Winnipeg Paranormal Group Leads Investigation at Marlborough Hotel 100th Year Celebration
On November 14, Members of the Winnipeg Paranormal Group led an open investigation at Winnipeg’s Marlborough Hotel for the 100th year anniversary. About 30 attendees were there to experience a real investigation and listen to stories about the Marlborough Hotel which is known to be haunted. Grace Rents, who works in the hotel, spoke about the history of the hotel and the spirits she and other employees of the hotel experience on a daily basis. She talked about sounds such as footsteps and full apparitions of past patrons of the hotel, employees regularly see. One particular ghost who many talk about, and actually inspired a book, is the ghost of Grace Edith Cook, a 16 year old waitress who was strangled to death in her room on the 5th floor in 1943. The most tragic part to this story is that poor Grace was killed by her boyfriend, Albert Victor Westgate, who was actually incarcerated previously for 14 years for killing another former girlfriend in the backseat of his car in Fort Garry. So tragic, this murderer was released only to repeat the same horrible offense again, 6 months after he was released, cutting a young woman’s life way before her time. Employees and patrons of the hotel report seeing Cook’s ghost still roaming the halls. The room is now all boarded up. Cook’s great great niece was actually present for the 100th year event as well. Maureen Flynn author of “Buckle my Shoe” spoke on how she came about writing a murder mystery novel just from visiting The Marlborough Hotel. She was inspired by the story of Grace Edith Cook’s murder and the fact people still claim to see her spirit roaming the hotel hallways. People were then split up into two groups, led by Winnipeg Paranormal Group members, Kelly, Ashley, Ross and Ed, and went on a investigation for three hours in various parts of the hotel. Investigators did evp sessions with attendees with digital recorders and ghost box sessions. They were given access to parts of the hotel where employees have paranormal experiences regularly. Each vigil was an hour in order that every group had a chance to investigate three area’s that they were given permission to investigate. After the three hours people then headed down to The Press Club for a séance to end the night. ...
