We received the following report in 2010, but the events described occurred many years ago:
"This took place when I was first out on my own in my first apartment at age 18. As it was in the basement of a home there was a separate entrance from the back door entry at the top of the stairs. Descending the stairs you came to a small hallway,at either end was a kitchen and living-room.In the middle of the hallway was a door to bedroom which we never used to sleep in being windowless-it was pitch black when the light was out-it felt smothering like the darkness was pushing down on you. We preferred the pullout sofa-bed in the living room.
One summer night my sister was staying over-she had left the other bedroom-it made her uneasy and she couldn't sleep so she slept with me.At about 1:30 AM I was awakened suddenly-don't know why. My eyes went to the entrance of the hallway where it was dark but there seemed to be a darker mass moving around there. I noticed my sister was already half sitting up beside me.
It resembled a person and I thought it was my boyfriend returning and called out his name.Then I saw a small glow of light forming an 'O' circling fast.It looked like a lit cigarette.Then this black 'mass' stepped forward and began to walk across the room in front of us. With 3 windows the room was illuminated by streetlights, we could see detail well and noticed the ghost was dressed in Victorian clothing complete with cape and top hat. He was very tall,very substantial and as he passed opposite the bed he took a drag from his cigarette which illuminated his face a bit in profile. He had sunken cheekbones and the sockets of his eyes were recessed-not unlike Abe Lincoln! He appeared to be dressed as a gentleman with a high white collar with a jeweled pin in his cravat. He said nothing and just dissolved into the wall.
My sister and I were more fascinated than terrified-we realized he wasn't 'flesh and blood' and eventually we went back to sleep. Not before I asked if she had seen 'that'. She said yes and then I told her to tell me what she had seem exactly and then I would. Her description matched what I saw, the only difference is that she had woken just before me and saw the cigarette heater circling longer than I did .I did read about a similar top hat ghost that appeared to a manager at the Guild Inn. It has mystified me decades later. It was very intense at the the time and left an indelible impression. Once someone twirled a cigarette at night in front of my sister and she got very upset. It reminded her of that night-she does not like to discuss it. I was struck how odd it was that he seemed to have a modern cigarette-I thought pipes,cigars or cheroots more in keeping with the 19th C. What was the point? Is this a ghost confined to central Scarborough? The house had been built in the 50's on a former 19th C. farm off Kennedy Rd. south of Sheppard. "
Our thanks go out to the witness for sharing these experiences in her former home with us. Have you encountered something similar? Do you feel you may have experienced a haunting in Scarborough, Ontario? If so please contact us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Your privacy will be protected, and confidentiality is assured.