I am the founder and curator of this blog about the
abandoned building at 44 Hargrave Street
known for very good reasons as Demon Hotel. I started this blog and have
published posts trying to warn people about a danger in our midst. I have been
silent for over a year for reasons too difficult to explain, and even harder to
believe. But I can hold my silence no longer. People must be warned about Demon
Hotel.
Kenilworth Court was constructed in the summer of 1910, and as I have documented in this blog, for several years, even
before the building was abandoned there have been strange rumours told among
the denizens of downtown
Winnipeg
of a “haunted building” where strange things were seen. There were sightings of
mysterious
graffiti, frightening faces seen staring from the broken
windows, and
tales of homeless people who were never seen again after seeking shelter there.
And then there were stories of the mysterious
“Cat Lady” who appears trying to
lure unsuspecting men to an unknown fate. Clearly something unusual was going on at the decrepit structure. But was this fact or fantasy?
|
Ghostly graffiti that reappears no matter how much paint covers it. |
|
Eerie sights at the windows. |
|
Artist's impression based on eyewitness descriptions. |
|
Artist's impression based on eyewitness descriptions of the mysterious Cat Lady. |
At first I assumed that these rumours were nothing more than
pranks. However, after searching for more information, and talking to people in
the area, I came to the conclusion that there was more to it than mere urban
legends. Then there was the incredible experience first presented in this blog
of an urban explorer who dared break into the ominous building, of the
frightening scenes he saw, and of his mysterious fate. Ultimately I came to
believe that there was something about this place, something eerie and
paranormal.
I have discussed the subject of Demon Hotel with local Urban
Parapsychologists who prefer to remain anonymous, and along with the
information I have gathered from eyewitnesses and others, I have come to the
following conclusions:
Across the back lane from Demon Hotel on Carlton
Street stands the Dalnavert, an old Edwardian
house dating back to 1895.
The formerly haunted Dalnavert house.
There have been rumours for decades that the old
house, like others of its kind, was haunted and that it had been built over an ancient burial site, but
there can be little doubt that it would be the perfect home for spirits or
other supernatural forces. That is, until the house was turned into a museum in
2005. Can it be a coincidence that strange things began happening at precisely
that time in the adjacent Hargrave building? Paranormal specialists suggest
that the activity of the museum forced the spirits away from the house.
Theoretically these displaced spirits looked for another place to dwell,
and they did not have far to go. Across the back lane was a decrepit and
crumbling old apartment building. Perhaps the many deaths, including several suspicious traffic accidents and the rumours of evil activities that
had occurred within, attracted the spirits there. There is no doubt they
could hardly resist the empty building, so the Kenilworth Court may have become a supernatural nexus.
It is an indisputable fact that evil attracts evil, so no
sooner did the spirits inhabit the condemned building, that other supernatural
entities followed, not just the spirits of the dead, but actual demonic beings.
And so for the last few years it has been a paranormal gathering place for
other-worldly beings. Among those knowledgeable about the situation came the
half-joking phrase “when they are not in Hell, they stay at Demon Hotel”.
In some ways, it was fortunate that this structure was
favoured by these dark forces, as they were contained to one place. All that
was needed was for people to avoid the building. It was for this reason that
this blog was started, to warn people to stay away. Unfortunately, there were
those who did not see the warning, or chose not to heed it, with chilling
results.
But now I have grave news, no pun intended. The structure
that has so far contained the demonic spirits is being torn down.
No need to
tell you what will happen when the building is demolished, but let me be clear,
every paranormal expert I have consulted assures me that the evil spirits will
undoubtedly move to a new location as close as possible. Such a mass exodus of
displaced spirits could mean that all the apartment buildings and households in
the vicinity could end up being the victims of hauntings. Homes along
Carlton,
Hargrave and Donald Streets would be especially prone to supernatural attacks.
The dismantling of the building appears to include salvage of the bricks. This brings to mind another disturbing possibility: what if the bricks absorbed a portion of the evil aura? What if each brick contains a piece of hell spirit that will be transferred when they add it to another structure?
I know it is unlikely to get the owners of the land to
believe this, and since there is little hope of stopping the destruction of
Demon Hotel, there might be only be one last chance. If a priest, bishop, or some other cleric who has the knowledge and skills could perform the ceremony of exorcism at the old abandoned building at 44 Hargrave Street before it is too late, maybe the nightmare can be aborted. I’m afraid I can do nothing more. This may be my last post, if you do not hear from me again, consider me another victim of the horror of Demon Hotel.