Steps from St. James, historic spot is chill and likely haunted

Toronto is full of unique and historic places that define the city’s history from the ground-up. One such place can be found just steps away from the Centre of Hospitality and Culinary Arts.

The name speaks for itself, but Toronto’s First Post Office isn’t simply another old looking place. As one of Toronto’s oldest buildings, the public location is beautiful in a vintage fashion, and the decor remains unchanged since its establishment almost 200 years ago.

First built in 1833 by postmaster James Scott Howard, it was situated near the Bank of Upper Canada, which increased its importance of creating a financial district for the small city.  Eventually, the post office was used as a records and recruitment office for the Royal Air Force before it was sold to the Christie Brown and Company Ltd. which is more widely known now as Mr. Christie’s, the cookie company. The Town of York Historical Society preserved this site with protection to continue as a fully-operational place of business endorsed by Canada Post.

Janet Baptista, a postal employee who has served in the building for 15 years says that people are always delighted to have a mailbox at this branch. At a budget-friendly price of roughly $170 a year, it must feel cool to tell your friends where you’re going to get your mail. She added that students are also able to have their student loans done here, as many people travel to less convenient locations to have them processed.

The establishment is also rumoured to be haunted by the ghost of James Scott Howard himself. As the protector of the post-office, Baptista claims to have heard footsteps in the wooden halls when she’s the only person in the building. Baptista said she has also heard loud crashing noises and that objects have been falling off the shelves of the office when nobody else was around.

If you have free time around St. James, there are lots to explore at Toronto’s First Post Office. Spending some study time at the public place is comforting, and being surrounded by almost 200 years of history makes this location a perfect place to go if every table in the school’s buildings are filled up.

Just try to avoid James Scott Howard if you see him.