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Ghostly encounters at Lund Hotel

Otherworldly residents make presence known with periodic visits
Fred Thulin
HAUNTED HOTEL: Historic Lund Hotel’s third floor has been closed for decades, but some have reported ghostly figures, including hotel founder Fred Thulin, have been walking around up there, and others have seen them looking out of the old dormer windows. Erin Innes photo

In the spirit of Halloween, I want to share a ghost story. But, worry not, the tale is not a scary one. Ghosts reportedly frequenting the Historic Lund Hotel are known to be friendly.

Many people in the community believe that the hotel is haunted by at least two well-known local ghosts. One is reported to be a woman in a long, white dress, often seen dancing in the hotel saloon after hours, or checking out wares in the store. Another ghost, possibly the same woman but a few years older, is said to spend time in the banquet hall. A gentleman in a nice suit reportedly appears as a third ghost and wanders around the oldest part of the building, the original Hotel Malaspina, which was renamed Lund Hotel after it burned down in 1918.

Some people suggest the three ghosts are versions of Lund founder Fred Thulin and his first wife Vira May Palmer. The gentleman ghost is said to appear in the lobby of the hotel, where Thulin’s picture hangs in exactly almost the same spot it has been since the hotel was built.

If it is Thulin, he seems to be a little possessive about the hotel he founded and has often been seen hovering over hotel employees while they work, as if to make sure a good job is being done. Perhaps he is just a stickler for details.

Palmer, on the other hand, seems content to be seen dancing or happily strolling the halls. Palmer also likes to leave a calling card.

Hotel employees talk about coming to work in the morning and finding coins on desks, floors and counters that they know were clear the night before. Supposedly it used to be pennies, but now that we have stopped using them, she leaves dimes, often in pairs.

The third floor, which at one time held rooms for guests, provided staff with accommodations and housed offices and a hairdressing studio, among other things, seems to be another favourite haunt for the hotel’s otherworldly residents.

Employees report hearing people walking around or running up and down the stairs even though the only stairway to that level is locked. Also, figures have been reported to be seen from the outside, standing at the dormer windows of the old rooms and holding aside the curtains to look out on life in the harbour below.

General manager Kurt Pyrch said he recently took a group of guests up there for a tour and found, you guessed it, mysterious dimes on the floor.

So, this Halloween, if you happen to be out at the end of the road, stop in and say hello to Thulin and Palmer. I’m sure they would appreciate it. You might even end up with a dime out of the deal.