A team of paranormal investigators will be live streaming from a Drumheller home as part of the World’s Largest Ghost Hunt on September 29.
The Calgary Association of Paranormal Investigations will broadcast from a home on 3rd Avenue East after a preliminary investigation yielded evidence of paranormal activity.
The home was built in 1911 by Dr. Robert James Johnston Sr., one of Drumheller’s early dentists who operated his clinic and pharmacy at 322 Centre Street downtown. He was a prominent member of the community through his business and his role with the local Masonic lodge. Dr. Johnston’s life was cut short at the age of 45, when on October 10, 1936, while getting organized for a hunting trip with friends, Robert fired a single charge from his 16 gauge shotguninto his lower jaw, killing him while he stood in his garage. The Drumheller Mail reported on October 15, 1936 his death was ruled accidental by a coroner. His death was significant for the community – the Mail published an editorial marking his passing and reported a large, well-attended funeral procession.
Justin Bolin and his family have lived in the house since 2014 and confirms there have been “strange occurrences” happen in the home, including floorboards creaking.
“There’s been some noises and things in the home, it’s pretty neat,” Bolin says.
Director of the Calgary Association of Paranormal Investigators Caitlin Neilson told The Mail that the way Dr. Johnston passed is interesting.
“We find some spirits who communicate are not aware they’ve passed on and are stuck in a kind of limbo. With him, I think it happened so suddenly but he was also attached to the home – he built that house, it was where he raised his family for many years, and he was such a prominent member of the community,” Nielson says.
She confirmed that Dr. Johnston’s daughter also died in 1939, likely of a bloodborne pathogen. She says there are reports of sightings of the young girl in the home praying and kneeling in the master bedroom.
Neilson and her team conducted a preliminary investigation on September 1 which yielded some evidence on an audio recorder of what they call an Electronic Voice Phenomena (EVP), where they say they captured a voice warning about going downstairs, where Dr. Johnston died. They also captured photo evidence with a potential anomaly – what appears to be a flame was captured over a portion of ceiling which had existing burn marks.
“We never say ‘it’s this or it’s that,’” Neilson says. “We just show people what we’ve found with unbiased evidence for people to decide on their own.”
The stream will feature teams from around the world, including Europe and Asia, who will be streaming at www.nationalghosthuntingday.com from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. on September 29.
