Canadian Hauntings – Grand Theatre, London, Ontario

In celebration of Halloween, October is going to be Canadian ghost stories. I will start off with the city that I live in London, Ontario.

The lighting is dim, the hairs on the back of your neck start to stand up. On the other side of the theatre, you hear footsteps. You pause … looking around your surroundings, just to realize that you are all alone in the Grand Theatre located in London, Ontario.
“Hello!” no one replies to your greeting. Shaking your head, thinking you just heard things, it is all in your head. You continue to wander in the direction previously.
Out of the corner of your eyes, you see a seat pop back up. The footsteps are back. Frozen in one spot your brain tries to comprehend what you just witnessed. Then you hear a voice saying your name. You make a B-line out of the building.
You are just one of the many that have in countered the ghost of Ambrose Small’s.

The sun was starting to go down, giving way for the moon to shine down on the prospering city of Toronto, Ontario. Street lamps were visible as businesses began to get ready to close up for the day. It had been a rather mild day, better than the day before where there was a steady drizzle. Ambrose Small was the owner of several theatres, of all the theatres, it was known that he admired the most London Grand Theatre.
Mr. Small was last seen in his office at the Grand Opera House. At 5:30pm, December 2, 1919, Small’s lawyer, F.W.M Flock, was the last person to see Small alive. All those that had been interviewed claimed that they had not seen Mr. Small leave the building.
Quickly dismissed, as a way to gain fame, Ralph Savein claimed that he had seen Small. He insisted there had been a quarrel with Small concerning the newspaper being delivered late.

On the day of questioning, Mr. Small had deposited one million dollars in a Toronto back account. He had just sold one of the theatres for 1.7 million dollars. Then Mr. Small had lunch with his wife, Theresa Small. Mr. Small was labelled as a ladies man, it had been suggested that he left with one of his acquaintances. That would have been believable if Mr. Small had taken money with him.
Years later, it had been suggested that it was Mrs. Small and her lover that murdered Ambrose Small. It was also thought that the head chief investigator, Austin Mitchell of the Toronto Police, ignored evidence which pointed to Mrs. Small as the killer.

If you go to the Grand Theatre … if you are quiet and observant … you just might meet Mr. Small.