Maritime ghosts to haunt popular TV show
Last Updated: Wednesday, February 3, 2010 | 5:26 PM AT
CBC News
Related
External Links
(Note: CBC does not endorse and is not responsible for the content of external sites - links will open in new window)
Some of the Maritimes' spookiest haunts will be featured on the upcoming season of a popular paranormal documentary series.
A production team from the Canadian show Ghostly Encounters is in the region this week, scouting out stories and locations in the Saint John and Halifax areas for the upcoming fourth season.
"Every historic city has its fair share of ghosts," said producer Brian Dennis, who has visited Saint John in the past, while on location with other projects.
'The stories we get range from very comforting stories of visits from lost loved ones, through strange poltergeist activity...Really scary stuff.'— Brian Dennis, producer
"Saint John has the architecture, the history, the sea. The sheer number of widow's walks I saw on the tops of buildings walking around, it just felt like eyes were poking out looking at me in the streets at night and in the fog," he said.
"And of course you have the amazing cemetery right downtown. I took incredible photos of ravens sitting on moss-covered gravestones and thought - this is perfect."
Dennis wants people to share their first-hand accounts of supernatural sightings.
"The stories we get range from very comforting stories of visits from lost loved ones, through strange poltergeist activity, conventional things that go bump in the night, to the really freaky - dinner plates flying out of cupboards of kitchens. Really scary stuff," he said.
"If a person had an experience themselves, we're anxious to hear about it."
The show should find ample material to work with in the Saint John area, said Catrina Haun, who used to take groups on ghost walks with her mother.
In Saint John, Francoise Marie Jacquelin, who died in 1645 after leading a valiant defence of Fort La Tour against attack by a rival French lord during her husband's absence, is said to haunt the west side and north end. And in nearby St. Andrews, some supernatural hotspots include The Fairmont Algonquin Hotel, built in the 1880s, and the Charlotte County Courthouse, built in 1840.
"We have lots of pictures of orbs," taken at the courthouse, said Haun. "There's actually a perfect image of a gentleman with an old suit and hat and mustache standing in the window, when there was no one left in the building whatsoever."
Stories can be submitted by emailing submissions@ghostlyencounters.ca, or by calling 1-877-889-5737.
Filming is expected to start in March, with the new season scheduled to air on the VIVA channel, W Network and A&E in September.
About one-third of the half-hour episodes will be based in Saint John, a third in Halifax and the remainder in the Ottawa Valley.
Share Tools
Latest New Brunswick News Headlines
- Armed robbery at Saint John gas bar
- There was an armed robbery at a Saint John, N.B., gas station Friday night. more »
- Cataractes advance to Memorial Cup final by beating Sea Dogs
- Yannick Veilleux broke a tie at 13:14 of the third period as the host Shawinigan Cataractes upset the defending champion Saint John Sea Dogs 7-4 in the semifinal of the Mastercard Memorial Cup on Friday night. more »
- 4 arrests in Elsipogtog drug trafficking case
- Four people are facing charges in connection with a two-month long investigation into prescription drug trafficking on Elsipogtog First Nation. more »
- David Alward worried about EI changes
- Premier David Alward says he's worried proposed changes to employment insurance will hurt seasonal industries in the province, such as fishing, forestry and tourism. more »
Top News Headlines
- Teen struck by lightning in Ottawa dies
- The victim of a Friday lightning strike during a storm in east Ottawa has died, CBC News has learned. more »
- Syrian children massacred by the dozens in attack
- More than 90 people have been killed by regime forces in a district of central Syria, with the head of the UN team in the country confirming at least 32 children and 60 adults were killed the attack. more »
- Missing Winnipeg children found in Mexico, organization says
- Two Winnipeg children reported missing and possibly in Mexico have been found alive, according to unofficial reports from an agency that works to find missing people. more »
- Everest team unable to bring down Toronto woman's body
- Bad weather has hampered the recovery team that is attempting to bring down the body of a Toronto woman who died trying to climb Mt. Everest. more »
- Armed robbery at Saint John gas bar
- 4 arrests in Elsipogtog drug trafficking case
- David Alward worried about EI changes
- Woman robs store in Tracadie-Sheila
- N.B. firefighters warned of lawsuit threat
- Loose dog prevents mail delivery to area residents
- Pension snafu may erode public trust, says Norton
- Main Street reopened to traffic
- Pharmacists get generic drug pricing 'transition period'

