Photo courtesy Glenbow archives: Grace Hospital 1970s
The maternity ward of Grace Hospital in Calgary is rumoured to be haunted by the spirit of Maudine Riley (Maude Keen Riley). As the story goes Maudine's family owned the land that the hospital was eventually built on. Tragically Maudine died while giving birth. Her baby did not survive the birth either. The sad figure of her spirit is said to appear in the maternity ward, and when seen she is reportedly holding her baby.
Grace Hospital 1950s Photo Courtesy Glenbow Archives
Hospitals are the scene of a wide array of human emotions from great joy to great anguish, which is why many people believe they are often reportedly haunted. However, is it really Maudine or Maud (Keen) Riley who haunts?
Maudine Riley Photo Courtesy Glenbow Archives
Here is a brief biography, the research has kindly been provided by John Savoie:
"Maude (Keen) Riley grew up in Perth County, Ontario and became a teacher through the Ontario Normal School. Upon gaining her certification, she accepted a position to teach at Nose Creek School in Calgary in 1903. In 1907, she married Harold Riley and they had three children. One of the births was so close to mortality for both mother and child that it is said Maude made a promise that she would always look after the wellbeing of children and their families. (Is this the reason for the myth?)
Maude's first community involvement was with the Local Council of Women along with human rights activists such as Emily Murphy and Henrietta Muir Edwards, This group successfully lobbied for many important changes including dower rights for women and in 1916 the right for women to vote. Maude gained valuable experience related to activism with this group, and then went on to be involved with over 30 organizations within Alberta including the Alberta Federation of Women, Calgary Playground Association, Canadian Council on Child Welfare, and Foothills Provincial General Hospital Board.
Her work around women's rights and particularly children's rights was unwavering and holistic, investigating everything from proper nutrition to moral decency. As Maude was fond of saying, "Children should be well born, well treated, well housed, well fed, and well taught". She showed great determination as she consistently lobbied politicians until they gave concessions for her causes, from milk pasteurization, to free hospitalization for maternity, to family courts and family allowances so children would be well cared for.
Maudine and "her Children" 1950s Photo Courtesy Glenbow Archives
In 1918 Maude helped found the Calgary Child Welfare Society, which became the Alberta Council on Child and Family Welfare in 1923. This would be her crowning achievement, resulting in significant improvements to the standard of care available to Alberta children and families. She ran unchallenged as its president from 1923 to 1962. One of her later successes was campaigning for family courts, so youth could be tried separately from adults. Many of the social services now taken for granted in Alberta were first instituted through Maude Riley's perseverance.
Maude Riley passed away in 1962, months before she was to receive an honorary doctorate degree of laws from the University of Alberta. She is seen as one of the pioneers of social work in Alberta."
Old Grace Hospital Photo Courtesy Glenbow Archives
While there is no doubt that the hospital has a good fair share of haunting reports (some far more compelling than others) It is doubtful as evidenced above that its is Maude/Maudine who haunts.
Riley Farm, Calgary 1890s Photo Courtesy Glenbow Archives
Our thanks to John Savoie and Glenbow archives for providing research and adding to this article.
Glenbow Museum Online Archives
Reports sent to PSICAN
One of our readers shares the following report (March 2011) from his stay at this hospital:
"In 2000 I was at the Old Grace hospital which is now Health resource center to get back surgery. I was told to arrive the day before and spend the night to prepare for surgery first thing in the morning. I was shown my room by the nurse and put my belongings in there. She told me to go grab a bite to eat then come back and settle for the night. I went down the street and grabbed a burger and fries then returned to the hospital. I went into the hospital and up to my room. When I was walking back to my room I turned to step in but I saw a lady with dark brown hair and a white outfit on sitting in one of the chairs. I kinda stopped because I thought I was walking into the wrong room. So I glanced at the next room to it to double check that I was in the right room. When I went to turn back in my room it was empty she was gone. So I did probably a triple take to just try to make a little sense of it. I just figured I was just seeing things and discounted it. A little bit later I was ready for bed and laid down to sleep. Throughout the night I kept waking up because I thought the nurse kept coming into my room. I felt somebody lightly touching me and I could feel someone sitting on my bed, it was a very weird sensation because absolutely nobody was in my room. I was a little baffled and thought it was just because I was sleeping in a different bed.
Anyhow the next morning the nurses got me up and prepped me for surgery. There were about 6 or 7 other patients just laying together in our beds beside each other waiting. One of the nurse asked the other nurse if she had seen her pen because she just had it. The other nurse said maybe it was the ghost and us patients giggled. She said seriously there is a ghost who wanders the halls looking for her baby because she died giving birth to it and things go missing all the time. So at that time it clicked in what happened to me I was seriously thinking about what I saw and felt. I did not tell anybody because I was still trying to process it. I absolutely saw a lady in my room and she was gone seconds later. I definitely felt somebody sitting on my bed and I had my eyes open. This was a very real experience and I remember it vividly."
Our thanks to the witness for sharing his experience with us. Have you experienced something that you think might be paranormal in Alberta? Can you add any further information to this report? If so please do contact us at admin@psican.org Your privacy will be protected, and confidentiality is assured.
Update February 2012
The witness writes:
"I use to be a Metropol Securtiy guard at the Grace hospital. I can you actually tell you when. I think it was 1995. It was my first day there and the cafeteria shut down, as well as the 2nd floor maternity ward. Floors 1 and 3 were open for the remaining patients. I had been told about the alleged "ghosts" of the Grace, by some nurses and guards who had worked there for some time. After they shut the maternity ward down, before the start of my shift, I would go upstairs to the the mother's tv room. And I would pull a chair up and watch Star Trek Voyager. Then I would turn off the tv, put my chair back and begin my 9 hour shift.
On this particular night, I was doing my patrol of the floors. I went up to the second floor. Unlocked the security doors (only myself and the engineer had keys to the whole facility) and began my walk. It was a always weird, and the lights were off save the red glowing exit signs which cast a scarlet hellish light. It was this night, I smelled a very awful smell. And I recognized it because my wife a year earlier while driving her to the hospital (she was pregnant), her water broke in our car. And I remembered it as the same smell of embryonic fluid. But in my head, I knew there were no more births performed here and it had been months since we locked up the floor.
Then I heard voices. Like a conversation. So I followed it. And I came to the room I watched Star Trek Voyager before my shift. And to my astonishment, the tv was on and a chair was pulled up to it. Just like I had done. At this point, I called the other guard at the desk and asked if the engineer had moved anywhere in the building. He said no, and he called and the engineer was in the basement repairing something. I told him what was before me. He kinda gave a laugh, and mentioned about the "ghosts' having fun. I said, yeah righ! So I turned the tv off, and put the chair back. I figured I might have forgotten to turn the tv off and put the chair back. It was possible.
I finished the rest of my patrol, and as I was walking back to the main doors (from the outside), I got a call over the radio from the other guard. To haul my ass back to base. (Our security area). So I ran up to the main doors, and the security desk is to the left, I asked what was the matter. The other guard said, look at our light board...and there our security board was a red light flashing from Operation room #2 summoning security. I laughed and told the other security guard to quit BSing. He said, listen I don't have any keys, just you and the engineer do. I said I would check it out thinking there was some sort of short. When I got to OP room#2, I looked at the call buttons, and there on the wall marked Security, the button was pushed in. I turned it off. I said to the other guard, I turned it off. And that the button had been pressed. So I went back down. I ddin't get back half way when the other guard called me again. He said that the alarm had gone off again, and this time is was OP room #1. So I literally ran as fast as I could, up the stairs, and down the hall to OP room #1. And once again, on the call box, the security button was depressed, and I knew this could not be a short circuit. Shorts don't push buttons in. So, there standing in the hallway (And OP room 1 and 2 are right across the hall from the mother's tv room), I said to whoever might listen. "Look...I know you might feel lonely as all the babies and mothers are gone now. And I'm sorry that you feel this way. But I have a job to do. My job is to take care of this place and keep it safe. So I'm asking you pleeeease....don't keep calling us up here. We need to do our jobs. Thank you and Amen."
We never got another call again.
I never seen a ghost there. Only what I've testified above. I will say, that hospital does have many eyes, as I never felt alone in it. Like I was always being watched no matter where I went."
Our thanks goes out to the witness for sharing their experience with us. If you have had a similar encounter or would like to contact us please email admin@psican.org We appreciate your contacting us, and your privacy will be protected. Confidentiality is assured.
