While the Pillar and Post is now celebrated as one of Canada’s most luxurious retreats in Niagara-on-the-Lake. Its elegant exterior hides a grittier, industrial past.
Long before it was accommodations, this building was Factory 13, a bustling canning hub with a history that stretches back to the 1890s.
In a place famous for being Canada’s Most Haunted Town, the Pillar and Post stands as a testament that many residents are not seen.
* Experience Canada’s Most Haunted Town in person with the Ghost Walks of Niagara-on-the-Lake *
From the echoes of World War I soldiers to a mysterious little girl who roams the restaurant, the spirits of this old factory remain part of the modern inn.
by Ghost Guide Daniel
Inside the Hauntings of the Pillar and Post
Niagara-on-the-Lake is widely considered “Canada’s Most Haunted Town”. But many of its stories are concentrated in the historic Old Town center.
However, about a 20-minute walk away sits the Pillar and Post. A luxury inn with a past that is more industrial than people realize.
From its days as a canning factory to its role in war. The building’s history has left behind more than just exposed brick.
Peaches to Patriots
Long before it was a getaway for wine lovers, the building was Factory 13. Built in the 1890s to can peaches and tomatoes. It later served as a basket factory and a restaurant. But its most interesting historical chapter occurred during World War I.
While Poland was caught in a brutal squeeze between Germany and Russia. The second floor of this factory was converted into a training ground for Polish soldiers. Preparing to fight for their homeland.
This history is still attached to the town by a nearby Polish Cemetery, across from St. Mark’s Church. Marked by the distinct brownish gazebo.
Why are hotels so haunted?
While a factory might seem unexciting. Becoming a hotel is the process of paranormal energy.
Hotels act as hubs. And for over 50 years, the Pillar and Post has seen thousands of guests through celebration, heartbreak, and everything else. Layering new energy over the old industrial bones of the factory.
* Experience Canada’s Most Haunted Town in person with the Ghost Walks of Niagara-on-the-Lake *
Royal Visit and Sudden Goodbye
In 1970, the building was transformed into an inn by John Drope. His mother, a native of Toronto, loved Niagara-on-the-Lake so much. Her Summer home was the mansion now used as The Charles Inn.
She encouraged Drope to come and loved his idea for the old canning factory.
Just three years later (1973), the inn received the ultimate endorsement … Queen Elizabeth! She visited for dinner while in town opening that season’s Shaw Festival.
Legend has it … the Queen enjoyed her meal.
Sadly, Drope’s tenure was short. Only ten years after opening the inn, he passed away at only 59-years-old from a heart attack while skiing in Collingwood, Ontario.
Resident Spirits
The architecture of the Pillar and Post with its winding stairs and the rustic Cannery Restaurant provides a perfect backdrop for ghosts.
Little Girl in the Red Dress
The most famous resident is a little girl. The staff have named her Laura. She frequently haunts the stairs or lingers outside the Cannery Restaurant.
Witnesses say she often looks as though she wants to enter the restaurant. However, she’s hesitant, staying on the threshold. As if forbidden to come inside.
The kitchen staff are less fond of Laura and her tricks. She pulls the hair of female staffers. And disrupt the cooks by tugging their aprons.
Laura seems to not like wine! People often blame her for knocking over wine glasses. Some think she (and maybe her family) were prohibitionists (against alcohol).
The Old Man on the Stairs
An older couple was checking in when the husband suddenly noticed a man standing on the stairs. The figure was motionless, his face blank, unresponsive to the activities around him.
When the husband nudged his wife to look, she saw only an empty staircase. The husband confused looked back to see the man had vanished.
The couple discussed the encounter with staff. Many think it was John Drope, the original owner of the Inn.
However, the conclusion was more likely a former worker or manager of the building’s industrial past. A solitary man in a traditional setting only seen by the man.
Like an echo of the old-fashioned factory floor.
Debunking the Butler Rumor
There is a persistent rumor that the inn is haunted by John Butler. The founder of Niagara-on-the-Lake and an infamous Loyalist leader. Whose portrait hangs in the lounge.
However, history doesn’t support this thought. Because…
- Butler’s Barracks are across the street. However, they were built after the War of 1812, decades after Butler died. The Barracks were just named after John Butler and never saw him there (in life).
- Butler passed away from a mysterious illness almost 100 years before the Pillar & Post building was built.
While his portrait adds to the atmosphere. The ghosts of the Pillar and Post are likely to be the factory workers, soldiers, and children of the past.
More Proof of Canada’s Most Haunted Town
The fact that even a building located outside the main Queen Street strip of Niagara-on-the-Lake has such activity. This is great proof Niagara-on-the-Lake is Canada’s Most Haunted Town.
And as a wiseman once said, “In Niagara-on-the-Lake, there are more ghosts than living people!”
* Experience Canada’s Most Haunted Town in person with the Ghost Walks of Niagara-on-the-Lake *