Ghost (As in the Bayview Ghost, Not the 1990 Film Starring Patrick Swayze and Whoopi Goldberg)

By Joshua Errett

During the 1970’s, the area just behind the Bayview extension overlooking the Don Valley was half-developed for the Hampton Park apartments. The apartment building was constructed but never completed due to zoning restrictions, and the unfinished building gave most neighbourhood residents the “spooks.” The Hampton Park apartments, known as the Bayview Ghost, kept the area undeveloped and uninhabited for decades, a trend that continues today. Reading this old NOW magazine description of the Bayview Ghost is both interesting and informative (especially for the news of Judy Sgro and the “Bill Saundercook factor”), but is by no means a comprehensive web search engine on the subject. As of this week, the City of Toronto has launched such a comprehensive web search engine to research the rich cultural heritage of Toronto buildings and properties. The site will list over 7,000 properties, ranging from landmark buildings to private homes to heritage districts to g-g-g-g-ghosts. See if your house is haunted here, or here. Zoinks! (Photo from the Eric Trussler collection)