Christensen - Ghost Stories of Saskatchewan 3

Jo-Anne Christensen

DUNDURN PRESS
TORONTO

Copyright Jo-Anne Christensen, 2009

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise (except for brief passages for purposes of review) without the prior permission of Dundurn Press. Permission to photocopy should be requested from Access Copyright.

Editor: Allison Hirst
Designer: Courtney Horner
Printer: Webcom

Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication

Christensen, Jo-Anne
Ghost stories of Saskatchewan 3 / by Jo-Anne Christensen.

Includes bibliographical references.
ISBN 978-1-55488-428-5

1. Ghosts--Saskatchewan. 2. Tales--Saskatchewan.
I. Title. II. Title: Ghost stories of Saskatchewan three.

BF1472.C3C573 2009 398.209712405 C2009-902992-8

1 2 3 4 5 13 12 11 10 09

We acknowledge the support of The Canada Council for the Arts and the Ontario Arts Council for our publishing program. We also acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Book Publishing Industry Development Program and The Association for the Exportof Canadian Books, and the Government of Ontario through the Ontario Book Publishers TaxCredit program, and the Ontario Media Development Corporation.

Care has been taken to trace the ownership of copyright material used in this book. The author and the publisher welcome any information enabling them to rectify any references or credits in subsequent editions.

J. Kirk Howard, President

Printed and bound in Canada. www.dundurn.com
Printed on recycled paper.

For my lovely friend Karen Ritchie
who always reminds me of how much fun this is

Contents

Ghost Hunting on the Prairies:
Saskatchewan Ghost-Hunters Society

Ghost Hunting on the Prairies:
Calling Lakes Paranormal Investigators

Ghost Hunting on the Prairies:
Saskatchewan Provincial Paranormal Research Centre

Weyburn Mental Hospital:
Resident Evil and Forgotten Souls

Ghost Hunting on the Prairies:
Ghost Hunters Research Team

Ghost Hunting on the Prairies:
Prairie Specters

Ghost Hunting on the Prairies:
Paranormal Saskatchewan

This book could not have been born without the support and help of many people. I hope that Ive remembered to say thank you along the way. Even if I have, I would like to take a moment to publicly acknowledge some of you now.

First of all, my sincere thanks to all of the people who took the time to share their stories with me. Without your contributions, there would have been no book. Its that simple. So please know that you have my gratitude.

Next, to the six paranormal investigation groups that are profiled herein, thank you sincerely for your time. You have my admiration for the work you do and my appreciation for all you shared with me.

W. Ritchie Benedict, of Calgary, as always, you were an invaluable resource. It is a pleasure to work with someone who has such a vast knowledge and genuine passion for this field of work.

Vilda and Frank Poole, and their granddaughter Alison, your efforts on my behalf were extraordinary. Saying thank you doesnt seem like enough, but Ill say it anyway. I am in your debt.

To my bud Leslie in my eyes you represent everything that is fabulous and, yes, a little spooky, about Saskatchewan. I love you and your whole gang of weirdos.

Others who have really gone above and beyond for me, and deserve mention here are: Jan Drummond, Jacquie Mallory, Margaret Strawford, Kathy Morrell, Therese Lefebvre Prince, Miles Vanghel, and the Zaporozen family.

Finally, a big thank you to my friends and family. Love you always, and couldnt do it without you.

This is my kind of place.

Thats what I keep thinking. Its the weekend before Halloween, 2008, and Im at the first ever Paranormal Symposium, presented by the Calling Lakes Paranormal Investigators, in Fort QuAppelle. There are presentations on past-life regression, dream interpretation, shamanism, and ghost hunting. Tables set up throughout the hall are filled with information on meditation, energy healing, crystals, and a variety of spiritual traditions. I see that if I want to duck behind a discreet screen and consult with one of the psychics, Id best book a time now, because their appointment books are filling up. If only I wasnt so tired from the previous nights ghost tour, I could take in more of this.

This is my kind of place.

Meaning not only the symposium, but Saskatchewan. Ive always loved this province. I love the clean-swept, wide-open space and huge expanse of sky. I love the prairie pride and the endlessly generous people. I love the stillness of the tiny towns and the creative buzz of the cities. And I love the ghost stories. Now, it seems that other people are loving the ghost stories and all other things mystical and unexplainable as well.

My first book, Ghost Stories of Saskatchewan, hit the shelves in 1995. I followed up with a second collection in 2000. I then let the subject rest, thinking that I had likely exhausted the province of its spiritual lore. Not that there werent more ghost stories there are always more ghost stories but I figured that I had run out of people who were willing to share them. But the times are always a-changing, as they say, and in the last decade, Saskatchewan has taken a turn for the ghostly.

Search the Internet for Saskatchewan ghosts and youll be rewarded with thousands of hits. Those who prefer a low-tech approach can explore this provinces supernatural history while touring on foot, trolley, or bus. The truly curious can join any one of a number of provincial ghost-hunting organizations who are not unlike the pros you see on television. It is possible to share your story online or read about the experiences of others there. People are more interested in the paranormal than ever. Theyre talking more openly about it and getting more educated. In researching this book, I found that the average person was likely to show me photos with orbs (those little balls of light thought to be spiritual energy) or boot up their laptop to play an interesting EVP (electronic voice phenomena literally, a ghostly voice caught on tape). Everyone is giving more thought to collecting concrete evidence, as well as defining and categorizing spiritual activity. Ten years ago, not many people could explain the difference between an intelligent haunting (where the ghost is aware of its surroundings and can interact with others) and a residual haunting (more of an energetic impression of a single event, or an environmental tape recording). Today, most who have any interest in the subject at all can make that distinction. With so many knowledgeable people on the hunt, can proof of the afterlife be that far away?