It wasn’t creaking floors or flickering lights that signalled something otherworldly in Don Lammle’s Drinkwater home; it was the recurring waft of stale tobacco, a ghostly reminder, he believes, of the man who died there decades ago.

Lammle purchased the 1904 Edwardian home as a retirement project and poured years of work into the restoration, rewiring, replumbing, insulating, and preserving its ornate oak woodwork — but amid the sawdust and fresh paint, he said something “felt different.”

“I bought my house in Drinkwater and I restored it. There is a ghost in the house,” Lammle said. “At first, the only thing I was aware of was an overpowering tobacco smell — an old, stale tobacco scent — and it would come and go. When I was first there, it would be there with me three or four times a day.”

The ghostly presence, he later learned, was believed to be John Hagley, a former resident who died inside the home many years earlier.

According to Lammle, he wasn’t the only one who noticed the strange scent. “I’m not the only one who smelled it,” he said. “A lot of my friends have smelled it as well.”

One former resident did claim to have seen the ghost. The former homeowner, who has since moved to Moose Jaw, reportedly told Lammle she had occasionally seen the outline of a man inside the house — often in quiet moments when she was alone. “She actually saw him, and she protected him,” Lammle said. “She has some good stories about it.”

Curious about the recurring scent, Lammle mentioned it to Beatrice (Bea) Hagley, the widow of former resident John Hagley, who had died in the home years earlier. Lammle knew Bea personally and spoke with her before her passing in 2019.

Born in 1922 near Balgonie, Sask., Bea was a beloved mother, grandmother, and lifelong resident of the Drinkwater area, remembered for her deep roots in the community. During their conversation, she confirmed what Lammle had begun to suspect.

“She asked me if I noticed anything strange in the house,” Lammle recalled, noting that this was before he had mentioned anything about the odour to her. “I said, ‘Yeah, I noticed a tobacco smell. I don’t smoke and I haven’t smoked for years.’ Then she said, ‘Well, that would be my husband, John. He smoked cigarettes, a pipe, and cigars.’”

Lammle said the smell was distinct — “very old, stale-smelling stuff” — but the experience was never frightening. “He never, ever bothered me. I mean, that’s the only (experience I had). He was never threatening.”

The mysterious scent, Lammle said, faded gradually as his renovations neared completion. When Bea passed away, it disappeared entirely.

“The more I got done on the house and the more I finished the restoration, the less he was there,” Lammle said. “Bea Hagley passed away (about six years ago). Since she passed away, I have not smelled anything. The last time I ever smelled tobacco was before she passed away.”

Today, the house known as Willett on Wenzel stands as one of Drinkwater’s most distinctive landmarks. Built between 1904 and 1905 by Dave and Maggie Willett, the Edwardian-style residence was once a symbol of early prairie prosperity and is, perhaps, still a vessel for the memories of those who lived and died within its walls.

Do you have an otherworldly experience to share? Reach out to the Moose Jaw Express at Aaron@MooseJawExpress.com or by calling 306-694-1322 and your spooky encounter might be featured in an upcoming edition.

Aaron Walker

Reporter

Moose Jaw Express