Joel A. Sutherland - Haunted Canada 10: More Scary True Stories

For you, dear reader. Ten volumes! Seven written by yours truly, and Im incredibly proud of each and every one. I wouldnt have made it here without your support. My eternal thanks to you.

When I wrote Haunted Canada 4, my first foray into the series that Pat Hancock kicked off, I never imagined Id someday be writing an introduction for the tenth volume. And yet, six years later, here we are. As Ive researched, written and edited this book, Ive been in a perpetual state of mild shock, like waking up and realizing your dream was actually your reality. But despite the shock I feel at having reached this particular milestone, it shouldnt be a surprise to me or anyone who knows me that my life has led me here.

Ive always loved storytelling and have long had a particular fondness for tales filled to the brim with things that go bump in the night. Haunted Canada 4 wasnt the first time I profited from spinning a creepy yarn. That goes back farther in time back to the summer between Grades 5 and 6. I was at a sleepover with two friends, and as midnight approached, one of us (Can you guess who?) suggested we take turns telling scary stories.

My friends did an admirable job telling genuinely creepy tales. So when it came to my turn, I knew Id need to step things up a notch. The specifics of the story are lost in time Im relatively certain it involved a hitchhiker and a broken-down car, or a bathroom mirror and a deadly curse, or a this-call-is-coming-from-within-the-house-style twist, or something. I spoke with an eerie voice, I jolted my audience with chilling sound effects and I paused for dramatic effect whenever the tension mounted. It shouldnt have worked, it should have been cheesy and over-the-top, but when I finally reached THE END and took a deep breath, one of my friends reached into his pocket, pulled out a dollar, and placed it in my hand.

Whats this for? I asked.

That, he said in a whisper, is for telling the scariest story I have ever heard.

I was hooked. I could scare people! I knew Id found my calling.

Which brings us to Haunted Canada 10. In the following pages youll find something to petrify every palate. Ghosts that lurk in bedroom closets and spirits that attack the living in broad daylight. Haunted houses, forts, hockey arenas and abandoned asylums. Stories from the past and stories from the present. Youll even find a grinning head with no body.

Will one of these stories be the scariest one you have ever heard? Theres only one way to find out. Work up some courage, brace yourself, and turn the page. There have been nine prior volumes in the series, so you should know by now what youre getting yourself into. And if this is your first taste of Haunted Canada, dont say I didnt warn you.

Frightfully yours,

Four brave men and women stood on the steps of the abandoned asylum and wondered what awaited them within the large, imposing building. As members of APPA Paranormal, they would go on to investigate the Sainte-Clotilde-de-Horton Asylum more than fifteen times between 2006 and 2017, but their first visit was easily one of the most memorable. After months of planning, they were happy and excited that the day had come when theyd finally set foot inside. But Patrick Sabourin, one of the groups founders, was also overcome by a profound sadness. The building had a lot of history and had seen no shortage of tragedy.

Originally built in 1939 as a monastery for the Fathers of the Sacred Heart, the building was briefly used as the novitiate of the Brothers of Christian Instruction in the 1950s. On Christmas Day, 1959, three students died when they accidentally set a fire. The building was purchased by the government in the 1960s and converted into an asylum for people with intellectual disabilities. In 1988 a patient set a fire in a central dormitory on the top floor, killing nine people.

Its believed some of the twelve souls who died in the two separate fires have remained in the asylum long after it was closed and fell into disrepair.

Patrick led his team his wife and co-founder, Izabel Descheneaux, technical director ric Chicoine and mental health worker Marie Jose Lamoureux inside. Entering the asylum was like stepping into a nightmare. Just about every window was broken and boarded up. The walls were crumbling and covered in graffiti and mould. The ceiling had many holes and looked like it might come down at any moment. The floor was covered in trash and puddles of dirty brown water. Old, broken furniture had been left behind to rot. They passed an inscription that read Sinite parvulos venire ad me, which translates to Let the children come to me.

During his research, Patrick had uncovered several reports from people who had heard voices in the halls and screams behind walls. Some of those people had also seen ghosts drifting among the shadows. Now, seeing the inside of the building for himself, he wasnt surprised. There was no chance the asylum wasnt haunted. More than that judging by its appearance and the sombre feeling that hung in the air as thick as smoke, it might have been the most haunted building in the province.

Not much time passed before the ghosts revealed themselves to the group. Although they were alone, laughter cut through the silence laughter that soon turned to crying. Patrick and the others paused and held their breath, trying not to make a sound, waiting for what they might hear next.

Where are you going? a soft voice asked.

Patrick was too shocked to answer. They moved deeper into the building, then descended into the depths of the basement.

Help me, a young voice said, full of sadness and fear. It sounded too close for comfort.

One of the members took a picture of the empty room. Later, when reviewing what they had captured, they saw a small boy holding out his hand. His expression was full of sorrow and pain. Although the boy only revealed himself in a picture, two other horrifying spirits appeared in person.

The first was the misty form of a human that flew past them like the wind and floated up the stairs. The second was an incredibly tall man who approached Izabel when she was alone. She turned and ran as quickly as she could, refusing to wait and see what the tall man wanted.

A few years later, in 2009, Roger Thivierge and Marie-Claude Martineau purchased the forty-three-hectare property, abandoned asylum and all. The couple thought it would be the ideal retirement project. Their plan was to start a French bulldog breeding business and raise funds to convert the asylum into a seniors residence. They didnt know they had purchased a haunted building, but they soon found out.

Within weeks, trespassing ghost hunters began to sneak onto their property late at night. Some were more destructive than others, breaking windows and damaging walls. Roger and Marie-Claude put up homemade signs that read Priv. But the signs were largely ignored, and one was written over with spray paint to read THE DEVIL IS HERE. Once their patience had completely run out, Roger and Marie-Claude called the police. One of the officers made an off-the-cuff suggestion: Why not cash in on the macabre interest and charge people a fee to visit the haunted asylum?