Dark Trolley Tour

A focus on masterful storytelling at a reasonable price (with no hidden fees!).  First, we’ve put special attention into respecting the ghost story.  Also, with a dedication to traditional styles mixed with natural (and interesting) odd history.  This is our specialty since 2003.

When a date or time slot is missing in the Booking… If a missing time, that tour time is sold out.  A missing date, means the entire night is sold out.

Driving along the Old Shanty Town

Dark Trolley Tour feature story — Called “Squatters”.  Houses slapped together along today’s Waterfront Trail leading to the Desjardins Canal.

At its height, 120 structures lined the shore before and under the bridge.  Not only low-income families.  As you can see in this picture… some very normal and well-built houses.

All types of folks from the city.  This included Railway Workers, Machinists, Hydro Workers and even a painter.  One family even owned a motorized boat (the height of luxury!)

But the Shanty Town’s reputation was horrible in the City of Hamilton. 

Lies being spread by officials to turn the citizens against them.  It’s because they saw the High-Level Bridge as the Gateway to Hamilton.  Everything perfectly beautiful, except the Shanty Town.

Plans to beautify the Harbour setting the moral tone of the city.  TB. McQuesten spearheaded this new conservation area.

Yet the citizens supported the Shanty residents!  Until a fire 1931.  Two kids died and City Official screamed, “If only they paid taxes!  Were on the grid.  Firemen could have saved those kids.”

And the citizens agreed.  $100-$250 offered to each household to leave peacefully.  Most accepted, but not all.  Some turning their houses into boats and floating into the Harbour.

From Kingston’s Daily News – published August 17th 1877

Having heard reports recently of an extraordinary monster being in the waters of Burlington Bay (today’s Hamilton Harbour), near Carroll’s Point, a Spectator reporter yesterday interviewed one of the parties who had said last evening that he had seen it.

The fisherman stated that he was out in a single boat trolling for pike, when he noticed a commotion in the water about seventeen yards out from the farthest part of the point. He rowed over towards the place, but before he had gone many boat lengths he saw an object moving towards him.

Monster Trickery 

It presented the appearance of a black log with tapering end in the waterand when near the boat it turned and disappeared from sight, not before it exhibited its mouth, however, which looked like a crocodile.

Another party who claims to have seen it some distance east of the point, states that it has large scales on its back, that only two fins could be seen, one on each side and directly in the centre of the body.

A third fisherman, who lives not far from Oaklands, claimt to have had an oar suddenly snapped from him one evening while rowing in that vicinity, and believes it to have been taken by the monster.

Tracks, as of teeth, were in it when he recovered it in the bay next morning. Mr. Gates, the fish curer, states that a party the other evening became so frightened at its having made a dash at the boat that he is now laid up through nervous prostration.

We give the story as gathered for what it is worth, and leave the reader to investigate for himself.

Yes.  We are limited on space for the trolley.  Advance bookings allows us to guarantee spots for you, and book in additional guides if needed.