Each year around this time, we share a fictional Christmas-themed ghost story. The kind of which used to be more commonly shared between friends and family while huddling around a fire on a blustery December night. This year’s story “ The Crown Derby Plate ” was written by Marjorie Bowen and was first published in 1931. What we really like about The Crown Derby Plate , besides it being set during the Holidays, is that it beautifully captures the sense of an isolated and eerie house in the countr...
Dec 17, 2021•41 min•Ep. 116
December 5th is Krampusnacht! In this special episode we share our recent live Virtual Haunted Campfire on Krampus. Who is he and where does this bizarre tradition come from? What’s the connection between a demon and Santa Claus? Join us as we kick off the Haunted Holiday Season with Krampus and share some seasonal ghost stories! Featuring: KRAMPUS!, Glen Shackleton, Jim Dean, Rowena Brook, and Margo MacDonald
Dec 05, 2021•57 min•Ep. 115
A very Happy Halloween to all Haunted Talks listeners! Here is one last treat for your Halloween night. 🖤
Oct 31, 2021•8 min•Ep. 114
Being a Storyteller for The Haunted Walk is Never Dull. When you spend a lot of time in and around haunted locations – things are bound to happen. Whether you want them to or not! In this special episode, we are joined by several of our talented tour guides who share the bizarre, eerie, and downright terrifying events that they have witnessed or experienced in the line of duty. Come behind the scenes with us and hear the stories that we share with each other after all our guests have gone home. ...
Oct 22, 2021•48 min•Ep. 113
Incredible hoax or one of the most witnessed cases of supernatural activity? The Enfield Poltergeist is a case that must give the most ardent skeptics pause. The story is not only terrifying, but spanning 2 years, it is also one of the most well-documented hauntings in history. There were many firsthand witnesses and hundreds of hours of audio recordings from inside the haunted house. All of which begs the question, how much evidence is enough? In the episode, we will explore the unsettling even...
Oct 15, 2021•31 min•Ep. 112
When the Mary Celeste was found off the Azores in 1872, it was immediately clear that something was wrong. The ship was deserted. What happened? Did the crew stage a mutiny? Were they attacked by pirates? Caught in a storm or some other freak weather event? Stories of this “Ghost Ship” quickly began to spread around the world, as did the fanciful stories of her fate. Join us as we set sail to explore one of the greatest nautical unsolved mysteries of all time!
Oct 08, 2021•26 min•Ep. 111
Some of the creepiest paranormal stories are related to specific items. We explore several strange objects that were innocently purchased, only to bring something dark into the homes of the unsuspecting buyers. We examine mass-produced art prints that were so feared 2,500 of them were burned, a bunk bed that brought disembodied voices, a cursed painting connected to a series of deaths, a haunted doll, and a frightening mirror.
Oct 01, 2021•24 min•Ep. 110
One of the world’s great mysteries is on the verge of being solved. For over 70 years, investigators have sought to identify the unknown man found dead on an Australian beach in 1948. There were no signs of foul play and an examination of the victim’s stylish clothing strangely revealed that all of the labels had been removed. In his pocket was found a passage from a rare book that eerily translates to: It is ended. Was this a suicide or something much more complicated? We are joined by Dr. Lars...
Sep 03, 2021•40 min•Ep. 109
Of all of the professional sports, baseball seems to be the one most closely associated with the paranormal. There are famously haunted ballparks that connect current-day players and fans with the legends of the past. The Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York, has had so many strange encounters that it has been featured on shows like Ghost Hunters. Baseball players themselves are a very superstitious bunch, going to extreme and odd lengths to try to give themselves an edge, or at least ...
Aug 20, 2021•54 min•Ep. 108
Historically in the horror genre, women have often been relegated to playing innocent victims who suffer terrible violence in movies most often watched by young men. Dr. Amy Jane Vosper believes horror movies are changing and has written a Ph.D. dissertation to prove it . Women are now making horror, writing about horror, watching horror, and communicating with one another about horror. We discuss these changes and take an in-depth look at what kinds of horror films are most appealing to women. ...
Jul 30, 2021•50 min•Ep. 107
In 1861, the town of Kendal, England was the site of a chilling ghost story that captured imaginations and made headlines around the world. Late one night while gathered around a fireplace, a group of people suddenly experience a series of forceful knocks that shake the building. The residents search the structure in an attempt to determine the cause of the disturbance. Their ghost hunt culminates with a trip down to the damp and dark basement – where something – was waiting for them. We share t...
Jul 16, 2021•13 min•Ep. 106
The strange but true story of how child movie star and “America’s Sweetheart”, Shirley Temple, survived a brush with death on Christmas Eve in 1939 during a live radio show. We share Temple’s own account of the terrifying and bizarre incident, as well as key parts of the original radio broadcast. Was it a clandestine operation by a foreign government? Someone jealous of Temple’s success within the entertainment industry? Or, something much stranger and darker than that? In the episode, we explor...
Jun 18, 2021•27 min•Ep. 105
Was there a monster hiding in the cemetery? In 1954, the Glasgow Police Department began to receive concerned calls about hundreds of school children descending on a nearby necropolis. These children varied in age from teenagers, all the way down to toddlers who could barely walk. Many carried crucifixes or other protective talismans. More disturbingly, others were armed with knives and makeshift weapons as they patrolled the grounds. There is no doubt the children came looking for a fight with ...
May 28, 2021•23 min•Ep. 104
The tragic story of the sinking of the Titanic continues to fascinate, terrify and inspire the imagination. As we approach the anniversary of this historic event, we will look at the Titanic from another angle – a supernatural one. Is it possible that some people knew in advance that the great ship’s maiden voyage would end in disaster at sea? Our guest, retired professor Terry Keefe, has recently complied over 200 different cases, many from difficult to obtain or out-of-print sources, in his ne...
Apr 09, 2021•37 min•Ep. 103
Once a year, Canadian literary giant, Robertson Davies , would write and perform a ghost story for his students and colleagues at the University of Toronto. This wonderful tradition carried on for 18 years. In the episode, we share one of the best examples of his spooky and side-splitting stories that blur the lines between fact and fiction.
Apr 02, 2021•32 min•Ep. 102
In the aftermath of one of the deadliest tornadoes in US history, strange stories began to circulate in Joplin, Missouri. Children from a variety of backgrounds reported that angel-like “Butterfly People” had protected them during the terrible storm which claimed 161 lives. These incredible stories of survival are captivating and illuminate the very thin line between the divine and the paranormal. Warning: The episode contains descriptions of a massive tornadic event and the resulting destructio...
Mar 05, 2021•28 min•Ep. 101
We celebrate our 100th episode with a blockbuster interview! Professor Alexander Puzrin recently made international headlines for a paper he co-wrote in the Communications Earth & Environment academic journal about the Dyatlov Pass Incident. He joins us from Zurich to explain the new scientific discoveries that may finally solve one the world’s most famously frustrating unsolved mysteries. Follow us as we head deep into the Ural Mountains looking for answers. Due to the unsettling nature of ...
Feb 19, 2021•40 min•Ep. 100
Has the Dyaltov Pass Incident, one of the world’s most chilling mysteries, been solved? What could explain why a group of expert Russian skiers cut their way out of their own tent in the middle of a freezing cold night and wandered off into the dark without jackets and in bare feet? Avalanche? Animal attack? Military testing? Or…something much more sinister? Join us as we look back at the bizarre story before our big interview next week with one of the authors of the new headline making report....
Feb 12, 2021•46 min•Ep. 99
Courtney from the Haunts Jaunts podcast chats with Jim about a variety of spooky topics. They discuss intriguing reports coming in from The Haunting at Home. Including Courtney’s own experience. The reports pose questions about the nature of ghosts, reality and our perception. Of course, all this and more, with a good measure a ghost stories sprinkled throughout!
Jan 29, 2021•40 min•Ep. 98
During the Victorian Era the practice of reading ghost stories out loud in groups of family or friends was very common. This was particularly true around the holidays. We are reviving this tradition with Charles Dickens’ other supernatural classic, The Signalman . Some argue it is the greatest ghost story ever written. — Take part in The Haunting at Home Experiment! Looking for a fun gift idea for someone spooky in your life? Be sure to check out our gift cards and visit our online gift shop ....
Dec 18, 2020•42 min•Ep. 97
Do police officers believe in ghosts? What incredible and difficult to explain events have they witnessed or been called in to assist with while on duty? We are joined by Elliott Van Dusen , a retired member of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police turned paranormal investigator, to discuss the intriguing reports he has collected from his colleagues for his new book: Supernatural Encounters: True Paranormal Accounts from Law Enforcement ....
Nov 27, 2020•40 min•Ep. 96
What are ghosts? What do they look like? How do they act? Why do they exist? These are all fundamental questions we explore in virtually every episode of Haunted Talks. As we approach Halloween, when the boundaries between the living and the dead are most blurred – It seems only fitting that we look at these questions once again from a slightly different perspective. In 1900, an article was first published in the Chicago Tribune, “The Habits and Customs of Ghosts – Investigated By Science”. It s...
Oct 30, 2020•24 min•Ep. 95
Edgar Allan Poe’s The Raven is a gothic masterpiece. It still gives chills and captures imaginations today. The narrator of this paranormal poetry is tormented by an ominous talking bird and haunted by the ghost of his lost love. More than enough to drive any of us to edge of sanity. In the episode, we explore the Halloween classic and share a reading of the iconic spooky tale.
Oct 23, 2020•23 min•Ep. 94
While living in Bangor, Maine, Stephen King would often visit Mount Hope Cemetery for inspiration. He reportedly borrowed the names of some of his best-known characters, such as Carrie and Georgie, from headstones on the grounds. Aside from King’s fictional creations, the cemetery has a well-earned reputation for being very haunted. Many visitors have reported seeing apparitions. Unexplained shadows or ghostly figures lurking about the grounds. Some have even heard the voices of small children c...
Oct 16, 2020•30 min•Ep. 93
This spring there was a notable surge in reports of paranormal activity in people’s homes. What caused this spike and what does it mean? Is there anyway we could test to see how many of us live in haunted houses? Veteran tour guide and founder of Haunted Walk’s Investigation Team, Margo MacDonald, joins us to discuss. Take part in The Haunting at Home Experiment and have a little spooky fun this Halloween Season! Please be sure to check out our new Bubble Ghost Tours in Kingston , Ottawa & T...
Oct 02, 2020•37 min•Ep. 92
“The Professor’s Ghost Story” was published in newspapers across the United States in 1896. A spooky, chilling and surprising tale that combines the elements of a great ghost story with a compelling mystery. It is the story of a man and his horse, and the mischievous spirit they met along a dark country road. Is it a work of fiction or a genuine encounter with the unknown?
Aug 28, 2020•21 min•Ep. 91
We examine a dastardly & largely forgotten crime that shocked a small community in Western Quebec & made headlines across North America. As dawn was breaking on a summer’s morning in 1933, five family members were hunted down and brutally murdered on their farmstead. The evidence gathered from the gruesome crime scene unexpectedly pointed the finger at one of their own. We are joined by Canadian crime writer Keith Landry , author of “ The Allumette Island Massacre .”...
Aug 14, 2020•35 min•Ep. 90
The Pickman family thought they had found the perfect new home for their growing family. Within days they began to notice strange happenings. Playful at first, they became sinister and terrifying. Forcing the family to flee for their safety, leaving an incredible ghost story and countless questions in their wake. Join us as we explore the disturbing Sallie House Haunting .
Jul 31, 2020•41 min•Ep. 89
Many are worrying about missing out on the best parts of Halloween this year. The haunted houses, costume parties, ghost tours and the other wonderful things that make the season awesome. What if we could give everyone a "Halloween Insurance Policy" to ensure a spooky good time no matter what? Well...that is the ambitious plan we are trying to turn into a reality with The Save Halloween Project .
Jul 14, 2020•5 min•Ep. 88
There are few shows that captured the imagination quite like Unsolved Mysteries . As it gets a reboot on Netflix, we look back at one of television’s most frightening and influential programs. And, prepare for what is to come. With special guest appearance by, Robert Burr, co-host of “ Re-Enacted: an Unsolved Mysteries Podcast “.
Jun 30, 2020•35 min•Ep. 87
