O•S•C•A•R© - Old Ottawa South

Page 20
By Linda Burr
Saturday, February 13, 2010, was
crisp and cold – a perfect day for
some Winterlude fun. Marilyn
(not her real name) and her 11-yearold
daughter decided to go for a skate
and take in some of the festivities.
That afternoon, they headed up Bank
Street toward the canal with skates
in hand, looking forward to enjoying
themselves. On the way to their
destination, though, they had a strange
encounter.
As the pair were walking up Bank
Street toward Southminster United,
they noticed a woman in front of the
church. She was standing quite close
to the sidewalk, and was dressed all
in black, from head to foot. She was
wearing a long black wool coat, black
gloves, and a large hat. The collar of
her black blouse appeared to be all
ruffled with fine material, like silk.
These were no ordinary clothes, and
Marilyn realized that the woman was
perfectly dressed in a period costume
of perhaps circa 1910. As they drew
closer, Marilyn could see she was a
young woman, perhaps in her late 20s,
with dark hair swept up under her large
hat.
Marilyn wanted to speak to the
woman to find out more about the
marvellous outfit she had on. But
when she saw the woman’s face, she
hesitated. Her expression was neither
friendly nor inviting – in fact, she
looked quite unapproachable, and
her eyes were particularly intense.
The OSCAR - OUR 37 th YEAR
Woman in Black: an OOS Mystery
Instinctively, Marilyn decided not to
speak to her after all.
Perhaps the woman was dressed for
Winterlude, as part of the festivities,
Marilyn thought. The Bytown Museum
often has volunteers dressed in period
costume, who animate the festival sites
along the canal. Or she could have
been coming from a funeral, since she
was in front of the church, although her
dress was not the kind usually seen at
funerals today. Was she going to some
event connected with the Billings
Estate Museum, not far away? All of
these scenarios seemed possible, but
still, something did not seem right. Her
outfit was just too perfect.
As they drew close and passed her
on the sidewalk, they smelled a strong
and unpleasant odour, like an odour
of decay, or something very old and
rotten. How strange!
Once past the spot where the
woman was standing, Marilyn glanced
back. Now the woman was looking
at her with a strange and serious
expression. What could it mean? They
continued down to the canal, and sat
down to put on their skates. It occurred
to Marilyn that the woman she had
seen may have been a spirit, and not a
real person at all.
Who was the woman in black?
When I heard Marilyn’s story, I was
intrigued and wanted to know more.
Was she a real person? Or was she a
spirit from another time? First, I wanted
to find out if she could have been a real
person after all.
To begin, I contacted the Bytown
Museum. I described the woman’s
outfit, and where she was seen
standing. The program director assured
me that that no one matching that
description would have been among
their volunteers out in costume that
day. Next I checked with Southminster
United, but they reported no funeral
was held that day at the church. There
was a rehearsal for a comic opera at the
church on February 13, and we were
able to examine some photos from that
event; however, no one matched this
description. Next, I spoke to the folks
at Billings Estate, who told me they
did not have anyone out in costume.
Finally, I contacted Haunted Walks
of Ottawa, but they also assured me
it could not have been anyone from
their group. None of these possibilities
seemed to lead to a real person who
would be likely to wear such a costume.
If the mysterious woman in black
was a spirit, why did she appear to
Marilyn in that place and time? What
event could have brought her there that
day? Did anyone else notice her? There
were a lot of people walking up Bank
Street that afternoon. If she was a real
person, who was she?
Perhaps you can help us. Did you
see the mysterious woman in black?
Do you have any clue as to who she
might be, whether among the living
or otherwise? If you saw her, or have
an idea of who she was, please send
an email to the OSCAR at oscar@
oldottawasouth.ca and help us solve
the mystery of the woman in black.
July 2010
Secure Your Vehicle
And Your Valuables!
On June 13, 2010 the Central
East District team deployed a
‘Bait’ bicycle in the By Ward
Market and Rideau Street area. Within
seconds, the first arrest was made.
Over a two hour period, three males
were arrested and charged with various
Criminal Code and Controlled
Drugs and Substances Act offences.
At no time did the bicycle sit more
than ten minutes after deployment before
being stolen.
Two of the three males arrested
do not reside in the Market district.
Just a reminder to anyone leaving
a parked vehicle or bicycle unattended:
Please secure your vehicle and do
not leave valuables in plain view.
Make the Right Call!
Call 9-1-1 for life threatening emergencies,
613-230-6211 for non-life threatening
emergencies,
or the Ottawa Police Call Centre at
613-236-1222, ext. 7300, to make
non-emergency reports for incidents
such as theft, property damage, missing
persons or stolen vehicles.
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Volunteers
For Monthly
Distribution in OOS