Market Square
Corner of William and Navy Streets Oakville, Ontario
As the sun goes down in beautiful downtown Oakville, the atmosphere of the day changes to a surreal one of eeri-ness and expectation. The quaint town shops along Lakeshore Road close and bring a quietness to the area. The connection to the spirit world becomes enhanced, and those who are prone to the feelings of “the other side” relish this time of day.
One of the many reported haunted locations in Oakville is Market Square— an area that dates back to 1835. Today’s Market Square, a lovely park with small businesses surrounding the area, differs vastly from the Market Square of the 1800s. In its early days, Market Square housed the Town Hall of Oakville, along with the “lock-up” or jailhouse.
As we toured in Market Square one evening, we knew the history of a spirit named Philip and his panache for being “available” in the area. That evening, we had a medium on the tour who immediately picked up on his presence within the square. She began communicating with Philip and was assured that he is a friendly spirit and likes the company of the tour guides and wanted them to feel welcome in his square.
Our first encounter with Philip was the first of many strange things that occur on a regular basis as we tour Market Square. There are strange sounds and noises heard routinely, and the faint smell of smoke is a constant reminder that there is a presence. Close to Halloween, the acrid smell of something burning is very distinctive and has our tour participants feeling creepy as they listen to the stories and wonder how close they are to the spirit world. Inevitably, this experience will drive the conversation for the remainder of the tour.
Last Halloween, our guides were so intrigued by the distinction in the smell of something burning on this particular tour that they elected to back-track to Market Square. Upon further investigation, they found that the historical plaques that were on the walls of the Square told of the 1800s Town Hall and jailhouse being completely destroyed by fire—not once but twice!
The experiences of Philip and of Market Square are but one of many ghostly happenings in Oakville, especially at Halloween, when the veil is thinnest between the worlds.
