also haunted. So, what happened here?
[00:18:57]
David Bogart: It may seem odd to talk about ghosts surrounded by all this technology, but this is actually one of the more recent stories.
The story starts outside. A few constables were patrolling the grounds one evening and noticed that the illuminated star in one of the upper windows was lit.
That star is only used when the House is sitting late. The officers knew the House was not in session, so they were surprised to see it on.
They entered the building and made their way toward the Chamber. When they got there, they saw that all the Chamber lights were on as well. Since no one should have been using the room, they started investigating.
The controls for the Chamber lighting are located up here in the broadcast booth. The officers slowly made their way upstairs.
When they arrived, they found a storage-room door partially open, which was unusual because no one should have been there.
Before they could react, all the monitors suddenly flashed brightly. The lights seemed to race across the wall of screens and the closet door slammed shut.
The officers were completely startled. Whatever happened, it was not something they expected to encounter.
[00:20:39]
Amanda Cupido: Just outside this room is one of my favourite hallways in the building. It's on the east side and has beautiful light filtering through the stained-glass ceiling.
Now I'm almost afraid to ask what happened out there.
[00:21:01]
David Bogart: There are a couple of interesting stories from that area.
One involves Room 374. A former colleague of mine encountered what is believed to be another female spirit said to frequent that section of the building.
According to local folklore, she is often associated with sounds of crying or sobbing.
One afternoon she reportedly appeared directly in front of my colleague and then walked through him, leaving him with an intense icy sensation.
What made the story remarkable is that he was a very skeptical person. The experience completely changed his perspective.
[00:21:55]
Amanda Cupido: That spirit said, "I'm going to make him a believer."
[00:21:57]
David Bogart: Apparently she succeeded.
Another story comes from the east public gallery of the Chamber.
One night in the early 1980s, a constable was patrolling the darkened area when he noticed someone sitting in the front row.
Since the area was closed, he approached and asked what the person was doing there. There was no response.
As he got closer, the figure slowly stood and turned toward him.
The constable saw what appeared to be a full military dress uniform from the 19th century.
Before he could react, the figure rushed forward and passed directly through him.
The experience frightened him deeply, and according to the story, he left the job not long afterward because he no longer wanted to patrol the building alone.
[00:23:29]
David Bogart: There's one more story connected to this area.
While walking these halls with a medium, he kept asking me whether I knew someone named Charles.
He said Charles had worked here in an important role and was connected to the year 1934.
At first that didn't mean anything to me. We've had more than 130 years of history here. But the medium insisted Charles was important.
I suggested he follow Charles and see where he went.
[00:24:06]
Amanda Cupido: Based on your expression, I'm guessing our next stop has something to do with Charles.
[00:24:13]
David Bogart: I think it does.
[00:24:14]
Amanda Cupido: All right, let's go.
[00:24:18]
Amanda Cupido: We are now at our fifth and final stop on this ghost tour, and we're in the Chamber.
We're standing on the main floor of the Chamber, which is on the second floor of the building. This is where the province's government and parliamentary business takes place.
We're right in front of the main doors beneath the Seven Grandfather Teachings. Beside us is a small desk that I believe is central to our next story. So tell me, what does this have to do with Charles?
[00:24:56]
David Bogart: We talked a little about Charles in the hallway, and one of the most fascinating experiences I've had on a tour with a medium involved him.
To continue the story, the medium said we needed to go into the Chamber. He was pointing toward this area, even though he wasn't entirely familiar with the building.
We walked through the corridor behind us and up into the press gallery above the Speaker's chair. The moment we entered, he reacted immediately.
He said, "There's Charles. He's sitting at a desk down there."
I asked, "Which desk?"
He pointed to this desk right here: the desk of the Sergeant-at-Arms.
This desk has always been here. It's one of the permanent fixtures in the centre of the Chamber near the entrance. The Sergeant-at-Arms serves as the protector of the legislature, carries the parliamentary mace into the Chamber, ensures the safety of members, and carries out the Speaker's orders when necessary.
The medium kept referring to someone named Charles and to the year 1934. It was like having only part of a puzzle.
After the tour, I did some research and discovered he was likely referring to Captain Charles Rutherford, who served as Ontario's Sergeant-at-Arms from about 1934 to 1936 during the premiership of Mitch Hepburn.
Captain Rutherford was also a First World War veteran who was awarded the Victoria Cross for extraordinary bravery in battle.
During a battle in France in 1918, he famously captured an entire German unit.
So here was a man who dedicated his life to service. He served in the military, he served at Queen's Park, and apparently he still likes to serve here today.
Captain Rutherford passed away around 1989, but according to the stories, he still returns to perform his duties.
One way he has reportedly made his presence known is through the sound of jangling keys. Several constables working in the Chamber would hear keys rattling when no one else was around. They took it as a sign that Captain Rutherford was still on duty.
[00:27:03]
Amanda Cupido: That's fascinating. When you connected all those pieces, did you get a chill down your spine?
[00:27:08]
David Bogart: I did, and I still do whenever I tell that story.
It speaks to one of the themes we've encountered throughout this tour: service.
Service to the building, service to the institution, and service to one's responsibilities. There seems to be a strong sense of public service that still resonates through this place, especially here in the Chamber.
[00:27:30]
Amanda Cupido: I have to imagine there's more than just Charles in this room. This is one of the most historic spaces in the entire building.
Have there been reports of anyone else here?
[00:27:40]
David Bogart: Apparently there are a couple of other spirits who aren't quite as prominent but are frequently sensed here.
One is believed to be a former politician who sits in one of the galleries and watches the debates. The medium described him as somewhat indistinct, which made him difficult to identify.
The other is the former soldier we've already discussed, the one associated with the east public gallery who startled that constable years ago.
Those are the two most commonly reported figures in the Chamber aside from Captain Rutherford.
You might expect there to be many more, but perhaps they simply respect the space.
[00:28:13]
Amanda Cupido: That's fair.
[00:28:14]
David Bogart: After all, this is where Ontario's laws are made. Maybe they don't want to interfere with the legislative process.
[00:28:18]
Amanda Cupido: And if they're truly devoted civil servants, that would make sense.
They're saying, "We'll make our presence known in the hallways instead."
[00:28:23]
David Bogart: Exactly. The one spirit who seems especially committed to this room is the individual responsible for ensuring everything functions properly.
Whether it's the current Sergeant-at-Arms or our spirit Sergeant-at-Arms, the process will go on.
[00:28:39]
Amanda Cupido: That’s a wrap on the Halloween tour, but I want to leave you with one last, spooky, fun fact.
The Legislative Assembly of Ontario has a piano on the first floor of the building, but it’s typically only used for special occasions and ceremonies.
Mysteriously, some Speakers have said that they could hear the sound of this piano being played late at night all the way in their apartment on the third floor!
If you're intrigued by the ghost stories you heard today and want to see these locations for yourself, the Legislative Assembly of Ontario offers ghost tours throughout October.
[00:29:28]
Amanda Cupido: Visit OLA.org and navigate to "Experience the Legislature" to book a tour.
Thank you for listening to ON Parliament. This podcast is produced by the Legislative Assembly of Ontario.
I'm Amanda Cupido. We've got lots more where this came from, so be sure to follow us on your favourite podcast platform.
Happy Halloween.