Step through time and paranormal space with the upcoming Ghosts of Christmas Past event at the Point Ellice House Museum and Gardens.
The local museum is teaming up with Beyond Belief Paranormal Events for a special, public investigation of the 158-year-old home-turned-museum, where museum staff, volunteers and visitors have reported experiencing “paranormal occurrences.”
READ ALSO: Point Ellice House exhibit offers new lens into colonial history
Event-goers will have the opportunity to participate in seances, vigils, glass moving and electronic voice phenomenon sessions. Those with a passion for the paranormal can even try their hand at some ghost hunting equipment.
Built in 1862, the Point Ellice House was originally occupied by the O’Reilly family for 108 years. Peter O’Reilly originated from England before moving to the colony of B.C. to serve as a gold commissioner, judge and sheriff. He also served as an Indian Reserve commissioner for 18 years, playing a role in the colonization and cultural genocide of thousands of First Nations people.
In 1896, the Point Ellice Bridge, commonly known as the Bay Street Bridge, collapsed when a streetcar with 143 passengers crashed through the structure and into the Gorge waterway – killing 50 people and becoming one of the worst accidents in Canadian transit history.
The nearby Point Ellice House became a makeshift morgue for the dead, laying out the bodies of those killed in the crash.
READ ALSO: 123 years ago: Bay Street Bridge collapses and kills more than 50 people
According to the event’s Facebook page, reports of spooky ghost-like activity in the house have included “full-body apparitions, voices, footsteps, and lights turning on by themselves.” Some people have reported simply feeling ghostly presences in the rooms of the house and visitor centre.
Ghosts of Christmas Past will be held Dec. 13 from 7 to 10 p.m. at the Point Ellice House (2616 Pleasant Street). Tickets can be purchased online for $65 each.
