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home > articles > Fiddler's Green Irish Pub : The Old Galt Post Office
The wind was gusting strong and carried with it a cold air that brought chills to my entire body. It was a rather cold October evening when we left our home to head out to visit a ghostly locale, a "must see" haunted place on our list. I hadn't stepped out of the apartment for the day until that very moment, but the one thing I definitely become aware of was how unusually cold it was for the beginning of October. It was around 6 p.m. when Daniel had just gotten home from work and buzzed up for me to meet him downstairs in the lobby so we could venture out on that chilly night. Our destination… the infamously haunted Fiddler's Green Irish Pub in Cambridge, Ontario.
Standing outside of the building, the sheer grandeur of the structure immediately draws you in. Looking at the magnificent clock tower, you can only imagine what life must have been like in the mid. 1880's. This location was at the time, the centre of town - "the place to meet old friends, make new ones, indulge in quaint conversations, and of course, share each other's most trusted secrets, with friends or complete strangers." The remarkable thing is that the above anecdote can apply to today's atmosphere when you step inside of the pub and share good ale, fun times and definitely great fare.
The first postmaster was William Quarie who earned a salary of $176.00 per month. He lived on the top floor and this expense was taken out of his salary. Perhaps the most famous postmaster however, is William S. Turnbull, who served this position from 1898 to1919. As legend has it, William was involved in a torrid love affair with a postal employee named Emily. Perhaps because their relationship was forced to be kept secret, or because Mr. Turnbull attempted to end the tryst, Emily became agitated and restless. She threatened to go public with their rendezvous, which would have ultimately, not only ruined the reputation of William and bring his career to an end, but also cause a great scandal for the local townsfolk to chatter about.
Back in 1991 when the old Post Office was known as the "Time Club", a psychic gathered with spectators to perform a Ouija Board séance. During the communication session, they seemed to make contact with William, the post-master general, and learned that he too was haunting the building.
For more information, visit the Fiddler's Green website at www.fiddlersgreen.info
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Some photographs from the collection of Stephanie Lechniak, October
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We
had an appointment to pick up a gift certificate that they had generously
donated for our Halloween Costume Ball and to also have the opportunity
to get a first-hand tour of the mysterious building to document for
the website. We took Highway 24 from Brantford and arrived in Cambridge
at about 7 p.m. Having visited Cambridge previously, we knew what to
expect and nothing seemed new to us in this familiar town - or so we
thought! We had actually at one time considered moving to this quaint
and very historic town, but that option just wasn't in the cards for
us at the time, but who knows what the future holds.
The
old Galt Post Office was built in 1885 and was designed by the famous
architect Thomas Fuller, who also designed the first Canadian Parliament
Buildings in Ottawa. The contractor of the building was our very own,
M.A. Pigott. You may recognize the name from the famous Hamilton landmark,
the 'Pigott Building', situated right in the downtown core. M.A. Pigott
built the Post Office at an unbelievable cost of $32,967.79, which ironically,
is about the same cost as the Fiddler's yearly taxes now!) 
Although
some say it was suicide while others say murder, Emily's lifeless body
was found dangling from the rafters in the clock tower only a few days
later. Either Emily stricken with grief and heartache, suspended herself
up there in hopes of ending her tragic life, or someone, wrought with
fear and anger, decided to end her life for her, securing that the secret
would remain quiet for eternity. Some even say that Emily was pregnant
and felt the best thing for both of them would be to end the relationship.
Regardless
of what was promised, the secret is out and has been circulating for
many, many years. The legend of William and Emily will forever be kept
alive thanks to the folks at the Fiddler's Green Irish Pub who are devoted
to telling the history of the building, as well as the stories that
once took place within it's very walls. So much so that they have dedicated
the 3rd floor to the young lady and called it, "Emily's Attic Dance
Club" and have also named a special shooter mixed with exotic liquors
in memory of her. One thing that should also not be missed is the beautiful
painting on the curved wall in the stairwell leading to the upper floors.
It is an artist's interpretation of Emily floating almost ethereally,
looking at the old Post Office from a distance. Be sure to check it
out on your way to the washrooms in the basement!
Haunted
happenings at this hip and entertaining pub are rarely far and few between.
It seems that many of the staff members have had experiences, and such
is the case with Todd, one of the manager's at the establishment. He
told us of an incident that occurred around 9 p.m. at night one evening
when a bottle of gin levitated from behind the bar, began spinning in
the air, then aggressively flew across the room smashing into pieces
after hitting the floor. All of this was proven on tape when they later
reviewed the security camera that sits right above the bar and records
right through the entire night. Chairs have been known to bounce across
the floor when nobody is near, the lights will dim on their own, and
the water taps will turn themselves on and run continuously even after
they have been shut off.
There
is a door in the Pool room that leads outside to the deck that has been
known to cause problems. The door has been closed securely by a staff
member and the alarm has been set, until a few minutes later when the
"pool room door open" message comes on. When the door is checked,
it is ajar again as if someone has mysteriously unlocked and opened
it up. In frustration, Todd yells out for Emily to stop and evidently,
things do stop, but only for awhile.
The
windows on the 3rd floor tower where Emily hung herself have been screwed
shut, but persistently unscrew on their own and open up. Although the
screws have to be changed about once a month, they still are found completely
pulled out and left lying there on the window's ledge. People walking
on the street have reported seeing mysterious black shadows pass by
the upper windows and even a face that actually appears to form in the
clock itself!
Over
one hundred years after this emotional and eventful misfortune took
place, William and Emily are still said to wander the interiors of the
Fiddler's Green Irish Pub. I suppose we'll never know whether they are
finally happy together for eternity or forever rivals after the suspicious
events that took place. One thing is for certain however… you can
visit the place that they will forever reside in, raise a pint of good
ole' ale, and pay tribute to the couple that is enduringly locked in
time.