Have you felt the eerie quiet clinging to this forgotten place? This is the Piscine Henry William Morgan. It is a silent witness to Montreal’s hidden stories.
The Piscine Henry William Morgan was once a vibrant hub. It attracted swimmers and sunbathers. Now it stands decrepit. Graffiti covers its crumbling walls. Stagnant water fills part of it. Some even say it is haunted.
Built in 1961 the Piscine Henry William Morgan was not just for leisure. It was meant for nurses. They could swim here. Patients needing physiotherapy or rehabilitation also used it.
Henry William Morgan was the chairman of the hospital board. He served from 1957 to 1962. He donated the pool. It was a philanthropic gesture for the Royal Victoria Hospital. The pool was officially named after him. It is the Piscine Henry William Morgan.
Charles S. Morgan is Henry William Morgan’s grandson. He recalls the pool’s history. He said his grandfather was devoted to the hospital staff. Over time the Piscine Henry William Morgan opened to the public.
McGill students flocked here. The entry fee was just five dollars. Websites touted it as Montreal’s secret hipster pool. It had a buzzing party atmosphere.
But the festive vibe became problematic. Some users complained. They said alcohol and drugs were consumed openly. Others felt lifeguards did not supervise well.
After-hours incidents added to the trouble. People broke in to party. They smashed bottles. They threw picnic tables into the water.
Tragedy struck on August 8 2013. Douglas Crabbe a regular swimmer drowned. He was found unconscious. Lifeguards could not revive him. He died two days later.
The Piscine Henry William Morgan was immediately closed. It has remained shut ever since. Despite promises to reopen it the Piscine Henry William Morgan remains empty.
The McGill University Health Centre owns the pool. They moved the Royal Victoria Hospital. There is little incentive to reopen the Piscine Henry William Morgan.
More disturbing rumors surround the pool. Some say it conceals a dark secret. They claim it was built to hide bodies. The bodies were allegedly children murdered at the Allan Memorial Institute.
Dr. Ewen Cameron a McGill psychiatrist conducted unethical experiments. These experiments included Project MKULTRA for the CIA. Orphans and Indigenous children were reportedly victims. They endured excessive electro-shock sessions. Some even say lobotomies were performed.
Survivor Ann Diamond claims unmarked graves exist. These graves may contain First Nations children. They participated in Cameron’s experiments.
Kevin D. Annett’s book supports these claims. It lists unmarked Indigenous gravesites across Canada. One is at the Allan Memorial Institute. It is described as a mass grave for children.
Ann Diamond remembers visiting the Piscine Henry William Morgan. It was in the summer of 1972. She and friends climbed the stone wall. They swam in the dark.
Later Diamond heard Leonard Cohen frequented the pool. In the early 1980s the pool was open to the public. The entry was five dollars.
In 2003 Diamond met a former Royal Victoria Hospital nurse. He said the pool was a drug-dealing site. Nurses stole cocaine from the hospital pharmacy. They sold it to people at the pool.
The Mohawk Mothers also shared information. They noted the hospital sits on unceded Mohawk territory. Indigenous children may be buried near the Piscine Henry William Morgan.
Lana Ponting a survivor of the Allan Memorial Institute was interviewed. She recalled seeing Indigenous people receive shock treatment. She also saw underage children. Rumors circulated about bodies buried in the gardens.
Ponting believes the Piscine Henry William Morgan was built to hide bodies. She is convinced bodies are buried on the property.
People have reported paranormal activity. One woman saw a decaying hand in the water. A man had nightmares of children under the pool. They were calling for help.
The Piscine Henry William Morgan is more than an abandoned pool. It is a site of controversy. It has whispers of hidden crimes. Until a full investigation occurs its secrets remain buried. The Piscine Henry William Morgan holds its silence. What do you make of all this?