Sue Darroch and Matthew Didier's Paranormal Blog

Each Friday we will have a look at the stories and experiences that have been related to us over the years that are amongst our personal favourites. These will include Crypto, Ghosts, Hauntings, UFO's, and other strange events that may be considered Fortean, from in around the Toronto, Canada area .... and since they are from our own personal files will likely not be found elsewhere on the web .... enjoy!

I am writing to you about a ghost named Catherine that was said to reside at a building on Parliament St.

I once worked at this building when it was a club called Pope Joan in the late 90's.

The only history I know of the building was that it was the Rose Café for years before that. The Owner however when I worked there told me that it was once a seamstress factory many years ago.

When you first enter the building on the left hand side, there is a steep set of stairs that go into a loft above the club. I was told that a woman named Catherine, who was once an employee at the factory, fell down these stairs and broke her neck, or died in some manner.

Other employees told me when I started working there that this ghost named Catherine inhabited the building. Some told me of feeling cold-spots, had feelings of being watched, and one time a busser said she had lost her balance on the stairs and felt hands push her back up. The owner who lived in the loft above the club said that on many occasions items would be moved in her apartment, and at times candles would be lit when she got in.

I have had my own experiences with Catherine unfortunately. On some occasions I had felt cold-spots myself, especially in the lower level of the club. When cleaning the floors I always had a feeling of coldness and not being alone. To the point I would have to have company when down there closing up. On another occasion, I was chatting with my manager about Catherine, claiming that she did not exist, challenging my manager. Right after I said out loud, "There is no Catherine here!" just then one of the bar juice/pop guns dropped out of it's holster and thudded against the keg fridge. Let's just say I never let myself be alone anywhere in the bar after that.

The place where my manager said most of this activity took place was in the sub-basement. The owner said that she had seen a hazy shadow at some point down there. I never went down myself, as I was too afraid.At the present time, I believe the building is closed down and uninhabited. It was a place called Foxy's and Coyote's after Pope Joan, but the business did not last long.

We thank our witness for this report...

If this story sounds familiar, you have information you can add or if you have had similar experiences please do contact us at submissions AT torontoghosts.org