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Haunted Hike FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions
Compiled by Dale Jarvis.
Where can I get information on the Haunted Hike?
Is the Haunted Hike suitable for children?
Where can I find ghost stories?
Where can I find Newfoundland fairy stories?
Where are some haunted buildings/locations in the St John's area? I would like to take some pictures!
Where can I find a topic for my research project?
Do you think this is a good topic for me to be doing for a heritage fair project/folklore paper?
How do ghost stories fit into the category of folklore? Would you categorize ghost stories as part of folklore?
What makes a great ghost story?
Why is this part of Newfoundland and Labrador culture?
How many paranormal creatures have you seen during your career as a ghost watcher?
What is the minimum age you would recommend for your job?
Do you ever get scared or have nightmares because of your job?
What things do you do in your job that keeps you in business?
Why are there so many ghost ship stories from Newfoundland and Labrador?
Where can I find information on historic Newfoundland murders?
How can I get more involved with storytelling?
When did you discover your interest in the paranormal?
Were you fascinated by ghosts as a child?
When did you discover the haunted history of old St. John’s?
What type of people take the Haunted Hike?
Do you think most people believe in ghosts?
Do you believe?
What are some of the comments you’ve heard during the Hikes?
Has anything spooky, or unexplained ever happened while on the Hike?
What has been the most interesting discovery you’ve made through your research into the paranormal in St. John’s and the province?
Are all entities evil, or angry?
Where do ghosts come from?
Would you like to haunt some place?
Where can I get information on the Haunted Hike? How did it start?
Take a look at the Haunted Hike website:
http://www.hauntedhike.com
Is the Haunted Hike suitable for children?
The Haunted Hike does contain stories that are frightening, or else it wouldn't be the Haunted Hike! As a result, it may not be suitable for young children. While a general recommendation may be that the Hike is suitable for children over the age of 8, parents or guardians are encouraged to talk to their kids beforehand and to make sure they are up for a night of ghoulish tales. After that, if you have to ask, "Is my child ready for this?" then the answer is probably no. Of the two tours, the "Ghosties and Ghoulies" tour is more family friendly.
Where can I find ghost stories?
A good place to start is this website. Feel free to use anything you find on here, provided you give credit to the website in your project. As well, I’ve written a book of local stories called Haunted Shores: True Ghost Stories of Newfoundland and Labrador, published by Flanker Press, which should be available at most Newfoundland and Labrador libraries, or which you can purchase online. There are a lot of stories there which I’ve collected from all over the province. I have also written a book called Wonderful Strange: Ghosts, Fairies and Fabulous Beasties of Newfoundland and Labrador which was also published by Flanker Press. Both books have lots of stories about ghosts and other supernatural creatures.
Where can I find fairy stories?
For Newfoundland fairies, Wonderful Strange: Ghosts, Fairies and Fabulous Beasties of Newfoundland and Labrador has a chapter of fairy stories. I would also recommend “Strange Terrain” by Barbara Rieti, and “Fables, Fairies and Folklore of Newfoundland” by Alice Lannon & Mike McCarthy. Memorial University Library and the public library should have copies of all of these, or you can try Bennington Gate Bookstore in Churchill Square, or your school library. My favourite books on Irish fairy stories are "Meeting the Other Crowd" by Eddie Lenihan and "The Truth about the Leprechaun" by Bob Curran.
There are a bunch of St. John’s stories in my book "Haunted Shores". Some of them are the Masonic Temple on Cathedral Street, Victoria Station also on Cathedral Street, LSPU hall on Victoria Street, Sutherland Place Apartments on Kings Bridge Road, the Anglican Cathedral Graveyard on Church Hill, and Signal Hill! Just remember that some of these are private property, so be sensible and don’t trespass.
Where can I find a topic for my research project?
One thing I always suggest to people doing research projects is that they simply start asking people around them if they know of any stories themselves, or if they have ever had any weird experiences. Almost all of the stories I write about or tell as a storyteller are tales I’ve learned from other people, and it always amazes me how much stuff is out there. I think the exciting thing about folklore research is when you get someone to tell you a story or experience you’ve never heard about before.
Do you think this is a good topic for me to be doing for a heritage fair project/folklore paper?
I think that stories are an important part of any culture. I would encourage you to ask people you know, and see if they have ever had strange things happen to them, or if they heard stories growing up. See if they can tell you a bit about their experiences.
How do ghost stories fit into the category of folklore? Would you categorize ghost stories as part of folklore?
I collect stories from people that are either part of the oral tradition and which have been passed from person to person, or I collect stories of personal experiences. I certainly would categorize ghost stories as a part of our folklore.
What makes a great ghost story?
I think it depends on the listener or reader. I personally like ghost stories that are based on true life experiences, that are a little odd, and a little creepy.
Why is this part of Newfoundland and Labrador culture?
Newfoundlanders love to tell stories, and ghost stories have always been a part of that. We have a great tradition of folk beliefs here in the province, and there are a lot of great stories waiting to be found and shared.
How many paranormal creatures have you seen during your career as a ghost watcher?
None really! I would not call myself a ghost watcher. I am a more of a story collector and story teller. Having said that, there may be a ghost in my house. That story is told in my book Wonderful Strange.
What is the minimum age you would recommend for your job?
Anyone can start collecting stories, and writing them down. That is a lot of what I do! To be a walking tour guide, you need to be a bit older. I started doing it while I was a university student.
Do you ever get scared or have nightmares because of your job?
No, not really. I don't get scared from telling stories. I do get scared from things that jump out at me, and I really, really hate zombies...
What things do you do in your job that keeps you in business?
I have three jobs. I work during the day for the Heritage Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador (www.heritagefoundation.ca) which is an organization that helps preserve and protect old buildings. I am a writer, and I write books, newspaper articles, and magazine articles. I also work as a tour guide and storyteller. I'm pretty busy!
Why are there so many ghost ship stories from Newfoundland and Labrador?
I think there are a couple links between shipwreck stories and ghost ship stories. I think at one level, ghost ship stories arise from the tragedy of the wrecks, and incomprehensibility of tragedy in general. Disasters on a large scale, such as that associated with a shipwreck, where multiple lives are lost at once, are harder to understand than an individual death. It is difficult to understand why such an event would happen. Associating the event with a ghost story places makes the event larger than life, more momentous, and places the story outside of the regular occurrences of daily life. I don’t know if it makes the tragedy any easier to deal with, but it marks it as somehow "unreal".
I also think that ghost ship stories, like a lot of ghost stories, are a means of ensuring that oral history is passed from one generation to the next. Even something as momentous an occasion as a wreck will loose emotional or sentimental value as the story passes from generation to generation, and as stories loose value or relevancy, they stop being told. However, when a historical story, such as a shipwreck, is linked to a supernatural experience which might continue into the present, that story is much more "tellable".
Many ghost ship stories are anniversary type stories, with the ghosts returning each year at the time of the wreck. This means that the original bit of history is recycled every year, and the anniversary is remembered. If there wasn’t a ghost story, I suspect that some of the stories would be lost. Having said that, there are a lot of shipwreck stories out there which do not have ghost stories associated with them!
Where can I find information on historic Newfoundland murders?
Your best bet would be to find some of the books by Newfoundland author Jack Fitzgerald. He writes a lot about true Newfoundland crime stories. A school library, or the St. John’s public library probably will have some of his books. Another good source of historical information is Paul O'Neill's book "The Oldest City".
How can I get more involved with storytelling?
If you are in the St. John's area, you can take part in the St. John's Storytelling Circle, which meets every month, and gives an opportunity for new tellers to practice their stories. You can also become a member of Storytellers of Canada/Conteurs du Canada (SC/CC) which is the national organization of storytelling in Canada.
When did you discover your interest in the paranormal?
I’ve always been interested in the unexplained!
Were you fascinated by ghosts as a child?
I loved to read scary stories as a child, and books about magic and fabulous creatures. I remember being a young teenager, and watching the Alfred Hitchcock movie “Psycho” with my cousin. We both got terrified, and then made each other even more freaked out by making up stories about an old woman who lived, hidden away, in my grandfather’s attic.
When did you discover the haunted history of old St. John’s?
I started to learn about the haunted history of St. John’s by reading books by Newfoundland authors like Jack Fitzgerald, Mike McCarthy and Frank Galgay. They have all done a lot to promote the history and folklore of the city. As I became more involved with running the Haunted Hike, and writing for local publications, I started to do interviews with people who have had strange things happen to themselves. Today, that is one of my favourite things about the Hike. I love having people share their stories with me, and I’m always keeping my ear open for new tales. I also get a lot of emails from readers and from people who have taken the Haunted Hike, and I’m always excited to find a new ghost story in my email inbox!
What type of people take the Haunted Hike?
There is not one specific type of person who takes the Haunted Hike. I get school kids, teenage Goths, blue-haired old ladies, tourists, locals, families, young couples on dates, true believers and doubters. I’ve done tours for executives, judges, choirs, urban planners and rugby players. Everyone loves a ghost story!
Do you think most people believe in ghosts?
I think everyone is curious, even the most sceptical people. I say at the start of every tour that the stories are true, but people have to make their own choice to believe or not. I think most people want to believe in ghosts, even if they’ve never seen anything themselves.
At heart, I am somewhat sceptical myself. Having heard and read hundreds of ghost stories over the years, there are some stories I come across and immediately recognize as being urban legends or myths that are found in many parts of the world. At the same time, however, I’ve met a lot of people who have had a lot of very strange things happen to them, so I am certain that there are things that happen in the world that we cannot easily explain.
What are some of the comments you’ve heard during the Hikes?
I regularly get people telling me how much they’ve enjoyed the Hike, or that they have been on the tour many times. I know one woman in town who came on the Hike so many times that I gave her a lifetime membership! One of my favourite reviews came from Wayne Rostad, from the TV show, “On the Road Again.” He taped the Haunted Hike for an episode of his show, and described me as “a teller of spine tingling tales that are so convincing, that even if you don’t believe in ghosts... you soon will!”
Has anything spooky, or unexplained ever happened while on the Hike?
I’ve had black cats cross the path of the Hike a hundred times, and even black cats jumping from trees at particularly frightening moments! I’ve had streetlights go out, lightning and thunder, and all the power in the downtown area shut down at once, but not once has a ghost shown up on the Hike. Not yet, anyway!
What has been the most interesting discovery you’ve made through your research into the paranormal in St. John’s and the province?
I am amazed at how many stories there are out there, and how many people have had eerie things happen to them. I constantly meet people who have a ghost in their house, or who know local legends about phantoms or fairies. I think the two books I’ve written just scratch the surface of the material that is out there. I also think that some of the older stories are starting to die out in some places, particularly the stories about old beliefs and local happenings. I would encourage people to talk to their relatives, particularly the older people in their families, and to write down these stories before they vanish. Once those bits of folklore are gone, it is hard to bring them back.
Are all entities evil, or angry?
Not at all. By far the most common type of stories I hear from Newfoundlanders are about tokens. A token is where someone has some sort of warning or premonition that someone close to them is about to die, or has just died. In many cases, these stories are quite touching, and show the strong emotional ties between relatives. For the most part these are not evil or angry ghosts, just people who want a chance to say farewell. I also think that a lot of ghosts are more sad or lost than angry. Evil, bloodthirsty ghosts are more a product of Hollywood than local traditions or beliefs.
There many theories about what ghosts are, or where they come from. Some people believe they are spirits that are lost, or who don’t really know they are dead. Some think they are the souls of people who died with unfinished business, and return to see that specific task is completed. Other people think that some ghosts are just psychic energy that is trapped in one place when something traumatic happens, like a sudden death, suicide or murder. Some people even think that ghosts are an echo in time, and what we are watching is actually a past event happening before our eyes.
Would you like to haunt some place?
If it meant never being at peace, then no. If it meant I got to have some fun, and scare the odd tourist, perhaps!