Article Index
1914 - 2001
The Guild Inn was built in 1914 on top of the Scarborough Bluffs,originally called Ranelagh Park, it was built as a summer home for Colonel Harold Bickford and his family. The home consisted of everything that could be associated with a large and prominent family such as servants quarters, a nursery, library, grand stairway, six or more bedrooms as well as three guest rooms, and a basement which contained a boiler room, storage room, fruits and vegetable room and a laundry room. In 1921 Ranelagh park was sold and became a boarding school for the China Mission Seminary until 1923. In 1923 Richard Veech Look purchased the boarding school to house his family as a summer home and called it Cliff Acres. He was moved to Quebec with his family in 1927 due to his position in his company.As he still owned Cliff Acres while he was away, the home sat empty from 1927-1932. Rosa and Spencer Clark bought the property in 1932 and turned it into the Guild Of All Arts. They opened their doors to house the gifted in arts, in exchange for their room and board the artist would provide their work to display. This continued until 1942. The WRENS( Women's Royal Canadian Naval Service)were housed at what became HMCS Bytown II. The Wrens worked in secrecy there having all the locks changed on their doors. They continued their operation there until 1943. In 1944 the government took over the Guild Inn turning it into a recuperative centre for returning war veterans with nervous disorders. They housed hundreds of patients up until 1947 where it became the Guild Inn once again and has been operating since.
What I am now about to relate is not a historical fact as I have not found proof but I fully believe in the sincerity of my grandmother, and there are some strange quirks that just don't add up. My grandmother worked at the Guild Inn in the 1960's as a banquet waitress. She was told by the long time employees, who had worked there shortly after the war, that the government had created a tunnel from the Scarborough Bluffs to access the main building, which was some distance away. I believe this may have been done for soldiers coming down the St. Lawerence river and into Lake Ontario. There was also rumours that experiments may have been conducted in these tunnels during the war as well. These tunnels were constructed during the war, as the building only started out as a few rooms in the basement, and the original blueprints do not show them. I have used these tunnels myself when I was employed there to transfer back and forth between the main level and the downstairs banquet facilities.I have seen bricked off doorways that may hold that secret passage to access more tunnels.
I have been completely alone in the hotel and felt as if I was being watched through the shadows and followed through the narrow corridors. My mother had worked there for about 20 years and experienced many strange things.
There was a small mansion at the edge of the Bluffs called Cory Cliff which was built in 1912. Cory Cliff was used as a meeting facility in which my mother would set up for early in the mornings. She would hear loud footsteps walking upstairs over her head, knowing she was completely alone, she would still go and investigate the source. She never found anyone. Things continued to happen, such as toilets flushing on their own, doors slamming, taps would turn on by themselves. There was a secret passage way that was hidden behind a bookshelf but as you tried to enter the passage it became a brick wall. From what I have heard, the passage way was suppose to lead to the basement.My mother would leave the building at night knowing she had turned off every single light, to have them all turn on simultaneously when she was outside walking away from the building.
My husband who is now employed at the Guild Inn would also recount the same stories happening to him when he started working at Cory Cliff. Unfortunately, Cory Cliff was torn down in 1997 due to deterioration. I have spent many years here and with the history of my family, I would love to uncover the secrets the Guild Inn holds.
Source Information:
The History of the Guild Inn
By: Carole M. Lidgold
(c) 2000 Brookridge Publishing House ISBN # 0-9698244-8-3
Webmasters Note - The above narrative was written prior to the announcement of the Guild’s closure and proposed restoration - redevelopment.
Nestled high on the Scarborough Bluffs in Ontario Canada is the historic Guild Inn. Surrounded by lush forest, beautiful statues, objects d' art, and a panoramic view of L. Ontario, the Guild was a favourite spot for weddings and other joyous occasions. Movies and t.v programs such as the Skulls, and Relic Hunter have been filmed there. Famous guests include Canadian PM Lester B. Pearson, Burt Reynolds, Kathleen Turner, Christopher Reeve, Sir Lawrence Olivier, Lorne Greene, Kevin Sorbo and many others. Guests enjoyed the tranquil and romantic ambiance provide by this charming old hotel. However, few people other than the former staff know of the Guild's past and perhaps current hauntings. The Guild Inn was officially closed to the public in October 2001 and it remains to be announced what will become of the hotel and property. Truly the end of an era in Scarborough, however inside these pages you will get a taste of the Guild Inn's more darker side. Enjoy!
A Brief History
By: K. Leigh - Member of H.R.G
By: K. Leigh - Member of H.R.G
The Guild Inn is a place I have pretty much spent most of my life. It has held intrigue, fascination, as well as employment since my grandmother. The stories I have heard from her were passed on from employees who worked there shortly after the war.
The history and facts:
The history and facts:
The Guild Inn was built in 1914 on top of the Scarborough Bluffs,originally called Ranelagh Park, it was built as a summer home for Colonel Harold Bickford and his family. The home consisted of everything that could be associated with a large and prominent family such as servants quarters, a nursery, library, grand stairway, six or more bedrooms as well as three guest rooms, and a basement which contained a boiler room, storage room, fruits and vegetable room and a laundry room. In 1921 Ranelagh park was sold and became a boarding school for the China Mission Seminary until 1923. In 1923 Richard Veech Look purchased the boarding school to house his family as a summer home and called it Cliff Acres. He was moved to Quebec with his family in 1927 due to his position in his company.As he still owned Cliff Acres while he was away, the home sat empty from 1927-1932. Rosa and Spencer Clark bought the property in 1932 and turned it into the Guild Of All Arts. They opened their doors to house the gifted in arts, in exchange for their room and board the artist would provide their work to display. This continued until 1942. The WRENS( Women's Royal Canadian Naval Service)were housed at what became HMCS Bytown II. The Wrens worked in secrecy there having all the locks changed on their doors. They continued their operation there until 1943. In 1944 the government took over the Guild Inn turning it into a recuperative centre for returning war veterans with nervous disorders. They housed hundreds of patients up until 1947 where it became the Guild Inn once again and has been operating since.
What I am now about to relate is not a historical fact as I have not found proof but I fully believe in the sincerity of my grandmother, and there are some strange quirks that just don't add up. My grandmother worked at the Guild Inn in the 1960's as a banquet waitress. She was told by the long time employees, who had worked there shortly after the war, that the government had created a tunnel from the Scarborough Bluffs to access the main building, which was some distance away. I believe this may have been done for soldiers coming down the St. Lawerence river and into Lake Ontario. There was also rumours that experiments may have been conducted in these tunnels during the war as well. These tunnels were constructed during the war, as the building only started out as a few rooms in the basement, and the original blueprints do not show them. I have used these tunnels myself when I was employed there to transfer back and forth between the main level and the downstairs banquet facilities.I have seen bricked off doorways that may hold that secret passage to access more tunnels.
I have been completely alone in the hotel and felt as if I was being watched through the shadows and followed through the narrow corridors. My mother had worked there for about 20 years and experienced many strange things.
There was a small mansion at the edge of the Bluffs called Cory Cliff which was built in 1912. Cory Cliff was used as a meeting facility in which my mother would set up for early in the mornings. She would hear loud footsteps walking upstairs over her head, knowing she was completely alone, she would still go and investigate the source. She never found anyone. Things continued to happen, such as toilets flushing on their own, doors slamming, taps would turn on by themselves. There was a secret passage way that was hidden behind a bookshelf but as you tried to enter the passage it became a brick wall. From what I have heard, the passage way was suppose to lead to the basement.My mother would leave the building at night knowing she had turned off every single light, to have them all turn on simultaneously when she was outside walking away from the building.
My husband who is now employed at the Guild Inn would also recount the same stories happening to him when he started working at Cory Cliff. Unfortunately, Cory Cliff was torn down in 1997 due to deterioration. I have spent many years here and with the history of my family, I would love to uncover the secrets the Guild Inn holds.
Source Information:
The History of the Guild Inn
By: Carole M. Lidgold
(c) 2000 Brookridge Publishing House ISBN # 0-9698244-8-3
Webmasters Note - The above narrative was written prior to the announcement of the Guild’s closure and proposed restoration - redevelopment.
Read on for our investigation......
On the evening of August 3rd, 2001: A member of P.R.O had met a recently employed staff member of the Guild Inn who shared the following with us:
"Paul" has been at the Inn for about a month and is usually one of the last to leave for the evening. I had told Paul a bit of the history of the Inn as well as some unexplained experiences that have happened to myself. Judging by his reaction that I was "open minded" and had experiences at the Inn, he proceeded to tell me something that had happened to him a few nights into his employment.
Paul was just returning the kitchen keys to the front desk after ending his nightly routine of cleaning, locking the refrigerators, and turning off the lights. The only people in the hotel at the time were himself and the front desk clerk, who was not at the desk when Paul was returning the keys. All of a sudden, he heard a crash and the distinct sound of a refrigerator door "opening up" in the kitchen. He had remembered locking the refrigerators with a 12 foot bar and padlock only a few minutes prior and the only set of keys were still in his hand. He put the keys down walked into the kitchen expecting to find the front desk clerk. He was surprised to find nobody there. As he rounded a corner he noticed that some lights had been turned on and one of the refrigerator doors was wide open. The crash he had heard was the metal bar now laying on the ground and the padlock was missing from the immediate vicinity. Paul went in search of the lock while trying to reason with the events that had just happened. After a few minutes, he found the lock on the other side of the kitchen. The lock was open so he walked over to replace the fallen bar and prepare to leave the building. While he was locking the bar for the second time, he heard the sound of footsteps coming down the hall in his direction. Paul was feeling a little relieved that he was no longer alone and called out to what he thought was the front desk clerk. Hoping to hear a reasonable explanation to what had happened, he turned to confront an apparition. Paul had told us that the ghost was not completely solid but he could distinctly make out a tall man wearing a black top hat. It then disappeared. Paul was in disbelief as to what he had seen and left the Inn immediately. Before we spoke with him, he had no intentions of mentioning his story to anyone for fear of ridicule, so he kept it to himself and placed it in the back of his mind. I imagine he was relieved to know he was not the only person who has had something unusual happen to them there.
This witness was later more fully questioned by two P.R.O investigators.
Update: Sept 16th 2001
Written by Sue Darroch
Steve and I entered the tunnel area in question. The lighting was extremely poor and furnished solely by our flashlight. This particular chamber was devoid of any furnishings etc..- completely empty.. My eyes had not fully adjusted, however I immediately pointed out to Steve that I believed there was something in the far corner. It appeared to be a dark, huddled, humanish mass for lack of a better description. I do not believe that Anita nor Dee had overheard this statement made by myself and I know that they were not privy to my thoughts on the appearance of what I was seeing at the time as I did not verbalize them. Shortly thereafter Anita and Dee entered this room and both immediately and almost in unison stated that there was an 'entity' in the corner that I had previously pointed out to Steve. I found this to be corroboration to what I was physically seeing with
my eyes as well as 'feeling'. My two fellow investigators of the paranormal (Dee & Anita) quickly began what I can only describe as an 'intervention' in order to 'rescue' this perceived soul. They used encouraging and loving words in order to have the said entity 'move on'. While Dee maintained her composure, Anita (in closer proximity to the 'entity') appeared to be physically and emotionally shaken by the unfolding experience. She was in fact crying. At the approximate halfway point of this event my eyes (more properly adjusted) were drawn to a point in the tunnel area directly behind my colleagues, L. Reid and K. Leigh. I saw what appeared to be movement (as if someone had entered the tunnel area) coming towards us. This apparent movement had stopped just short of L. Reid whose position was at the approximate 1/4 mark of the tunnel in relation to us. As my attention had become solely focused on this new event; I did not notice the apparent departure of the 'entity' in the far corner. However, upon completion of their joint 'intervention' I did notice that the 'dark huddled humanish mass' was no longer visible. Very interesting! I would also like to add at this time that I personally had never witnessed this type of interaction before. As for whatever it was that had stopped in the tunnel it was my 'feeling' at the time that whatever 'it' was, was still there as we exited the area.
Other notes of interest: I did not notice any 'cold spots' or other dramatic change in temperature/atmosphere during this event, the total duration of this event was approximately 5 -10 minutes, (my best guestimate as I was not wearing a watch), I did not notice any unusual smells nor hear any sounds associated, my own composure remained throughout and oddly I do not remember a sense of fear or anxiety take hold at any time, which could be interpreted as strange in and of itself considering the circumstances and despite the fact that I was in the company of 5 others. One's senses/emotions typically become more heightened during such an experience. This is only a natural human reaction to that which we do not fully understand.
At this time I will refrain from theorizing and opinionizing on this particular experience other than to say that I believe 'something' of a paranormal nature DID in fact occur, was witnessed to varying degrees by six people, and that this was not what could be classed as a 'residual haunting'. I state this based on my own research and investigation of this type of phenomena to date and my beliefs which are borne out of my own life's experience.
Written By Lisa Reid
As I have lived near the Guild Inn all of my life, I have always viewed it as a grand, exciting, mysterious place. The beautiful gardens, unique sculptures and interesting buildings make it a place with a great story.
As you enter the gates of the Guild Inn, everything seems so calm, quiet and beautiful. Upon entering the building, you realize that it is a place that has been around for quite some time and that it has been well enjoyed by many people over the years, however you would never expect what was/is lurking below the mail floor. I know I certainly didn't.
Having explored the tunnels below the Guild before with Krystal and friends, I knew what to expect in terms of the condition of the area. There are low ceilings, broken tiles, low pipes, a mildew smell, a feeling of stuffiness and a sense of abandonment.
As we began to explore the tunnels, Krystal took us to a room that does not make sense. As we opened the metal door, we filed in one by one, along a narrow hallway (if that is what I can call it) to an area that is maybe 12 feet by 12 feet at the most. The floor slopes in this space and there is a small section of the back wall that has been cut out and has an opening like a sewer at the top, that we think leads to the outside grounds. Its purpose is still unknown.
As we explored this small area, I heard Sue telling Steve that there is something in the corner of this area. I'm thinking it's a spider or a mouse. As I see her flash the light in the corner, Dee and Anita begin to sense a presence in this area. Anita went to the corner to be with the spirit and Dee started speaking to the spirit. She said that he was sitting in the corner, with his eyes covered, not looking into the light. As Dee kept speaking to him, I had the feeling that someone may be coming down the hallway - maybe the evening desk clerk?; highly unlikely, but possible. Then Sue mentions that she senses someone in the hall area. I thought to myself, I'm having the same feeling. That can't be! As Dee continues to urge the spirit to look at the light, to go to the light, she explains that he has passed on, to not be afraid, and tells Anita to say a few words. I can not see Anita's actions, but I know that she is with the spirit, consoling him. My thoughts are, "is this really happening?, Am I really experiencing this? What is really going on here?", Then Dee announces that he has left the room and that he is now in a safer place. This entire incident lasted about, maybe, 5 minutes at the most.
As we continued to explore the tunnels, Anita and Dee had more feelings in other rooms, of things that had taken place. As we discussed our experiences over coffee, I asked Dee and Anita how many times they had done their team work in helping a spirit move on. They said that this was the first time. This pretty much confirmed for me that something really did happen down there.
So, as it stands, the Guild Inn is a place with a lot of history, with so much more to be discovered! I can't wait to see what we discover next!
"Paul" has been at the Inn for about a month and is usually one of the last to leave for the evening. I had told Paul a bit of the history of the Inn as well as some unexplained experiences that have happened to myself. Judging by his reaction that I was "open minded" and had experiences at the Inn, he proceeded to tell me something that had happened to him a few nights into his employment.
Paul was just returning the kitchen keys to the front desk after ending his nightly routine of cleaning, locking the refrigerators, and turning off the lights. The only people in the hotel at the time were himself and the front desk clerk, who was not at the desk when Paul was returning the keys. All of a sudden, he heard a crash and the distinct sound of a refrigerator door "opening up" in the kitchen. He had remembered locking the refrigerators with a 12 foot bar and padlock only a few minutes prior and the only set of keys were still in his hand. He put the keys down walked into the kitchen expecting to find the front desk clerk. He was surprised to find nobody there. As he rounded a corner he noticed that some lights had been turned on and one of the refrigerator doors was wide open. The crash he had heard was the metal bar now laying on the ground and the padlock was missing from the immediate vicinity. Paul went in search of the lock while trying to reason with the events that had just happened. After a few minutes, he found the lock on the other side of the kitchen. The lock was open so he walked over to replace the fallen bar and prepare to leave the building. While he was locking the bar for the second time, he heard the sound of footsteps coming down the hall in his direction. Paul was feeling a little relieved that he was no longer alone and called out to what he thought was the front desk clerk. Hoping to hear a reasonable explanation to what had happened, he turned to confront an apparition. Paul had told us that the ghost was not completely solid but he could distinctly make out a tall man wearing a black top hat. It then disappeared. Paul was in disbelief as to what he had seen and left the Inn immediately. Before we spoke with him, he had no intentions of mentioning his story to anyone for fear of ridicule, so he kept it to himself and placed it in the back of his mind. I imagine he was relieved to know he was not the only person who has had something unusual happen to them there.
This witness was later more fully questioned by two P.R.O investigators.
Update: Sept 16th 2001
Written by Sue Darroch
Steve and I entered the tunnel area in question. The lighting was extremely poor and furnished solely by our flashlight. This particular chamber was devoid of any furnishings etc..- completely empty.. My eyes had not fully adjusted, however I immediately pointed out to Steve that I believed there was something in the far corner. It appeared to be a dark, huddled, humanish mass for lack of a better description. I do not believe that Anita nor Dee had overheard this statement made by myself and I know that they were not privy to my thoughts on the appearance of what I was seeing at the time as I did not verbalize them. Shortly thereafter Anita and Dee entered this room and both immediately and almost in unison stated that there was an 'entity' in the corner that I had previously pointed out to Steve. I found this to be corroboration to what I was physically seeing with
my eyes as well as 'feeling'. My two fellow investigators of the paranormal (Dee & Anita) quickly began what I can only describe as an 'intervention' in order to 'rescue' this perceived soul. They used encouraging and loving words in order to have the said entity 'move on'. While Dee maintained her composure, Anita (in closer proximity to the 'entity') appeared to be physically and emotionally shaken by the unfolding experience. She was in fact crying. At the approximate halfway point of this event my eyes (more properly adjusted) were drawn to a point in the tunnel area directly behind my colleagues, L. Reid and K. Leigh. I saw what appeared to be movement (as if someone had entered the tunnel area) coming towards us. This apparent movement had stopped just short of L. Reid whose position was at the approximate 1/4 mark of the tunnel in relation to us. As my attention had become solely focused on this new event; I did not notice the apparent departure of the 'entity' in the far corner. However, upon completion of their joint 'intervention' I did notice that the 'dark huddled humanish mass' was no longer visible. Very interesting! I would also like to add at this time that I personally had never witnessed this type of interaction before. As for whatever it was that had stopped in the tunnel it was my 'feeling' at the time that whatever 'it' was, was still there as we exited the area.
Other notes of interest: I did not notice any 'cold spots' or other dramatic change in temperature/atmosphere during this event, the total duration of this event was approximately 5 -10 minutes, (my best guestimate as I was not wearing a watch), I did not notice any unusual smells nor hear any sounds associated, my own composure remained throughout and oddly I do not remember a sense of fear or anxiety take hold at any time, which could be interpreted as strange in and of itself considering the circumstances and despite the fact that I was in the company of 5 others. One's senses/emotions typically become more heightened during such an experience. This is only a natural human reaction to that which we do not fully understand.
At this time I will refrain from theorizing and opinionizing on this particular experience other than to say that I believe 'something' of a paranormal nature DID in fact occur, was witnessed to varying degrees by six people, and that this was not what could be classed as a 'residual haunting'. I state this based on my own research and investigation of this type of phenomena to date and my beliefs which are borne out of my own life's experience.
Written By Lisa Reid
As I have lived near the Guild Inn all of my life, I have always viewed it as a grand, exciting, mysterious place. The beautiful gardens, unique sculptures and interesting buildings make it a place with a great story.
As you enter the gates of the Guild Inn, everything seems so calm, quiet and beautiful. Upon entering the building, you realize that it is a place that has been around for quite some time and that it has been well enjoyed by many people over the years, however you would never expect what was/is lurking below the mail floor. I know I certainly didn't.
Having explored the tunnels below the Guild before with Krystal and friends, I knew what to expect in terms of the condition of the area. There are low ceilings, broken tiles, low pipes, a mildew smell, a feeling of stuffiness and a sense of abandonment.
As we began to explore the tunnels, Krystal took us to a room that does not make sense. As we opened the metal door, we filed in one by one, along a narrow hallway (if that is what I can call it) to an area that is maybe 12 feet by 12 feet at the most. The floor slopes in this space and there is a small section of the back wall that has been cut out and has an opening like a sewer at the top, that we think leads to the outside grounds. Its purpose is still unknown.
As we explored this small area, I heard Sue telling Steve that there is something in the corner of this area. I'm thinking it's a spider or a mouse. As I see her flash the light in the corner, Dee and Anita begin to sense a presence in this area. Anita went to the corner to be with the spirit and Dee started speaking to the spirit. She said that he was sitting in the corner, with his eyes covered, not looking into the light. As Dee kept speaking to him, I had the feeling that someone may be coming down the hallway - maybe the evening desk clerk?; highly unlikely, but possible. Then Sue mentions that she senses someone in the hall area. I thought to myself, I'm having the same feeling. That can't be! As Dee continues to urge the spirit to look at the light, to go to the light, she explains that he has passed on, to not be afraid, and tells Anita to say a few words. I can not see Anita's actions, but I know that she is with the spirit, consoling him. My thoughts are, "is this really happening?, Am I really experiencing this? What is really going on here?", Then Dee announces that he has left the room and that he is now in a safer place. This entire incident lasted about, maybe, 5 minutes at the most.
As we continued to explore the tunnels, Anita and Dee had more feelings in other rooms, of things that had taken place. As we discussed our experiences over coffee, I asked Dee and Anita how many times they had done their team work in helping a spirit move on. They said that this was the first time. This pretty much confirmed for me that something really did happen down there.
So, as it stands, the Guild Inn is a place with a lot of history, with so much more to be discovered! I can't wait to see what we discover next!
Update Sept 24th 2001
Update Sept. 24th 2001: Joint overnight investigation with members of HRG and TGHRS was conducted - areas covered included most of the original structure and grounds. This was a fairly quiet evening, EVP recordings and photos taken showed no anomalies. One member of the TGHRS staff reported hearing scuffling or footsteps in the 'empty' attic area and upon investigation of the sounds complained of the internal sensation of a "tugging" or "pulling" of his chest, which was noted .
Update: Oct. 13th 2001
On October 13th 2001 out of town members of P.R.O and H.R.G booked overnight rooms at the Guild Inn following the Toronto Ghosts & Hauntings Research Society's Anniversary Party and Ghost Conference.
One of the members of H.R.G a 'sensitive' was “bothered“in the middle of the night by what she claimed was the spirit of a young fellow with the distinct features of one blue eye and one brown. Her announcement created quite a stir during the following morning's coffee get-together as P.R.O had previously received reports by a resident of the hotel who had been plagued by strange dreams of a young fellow matching the description given by the 'sensitive.' P.R.O can state with certainty that H.R.G and in particular this member had no prior knowledge of our reports, nor had they been previously published. The description being rare in and of itself seems to defy any sort of random chance or coincidence.
Other notes of interest include an outside report from hotel guests of banging in the early morning hours, the witnessing of door handles turning between adjoining rooms and severe temperature fluctuation. Both guests and P.R.O members who shared rooms on either side had made the logical assumption that the noises and rattling door knobs were coming from each others rooms, however this was not the case.
Close to check out time one of H.R.G's members noticed that her jewellery placed on the dresser and under a pair of gloves was missing.The gloves and a wallet were undisturbed. A thorough search of the room by 5 persons including members of P.R.O yielded nothing. One P.R.O member removed all bed coverings and linens and shook these out over the floor. Again no jewellery. In frustration and following the advice of another H.R.G member, the owner requested aloud to have her jewellery returned. The jewellery was then spotted (as if neatly placed) on the bed which the P.R.O member had thoroughly searched. No one had left the room nor entered. No one had noticed the jewellery's 'reappearance'. Could this have been a purposeful hoax - yes, it is within the realm of possibilities. However, P.R.O will without hesitation vouch for the absolute integrity of all those present in the room at the time.
All of these occurrences including the above account of the one blue eyed - one brown eyed boy occurred on the 6th floor of the new wing.
Update: Feb. 5th 2002
Due to the public closure of The Guild Inn - PRO will no longer be able to pursue active field investigation of this location - however we would be interested in hearing from anyone who has had a personal account to share. These may be submitted through our online ghost reporting form or via email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
The directors and staff of Para-Researchers Of Ontario would like to express our sincere sadness at the closure of this once grand hotel. The Guild Inn offers an interesting piece of Scarborough history on both a community level and for so many of those who have fond personal memories. However, we are confident that whatever is finally decided upon in regards to the historic structures (those designated heritage sites) and grounds - The Guild will be an enjoyable spot for all once again.
For a complete history on the Guild Inn please see:
The History of the Guild Inn
By: Carole M. Lidgold
(c) 2000 Brookridge Publishing House ISBN # 0-9698244-8-3
Update: March 11th, 2002
The following “ghostly” experiences were recently submitted to PRO - names our withheld for the privacy of witnesses:
“I found your article about the Guild Inn extremely interesting.
Approximately a year and a half ago, I stayed there for two nights while attending a seminar.
I was unaware of its existence until that weekend, but was intrigued by the historic significance of the building and grounds. All we knew at that time was that the rooms that our party were using as the hospitality suite, were used at some point by one of the owners.
Webmaster’s note: The room being referred to is the “Spencer Suite” which is/was located on the 3rd floor.
The first afternoon I arrived I immediately closed the drapes, as is my habit. I then went to supper and spent a few hours in the hospitality suite before retiring to my room for the night. When I re-entered my room (it was on the same floor as the hospitality suite) the drapes were open. No one else had been in the room, so my only conclusion was I had a "visitor". Several members on my party said that they had heard noises when they were in the hall (on other floors) and one said she saw a lady in a long blue dress. I cannot state with certainty that they actually did experience anything.
We also heard noises in the second floor of the building across the driveway. This was during the day and no one else was around.
I sincerely hope that they do re-open the Inn. The food was excellent and it was such a great place to stay.
We were told that we were in the older part of the Inn. That explained the lumpy old mattress. This added to the ambiance of the Inn. The staff at that time were also nice.”
Have you had a similar experience at the Guild Inn? Can you shed some light on who the “lady in blue” may be?
If so, we’d appreciate hearing from you! You may send us your Guild Inn experiences via email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or you may use our submissions form by clicking here.
We would like to take this opportunity to thank all of those who have shared their Guild Inn experiences with us.
Update: October 14th 2006
Guild Inn photos taken October 14th 2006 during the Ghost and Hauntings Investigation classes taught for The Toronto District School Board. Methodology based on the PSICAN Guide Book written by Matthew J. Didier and Sue Demeter - St Clair.
Nothing out of the ordinary was captured or experienced during the TDSB class visit to The Guild Inn. However, the following photos give an excellent idea of the current state of this historical site.
Update: February 2007
Another chilling account from the Guild Inn.
"I have been meaning to send this story in for a long time. But have changed my mind time and time again. It gives me chills just thinking about it. I reconsidered after hearing a paranormal radio program on Saturday night as callers called in talking about their experiences first hand. Here it goes.
On the New Years Eve 1999-2000, my girlfriend and I were staying at the Guild Inn. We were not the only ones in the hotel. As other guests checked in. We were greeted warmly, and I remember we even signed the guest book. I cant remember exactly what room we were in, but I am certain we were on the 3rd floor about the middle of the hall of the new section of the hotel. I remember admiring the big stone arch outside from the window, as this was where the room was facing the park. I admired the artwork that was in the hallway. I remember it as being very quiet, but yet warm and there was a nice musty and musky smell that made you feel that you were home. As the continuation we had our fun, had our little party and watched the New Years Celebration. The room was warm yet, if you went to the window area of the room it was really cold. We did what a normal couple would do in bed. As we were doing what we were doing as a couple there was like a loud boom, boom, boom coming from the wall where our head board was. The head board of our bed was against this wall. I yelled back sorry, for disturbing. As we slept I had this nightmare, at that the time I thought it was a nightmare. I was staring at a blonde women, wearing a red dress, floating above me, just kept on asking me for my soul. I remember it was like a half male and half women distorted. I thought I was just having a dream and then realized a cold wind blowing on my face as it spoke, the womens pupils dilated and turned black. As it asked for my soul again, I my hair was on its back and I yelled out my girlfriend has my soul. It looked at me and growled and looked at her and turned away as if horrified and left through the window of our room. I don t know why but I got up and ran, and looked out the window in the snow and saw footprints one step after another if someone was running but no one was there. I was feeling faint and fell right back in to bed, it was morning when my girlfriend at the time woke me up and told me just get our stuff and lets get out of the place. When I asked her why, she said didn't want to talk about. Till this day she still does not want to talk about."
Our thanks to the witness for contacting us. From the Webmaster: Please note the Asian folkloric overtones of this experience, which make it highly intriguing! I am currently studying Japanese ghost lore and we have noted that as Toronto becomes more and more diverse and cosmopolitan these types of ghost encounters are becoming more frequently reported. Very interesting!
Again this year we are very proud to have been officially invited to host an information booth at the Guild's "Voices of the Guild" day in Scarborough (The Guild Inn) on the ghosts of the Guild Inn, and ghosts and hauntings in general.
This year's event will be held on August 17th 2008. Our table will be open from 10am to 5pm. Please do stop by our information display and say hi to some of our members. This event is free and open to the public--even the parking is free!
Some Recent Photos
The Guild Inn As It Appears Today
This Section Is Scheduled To Be Torn Down
A Sad Reminder Of Its Former Glory
ParaResearchers Endorses Restoration Efforts At The Guild Inn
The Guild Inn, Scarborough Ontario August 2008
A big thank you to everyone who helped manning the tables at this meet & greet, and supporting the Guild Inn!
The following was kindly submitted to us in Spring 2009
I worked at the Guild from 1971, through to 1973 and saw more than a few paranormal activities. My first experience was down in the tunnel, and I had been warned that strange things happened down there....to be honest I thought they were just trying to spook me. Well if I wasn't a believer before, I sure was after this incident. It was in early June, during my evening shift. We were working a banquet in the Bickford/Elm Catalpa rooms. I was asked to go and find another bus boy who was on his break, and we needed him. Traveling through the tunnel was the fastest way to the old wing as we called it. Went to the employees rest area, but didn't find the guy, so I checked in at the front office, and no one had seen him. I requested that if they did to send him down PDQ, as we needed his help cleaning up. On my way back through the tunnel I heard footsteps coming from behind me at a very fast pace, I presumed it was Bob my co worker so I waited for him to catch up. I kept hearing the footsteps, but saw no one, then it happened. All of a sudden the air got very cold, and there right in front of me, by say no more than ten feet was the spirit. I was sure not prepared for what I saw, so being scared I turned and ran....with the spirit following me, this I knew because I could still hear the footsteps gaining on me. Finally I stopped and turned, and the spirit kept going, passing right through me....man was I cold. Then it turned and disappeared right through a solid stone wall. Here is the really strange thing, when I got back there was Bob, he asked me where I had been....I replied that I was looking for him. Then he said he had just come through the tunnel????? How could he have come through the tunnel, when I was in the tunnel and sure did not see him???
Now Bob and I were good friends, so I confided in him as to what had just happened. He said that he had heard what he thought were my footsteps ahead of him. When he sped up to catch me, my footsteps got quicker...then just stopped. Bob got the same cold feeling I had, and he sped up to get out of the tunnel. So that was just the first of a few for us. Had strange things happen in a cottage called Cory Cliff, as well as in the Studio. The manager of the gift shop was a an eccentric old lady, and she told me outright that spirits were running amok in the hotel....especially in the tunnels. My reply to her was what tunnels, I only knew of one tunnel. With that she said come with me, and proceeded down into the tunnel. She went to the very spot where the spirit I had seen go through what I thought was a solid stone wall. Then she said strange things come out of here, this is their passageway to us.
I can't remember the name of the building directly across from the main hotel, but there were many strange things going on there as well. One evening a young girl I knew was setting up there for a meeting the next day. Susan came into the office and asked me if I was busy, which I wasn't. Then she wanted to know if I could help her for a while, I said yes and with some table clothes in hand off we went. Walking across the lawn to the building she said she was afraid to be in there alone. I asked her why, and she said look upstairs at the lights...so I did and said what's the big deal. Susan said she wasn't upstairs, and that the lights were off when she first entered....now they were on, and she heard what she thought were voices coming from upstairs. She left the room just in time to see what appeared to be a man and a woman going up the stairs, then the lights came on....that's when she came to get me.
Unfortunately to turn off the lights, we needed to go upstairs. Now not wanting to appear scared in front of Susan...I had a crush on her, so up I went to turn off the lights, with Susan at the bottom of the stairway. At the top of the stairs I saw 2 spirits standing right where the light switches were...there was no way for me to turn them off, without being very very close to them......something I really wanted to avoid...but couldn't. Now it was about 10 P.M. and when you shut off the lights, secondary partial lighting comes on...when I turned off the lights, the male spirit immediately turned to me....what I saw was nothing but pure evil! His eyes were red as fire and he growled leave us alone NOW....I thought my eardrums were going to explode. Down the stairs I came, and I asked Susan if she was working tomorrow and she said yes day shift. I was also working days, so I suggested finishing the setup in the morning...she agreed as the meeting was not scheduled until 10A.M.. Of course the next morning Tim who was our boss saw us, and wondered why we didn't do this last night as ordered. When I told Tim what happened, he said okay, and left us to finish our work. I went to Tims office when we were done and asked him why he was so understanding. His reply was that he to had seen many spirits during his time here, and they were best left alone.
Many spirits were also reported, and seen in the gardens....particularly in the Maze. Heard of haunting an the 6th, 4th and 3rd floors in the new wing. In the main building rooms 212 and 214 for some reason seemed like a magnet to the spirits. One couple checked in around 7P.M. what we call a late check in, they were in 212. I showed them to their room, and in less than 5 minutes later they were both downstairs at the office, with their luggage, asking for a room change. I explained that we were fully booked, and they requested a hotel near by that was comparable to the Guild. When I asked what had happened, they said oh don't you know??? I sent them over to Inn on the Park. In one of our smaller dining rooms called the Library we had so many reports, I lost count. Lights going on and off, heavy drapes opening or closing with no one around. Who knows, but the funny thing is rooms 212, 214 where right over the library, and the library was right over the place that spirit that chased me went through the wall.
Now I know a bit of the history of the Guild and perhaps the spirits were of some who perished there when it was an army hospital. I also have heard of so called hauntings on the road leading down to the bottom of the bluffs. These usually happened in the late afternoons, or early evening right around dusk. Although a few were reported later in the night when it was totally dark. These revolved around a carriage coming up the hill and a very fast pace. Heard five such reports, and they all sounded very similar, small black carriage pulled by two black horses, They round the curve and barrel on past the people only to disappear. Two sightings in the dark were by guests walking their dogs near the top of the road. The road comes out on the edge of our northwest parking lot. I both cases a carriage with lamps burning barreled past the guest to disappear.... The guests came in and wanted to know where these carriages were going. We never had any carriages at the Guild...so what do we tell them?? Obviously we lied, because to do anything else would certainly spook them, and possibly hurt the Guild.
Our thanks go out to the former staff member who shared these experiences with us. Please note that we have changed the names of the employees mentioned in this report in order to protect their privacy Please contact us if you have had a similar experience or have further information that you may be able to add. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Confidentiality is assured.
In July 2009 the newer hotel section of the Guild Inn was demolished. We hope that in its place something new that would make the Spencers proud will evolve on this wonderful historic site. All photos presented on this page are copyrighted to, and courtesy of photographer Laurie Tossell-Lamonday. These photos may not be reproduced elsewhere in any format without the permission of the photographer.
Our thanks to Laurie for sharing these photos of the demolition of the Guild Inn with our readers.
