Haunted Recreation Centre in Canada

Hello, I have always believed in the supernatural as I am of Native American descent and through out my life heard many tales of the unexplained. This story took place just a little over at year ago.

My partner and I were separated at the time and I had moved myself and our two children to my sister and her family's home of Dryden, Ontario, while I worked things out. My daughter was taking evening swimming lessons at the local recreational centre and I would usually use the gym facilities or the sauna. Well on this occasion I'd gone over by myself later on, closer to closing, which was at 9pm.

I decided to hit the shower at around 20 minutes before closing. I'd already taken my shower and was standing in front of an automatic dryer drying my hair, as I hung my head down. I suddenly felt this feeling of being watched, or least the feeling of someone waiting for me to finish, thinking that maybe they wanted to use the dryer, I turned to take a look and saw someone quickly disappear around the corner. I thought, "was that really someone?", because it wasn't like a solid, with colors or a shape, it was just a movement of something quick, real quick, so I responded by quickly following after it, to see who it was.

As I turned the corner, it turned the other corner (which led to the pool). I took a few quick steps after it again and at this point I stopped dead in my tracks and realized that it wasn't a person, first it was way too quick and it had been more of a black shadow, not solid but a motion... but I knew that I'd seen something. I stood rooted on the spot for a bit, hair still damp, just realizing that I'd seen someone who was not a solid person. After a bit I went and retraced my steps and knew that what I'd seen was not a person and yet I could not explain it. I wasn't so much afraid as in disbelief that I'd just seen something I could not explain, but wanted to.

Well, I packed my things hastily and left. As I walked to my car I looked back and the building seemed to loom at me in the darkness. I mentioned it as soon as I got home. It was so real that it would not leave my mind. I finally told my sister and brother in law that I was going to find out about the place, and they said "if it was haunted they would have heard about it" since the town was so small and everything was local news.

Well the next time I was at the sauna I met a man. We chatted and I got to talking about my last experience in the changing room and I tried to brush it off as nothing, suddenly feeling real dumb, but he went on to tell me that a plane had crashed at the local airstrip in the 60's or 70s (can't remember) and that 14 people had perished. He said that there had not been enough room at the local morgue so the community decided to keep the bodies cool at the local hockey arena, on the ice. The arena eventually burned down some years later, but the new recreation facility had been built on the site. We parted ways and I was apprehensive of taking my shower after that sauna session, I just expressed my respect and understanding to the spirits and went without a shower and hurried out.

I approached the lady at the desk to say goodnight and surprised myself by asking "So how are the spirits in here?" and to my surprise she answered, "Oh, there are lots of them, but they're OK. They only usually come out at night towards closing." She then went on to tell me that the big mirrors in the weight room usually had a child's finger prints every morning, even if they are thoroughly washed the night before. I said good night and left.

Of course my next mission was to see the finger prints for myself. I made a point of arriving right at opening and went straight to the weight room and sure enough, the child size finger prints were there, not close to the floor where I expected them to be, but above, like someone would have had to lift a child to make the prints, but they were there like four or five of them.

I impressed my brother in law the skeptic with my thorough investigation. I have since searched the internet, but to no avail. I have since moved back to British Colombia in the west of Canada and reconciled with my other significant, but I will always remember the night the residual energy from the night on the ice at the Recreation centre of Dryden, Ontario.

Anyone know of this history or experienced anything at the Dryden Recreation Centre that coincides with this story. I think it is a well kept secret in Dryden, with the locals who have deep roots in the town, if so, are you willing to share?

Contributed by Bernice Morin and Copyright © 2008 all rights reserved. No part of this story may be used without permission.

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Comment from Veronica:

I am enjoying your site, thank you!

I am responding to the above story from your site, The author asked about this plane crash. It happened in 1989 - Air Ontario Flight 1363, killing 21 people. Interestingly, the story sent shivers up my spine as I was reading it, which is how I know a ghost story is true or not! I have seen and experienced ghosts and spirits (spirits are conscious, whereas ghosts are confused or angry) maybe I will contribute one day, but for now I just wanted to answer the author of this stories question'

Many blessings to you all.

Veronica

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