THE GAZETTE
MARTHA WORBOY, CanWest News Service
We’ve all taken a scary walk: a shortcut through a downtown alley late at night, across a frozen pond in early spring, home to get a failed school test signed by your parents. All of these experiences share a certain fright factor, but have you ever taken a walk on the ghoulish side?
Quebec City. To really get into the spirit of spook, embark on a lantern-lit ghost tour at night. What could be more spine-
tingling than wandering around a maze of darkened cobblestoned pathways in the old city, hearing tales about executions, ghost sightings and tragedies that took place hundreds of years ago. Wear running shoes and prepare to jump at your own shadow (or maybe someone else’s). Tours are rain or shine - some say its better in the rain.
Email to a friend
Printer friendly
Font:****If you’re not up for traipsing around in the dark, you don’t have to walk far in this city for a thrill. Watch Witchcraft on Trial, a dramatic re-enactment of a witch trial inquisition set in 1660s Quebec City. (Witch trials are indoors and last approximately 70 minutes).
Reservations are recommended for tours and trials - adult tour pass $17.50, discounts for students and seniors. Reservations: 418-692-9770, www.ghosttoursofquebec.com.
Toronto. Not many realize the city’s paranormal potential. Have you heard of the T-Rex spirit wandering the Royal Ontario Museum? Or the ghosts of public transit that rise from the underground? Okay, these may be pure fabrications, but find out for yourself on the Haunted Streets of Downtown Toronto walking tour.
Hear the legends behind such famous city landmarks as Queen’s Park, Old City Hall and Osgoode Hall and learn the “paranormal” history of the city.
Tours nightly at 7 p.m. until Wednesday, Oct. 31. It’s best to book in advance - it’s $10 for a regular pass, $8 for students. See muddyyorktours.com.
Ottawa. Take part in a Haunted Walk tour and you’ll never think the same of our nation’s capital. You’ll discover it’s not actually a town full of politicians and bureaucrats - no! - its a friendlier town full of ghosts, ghouls and demons. Learn the darker history of Ottawa and of the ghosts that haunt well known sites.
Tours last 90 minutes and are offered during the day and in the evening by lantern light. Some walks are too scary for young children. Tickets are on sale for special Halloween tours, until Oct. 31. See hauntedwalk.com.
Victoria. Embark on a walk through the haunted alleys and hair-raising locales of the city with historian and storyteller John Adams. Or, spend an evening discovering one of B.C.’s most famous ghosts, Doris Gravlin - a nurse murdered on the Victoria Golf Course in 1936. The so-called “Golf Course Ghost” has been spotted along the 7th green and on the nearby beach where her body was found. A dinner/lecture about Gravlin, An Evening With Doris, can be arranged with Discover the Past or a tour of her favourite local spots.
Ghostly Walks are offered Friday and Saturday nights at 7:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. with extra tours in October for the Halloween season. See www.discoverthepast.com.
Nova Scotia. Ghost & Graveyard tours has spooky walks and candle-lit cemetery tours year-round in Halifax, Hantsport and Lunenberg. See novascotia.com.
Edmonton. Take a walk through the back alleys and haunted streets of Old Strathcona. The tour lasts for one “frightful hour,” according to www.edmontonghosttours.com. Starts at 7 p.m. Monday to Thursday in Old Strathcona. Cost: $5 a person.
© The Gazette (Montreal) 2007
http://tinyurl.com/yvaudx
********************************