From: Jennifer Hanson, thenorthbaybay.ca staff

NORTH BAY — The Sands Motel was once a proud establishment.

A luxury motel in the 1970s, The Sands was one of the most decadent inns in all of North Bay, complete with a full-scale bar and a coloured, multi faceted fountain.

But times have changed, and so too has The Sands Motel.

“It’s tragic really,” says local historian Shannon Cloutier. “There was a time when The Sands was a luxurious resort. But neglect and time have made the motel into something else.”

“Something sinister.”

Cloutier is just one of some 40 000 people that are pretty sure the Sands is a gateway to some twisted Stephen King universe.

“Just look at it,” says Cloutier. “The odd angles, the holes in the windows. That thing is definitely either haunted or is hiding a freaky gateway to a world of giant lobstrosities and slow mutants.”

“It’s just like the Overlook Hotel in The Shining!” says average, everyday citizen Wade Lyons. “I mean, you know that somewhere in The Sands there’s a photograph of all the ghosts that haunt the place, right? It’s probably buried under some rubble, but it’s 100% there.”

Strange Stories

Standing near The Sands, Tisha Weaver says she’s also heard strange stories about the motel.

“My friend said she buried her cat Sparkles behind The Sands and then Sparkles came back and bit her on her ankle and it really hurt,” says Weaver. “Also can you spare five bucks for the bus?”

Watchful citizen Cadence Steed, who lives just up from The Sands on McIntyre St., says she’s seen some suspicious things at the old inn.

“Listen, I’m not saying there’s something really spooky going on in, or around, or under The Sands Motel,” explains Steed. “But all I’m saying is I saw a bunch of kids go in there last night. One of them had a slingshot and a map, and I’m pretty sure I saw a red balloon tied to the front door like some sort of secret signal.”

“Maybe they were just looking for a quiet place to hang out. Whatever floats your boat, I guess. The Sands might be that sort of place. I bet everything floats down there.”