Haunted Talks

Most shipwrecks leave behind ghosts. This one left behind something stranger. In 1912, the Mayflower, a wooden steamer built for the quiet lakes of eastern Ontario, set out on one final trip before winter. Aboard were a small crew, nine passengers, and a coffin carrying the body of a young man named Herman Brown, on his way home to be buried. As a sudden snowstorm swept across Lake Kamaniskeg, the Mayflower vanished beneath the water in under a minute. Nine lives were lost. Three men survived…by clinging to the coffin. In this episode, we retrace the events of that harrowing night. How a trusted vessel became a death trap. How an elderly woman gave away her only life jacket so someone younger might live. How three Ottawa salesmen drifted for hours through freezing darkness. This is a true story of loss, sacrifice, and impossible survival. Now streaming: The Coffin That Saved Three Men From Drowning If you enjoyed this episode, you might also like: Episode 208 – Halifax Explosion: Before the Blast Episode 193 - The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald For information or to get tickets for our ghost tours or paranormal adventures, please visit hauntedwalk.com.

Deep in the wilderness of northwestern Ontario, where the forest swallows sound and the lakes stretch toward the horizon, stands a log castle. Not the ruin of a forgotten community, or the relic of a wealthy eccentric. This towering mansion of timber was built by one man. Working alone. In this episode, we journey to White Otter Lake and step inside the haunting legacy of Jimmy McOuat. A man driven by a childhood curse, a lifelong loneliness, and a defiant dream to prove the world wrong. His creation, White Otter Castle, is part marvel and part mystery. Three stories tall, built by hand, it stands as a monument to obsession, resilience, and the heavy silence of solitude. Yet the castle did not free him. Jimmy’s mysterious death left unanswered questions, and for over a century, travellers to White Otter Lake have whispered of strange encounters, eerie sounds, and the lingering presence of its solitary builder. Join us as we step into the wilds of northern Ontario and uncover the chilling legend of White Otter Castle. Now streaming: The Curse That Built a Castle For information or to get tickets for our ghost tours or paranormal adventures, please visit hauntedwalk.com.

At 9:04 a.m., Halifax was torn apart in an instant. One moment it was a thriving wartime city, the next, it was fire, thunder, and ruin. A fireball as hot as the surface of the sun ignited the harbour. Shockwaves ripped through homes and streets. A wall of water followed, drowning what the flames had spared. In this second part of our two-part series, we return to the stories of Francis Mackey, Vincent Coleman, and Kaye Chapman as we explore the devastation that unfolded in the hours and days after the blast. Entire neighbourhoods vanished. Families were torn apart. The city would never be the same. The scars of the Halifax Explosion were not only etched into people, buildings, and the landscape. Something less tangible was also left behind. For over a century, ghost stories have circulated through the city, many tied directly to that morning. At St. Paul’s, a shattered window still carries the outline of a figure who looked toward the harbour at the fatal moment. At the Five Fishermen Restaurant, once a morgue overwhelmed with the dead, staff still hear voices and see a bearded man vanish into thin air. These hauntings are part of Halifax’s inheritance. The spirits of December 6, 1917 linger, a spectral imprint of a tragedy that reshaped the city forever. Step into the ruins, hear stories of survival, and of those that still linger. Now streaming: Halifax Explosion: Aftermath. Listen to Episode 208 – Halifax Explosion: Before the Blast For information or to get tickets for our ghost tours or paranormal adventures, please visit hauntedwalk.com. 

On a crisp December morning in 1917, Halifax woke to calm skies and the quiet hum of a wartime city at work. Children hurried to school. Workers streamed into factories. Families went about their routines. Out in the harbour, two ships moved slowly toward one another. One carried deadly cargo, volatile enough to erase a city. When they collided, a fuse was lit. At 9:04 a.m., Halifax was ripped apart in a wave of fire, force, and sound. In this first part of our two-part series, we walk alongside the people who lived those ordinary minutes before disaster: the harbour pilot steering a ship of fire, the dispatcher tapping out his last warning, and the young girl whose small choice meant survival. Hear their stories in Before the Blast, now streaming. If you enjoyed this episode, you might also like: Episode 193 – The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald Episode 164 – What Happened to the Mary Celeste? Episode 152 – Premonitions of the Titanic Disaster For information or to get tickets for our ghost tours or paranormal adventures, please visit hauntedwalk.com. 

Three chilling mysteries. Two elaborate hoaxes. One truth you didn’t see coming. These were strange events that gripped the public’s attention and convinced witnesses they had experienced something truly paranormal. In this episode, we uncover the truth behind these mysteries. We revisit a BBC broadcast that plunged a nation into hysteria. We follow a “woman in white” whose ghostly appearances hid a political agenda. And we meet a Tennessee family tormented by unearthly moans beneath their floorboards and the disturbing discovery that followed. The real stories are stranger than fiction. Were your guesses correct? How did the hoaxes fool so many? And did one alleged hoax provide the perfect cover for the real thing? If you missed our previous episode where we first shared these stories, we recommend starting there for the full experience. Join us as we blur the line between fact and fiction and reveal why, in the world of the paranormal, the truth can be the most haunting thing of all. For information or to get tickets for our ghost tours or paranormal adventures, please visit hauntedwalk.com. 

Can you tell a true ghost story from a convincing hoax? In this special interactive episode of Haunted Talks, we share three eerie tales that once captured the public’s imagination. But here’s the twist: two of them are hoaxes. When fear, belief, and hidden motives collide, strange things can take hold. After you hear all three stories, it’s your turn to decide which one was real. Think you can separate fact from fiction? Cast your vote now for a chance to win a Haunted Talks t-shirt and a pair of ghost tour tickets. 🎧 Listen to the episode, then vote here: https://hauntedwalk.com/hoaxes/ In two weeks, on Friday, August 8th, 2025, we’ll reveal the truth…and the lies. If you enjoyed this episode, you might also like: Episode 154 – Fake Mediums: Putting the “Con” in Conjuring Episode 127 – Dybbuk Box: Haunted or Hoax? For information or to purchase tickets for any of our ghost tours or paranormal adventures in Kingston, Ottawa, or Toronto, visit hauntedwalk.com.

Can a conversation cause a haunting? After speaking with magicians Ted and Marion Outerbridge about the strange experiences they’ve had in their historic Smiths Falls home (Episode 204), we conducted a paranormal investigation to see what we might encounter for ourselves. We invite you to join us inside the Keyhole House as we undertake a series of paranormal experiments, including intuitive response cards, a spirit box session in the attic, and the Estes Method, conducted in a room believed to be connected to a lingering presence named Agnes. What we experienced was subtle, emotional, and in several moments, difficult to explain. What began as a conversation became something stranger. We weren’t chasing ghosts. We were asking questions, and listening for whatever might answer. This episode offers a rare and intimate glimpse into what can happen when curiosity meets the unknown inside a haunted house. If you enjoyed this episode, you might also like: Episode 204 – Mysteries of the Keyhole House Episode 183 – Unexpected Eclipse Results Revealed

What secrets is the Keyhole House still holding on to? And what happens when a house decides it wants to be heard? Every old home has its tales. This one refuses to stop sharing them. In this special episode, we travel to Smiths Falls, Ontario, to explore the haunting of the Keyhole House—a striking 1892 Victorian home with a history that won’t stay in the past. Since moving in, magicians Ted and Marion Outerbridge have experienced an ongoing series of eerie phenomena: discovering objects long hidden in the walls, coincidences that challenge belief, phantom footsteps, and a ghost who seems to have joined the family. But this haunting is more than flickering lights and sudden cold spots. It feels intimate, emotional. Like a relationship unfolding across time. And it shows no sign of ending. This is more than a tale of things that go bump in the night. It’s a glimpse into how the past and present collide inside the places we call home. Think you’ve heard haunted house stories before? Think again. If you enjoyed this episode, you might also like: Episode 198 – Haunted Houses of Ontario – 1924 Episode 192 – America’s Most Haunted House – The Whaley House

Clowns are meant to bring joy. So why do they inspire so much fear? In this episode, we peek behind the greasepaint to explore the origins of coulrophobia, the fear of clowns, and how these strange figures evolved from ancient jesters and rule-breaking pranksters into the painted performers we know today. We uncover deep historical roots, unsettling psychology, and the tragic story of the first modern clown. From royal courts to modern horror films, from cheerful birthday parties to eerie sightings in strange places, clowns have taken a dark and surprising journey through history. We also examine how pop culture and true crime helped shape the terrifying clown image that still haunts us. Whether you laugh at clowns or fear them, this episode might change how you see them forever. 😱 Guest Host: Brittney Bos

When strange lights appear in the sky, we are left wondering what they are. But when those encounters become personal, when people claim they have been taken, studied, or changed, the questions grow darker. In this episode, we continue our journey into the world of UAPs and the paranormal, exploring the stories that disturb us most. From the famous case of Betty and Barney Hill to chilling reports of livestock mutilation, mass sightings like the Phoenix Lights, and the secrecy surrounding Roswell and Area 51, we follow the trail of evidence and ask what these encounters might really mean. Because whether these visitors are simply observing or deliberately interfering, their presence suggests intention. And that intention may not be as distant as we would like to believe. Along the way, we confront an even stranger possibility. What if the boundaries we draw between UFOs, ghosts, cryptids, and the unexplained edges of science are illusions? What if these are not separate mysteries at all, but pieces of the same story? Join us as we wrestle with the evidence, the fear, and the question at the heart of it all: What do they want with us?  If you enjoyed this episode, you might also like: Episode 201 – Unidentified: Evidence and the Unknown

Lights in the sky. Thousands of witnesses. Still no answers. In this episode of Haunted Talks, we explore one of those simple-sounding but incredibly complex questions: What counts as evidence? Using the dramatic December 2024 sightings over New Jersey as a starting point, we investigate how UAP encounters are reported, investigated, and often dismissed. From schoolyard landings and military accounts to fleeting videos and solitary experiences, we examine the fragile boundary between what is witnessed and what is believed. We also draw comparisons to paranormal investigation, where researchers face many of the same challenges: limited tools, elusive phenomena, and the constant push to validate the unexplainable. Because sometimes, the real mystery isn’t what happened. It’s how we can prove that it did. If you enjoyed this episode, you might also like: Episode 126 – “…it’s not an aircraft.”Episode 24 – Sounds From The Dark

Secrets, Surprises & Spooky Celebrations 🎉 10 years of terrifying ghost stories, baffling mysteries, and dark history. To mark this haunted milestone, host Jim Dean is joined by Brittney Bos (researcher and writer) and Michelle Dennis (audio editor) for an unforgettable behind-the-scenes journey through a decade of Haunted Talks. From stories that never made it to air to mysteries we may have helped solve, this episode pulls back the curtain on the strange, surprising, and sometimes hilarious moments that shaped the show. We also revisit some of our most unforgettable shows and reveal our personal picks for the Top 10 Haunted Talks episodes of all time—a curated list of the ones that still give us chills. Whether you’re a longtime listener or new to the show, this is the perfect moment to step into the shadows with us—and experience the eerie charm that’s defined Haunted Talks. 🎧 Press play to join the celebration.

Are your nightmares trying to tell you something? Most dreams fade the moment we wake up. But some? They cling to us—leaving behind a sense of dread, mystery, or even a chilling certainty that they meant something more. In this episode of Haunted Talks, we descend into the unsettling world of dreams—where sleep paralysis feels like a haunting, prophetic visions glimpse the future, and shared nightmares suggest we may not be dreaming alone. We’ll unravel real-life stories of eerie dreams, ghostly encounters in the night, and the moments where the line between dreaming and reality begins to blur. Are dreams just the subconscious at play—or could they be something much, much stranger? Listen now—if you dare. If you enjoyed this episode, you might also like: Episode 152 – Premonitions of the Titanic DisasterEpisodes 85 & 86 – The Man They Couldn’t Hang (Prophetic Dream), Part 1, Part 2 

“Do YOU know a haunted house?” That’s the question The Toronto Star Weekly asked its readers over 100 years ago, and the answers they received were truly chilling. In this episode, we share these real ghost stories from 1924, as told by those who lived them. These chilling encounters, first published a century ago, feel startlingly familiar—shadowy figures, objects moving on their own, ghostly apparitions, and even premonitions of death. Are these just spooky tales from the past, or do the ghosts of 1924 still haunt us today? Step into the shadows and experience these unsettling first-hand accounts from Ontario’s haunted history—if you dare! If you enjoyed this episode, you might also like: Episode 160 – Supernatural Astronomer Camille Flammarion Episode 133 – Sallie House Haunting

For decades, séances, spirit communication, and ghostly encounters weren’t just tabloid curiosities—they shaped Canada’s history. In this final installment of our two-part series, we explore the profound impact of spiritualism on the country’s literary icons, scientific minds, and political leaders. From Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the creator of Sherlock Holmes, who risked his reputation to prove the existence of spirits, to Lucy Maud Montgomery, who quietly attended séances while writing Anne of Green Gables and some of the country’s most beloved books. We examine the eerie experiments of Dr. Thomas Glendenning Hamilton, whose unsettling photographs remain unexplained. And, perhaps most astonishing of all, William Lyon Mackenzie King—Canada’s longest-serving Prime Minister—who sought comfort in messages from beyond, convinced that his lost loved ones were still guiding him. Was spiritualism a fleeting fad, or did it shape Canada’s past in ways we’ve never fully acknowledged? 🎧 Listen now to uncover the ghostly secrets of Canada’s past. If you enjoyed this episode, you might also like: Episode 196 – Spiritualism in Canada, Eh? Part 1 “Ghosts, God & The Great Divide” For tickets and info:  https://hauntedwalk.com/

In the early 20th century, Canada was swept up in a wave of Spiritualism, where séances promised answers, and the line between faith, fraud, and fear blurred. In this two-part series, we explore how Spiritualism became more than a curiosity—it divided families, enchanted elites, and outraged religious leaders. From fiery sermons and public scandals to exclusive séances held in the lavish parlours of the wealthy and powerful, discover how this controversial movement captured the nation’s imagination and sparked a cultural clash over life, death, and the unknown. If you enjoyed this episode, you might also like: Episode 170 – Strange Reports of Vampires, Dwarves & Witches in Wilno, Ontario Episode 163 – Canada’s Ghost Towns Episode 134 – Canadian Poltergeists – Part 1 Host: Jim Dean Audio Editor: Michelle Dennis Episode Researched & Written: Brittney Bos

On Christmas Eve 1945, a fire destroyed the Sodder family home, leaving behind a mystery that has haunted true crime enthusiasts for decades. Five children vanished without a trace—no bodies, no bones, no answers. Was it a tragic accident? A kidnapping? Or something even darker? Strange events before and after the fire—a chilling phone call, cut telephone lines, and a cryptic photo received decades later—have fueled endless speculation. In this episode, we dig into the baffling details, explore the most compelling theories, and uncover why this story remains one of America’s most unsettling unsolved mysteries. If you love true crime and the unexplained, this holiday episode is for you. 🎧 Start listening now and decide for yourself—what really happened to the Sodder children? If you enjoyed this episode, you might also like: Episode 167 – Unanswered Questions: Baffling Final Days of Kris Kremers & Lisanne Froon Episode 150 – Footsteps in the Attic: The Hinterkaifeck Murders

In this conclusion to the story of the Edmund Fitzgerald, we return to the icy waters of Lake Superior to explore the theories and lingering mysteries surrounding its tragic sinking. Without a distress signal or survivors, the ship’s disappearance left behind a haunting legacy of unanswered questions. Was it the crushing force of rogue waves, a structural failure, or a perilous encounter with the shallow waters of Six Fathom Shoal that brought down the mighty freighter? Guided by Gordon Lightfoot’s haunting ballad, we reflect on how his unforgettable lyrics gave voice to the lost crew and transformed the tragedy into a timeless legend. Along the way, we’ll examine eerie discoveries at the wreck site—like the massive ghostly silhouette of the ship resting on the lakebed—and unravel the details that continue to captivate. Discover how the ship’s story lives on and why it still resonates nearly 50 years later. This episode is best enjoyed after listening to: Episode 193 – The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald” was written and performed by Gordon Lightfoot and originally released on the album Summertime Dream in 1976. Copyright © 1976 by Early Morning Music, Ltd. This podcast uses the song under the principles of fair use for educational, analytical, and commentary purposes.

Gordon Lightfoot’s haunting ballad, The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald, is more than a song—it’s a legend. Through vivid storytelling, Lightfoot immortalizes the tragic sinking of the massive freighter and its crew during a relentless November storm on Lake Superior. Nearly 50 years later, the mystery of what truly happened still lingers, while the song continues to captivate listeners with its chilling narrative and emotional depth. In this episode, we use Lightfoot’s ballad as our guide to explore the history and legacy of the most well-known wreck on the Great Lakes. If you enjoyed this episode, you might also like: Episode 164 – What Happened to the Mary Celeste? Episode 123 – Update: The Ghost Ship of Niagara Falls "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" was written and performed by Gordon Lightfoot and originally released on the album Summertime Dream in 1976. Copyright © 1976 by Early Morning Music, Ltd. This podcast uses the song under the principles of fair use for educational, analytical, and commentary purposes.

This Halloween, Haunted Talks invites you inside one of the most haunted houses in America—the Whaley House in San Diego. Built on former execution grounds in 1857, the Whaley House has been the site of chilling tragedies, from the untimely deaths within the Whaley family to eerie encounters with spirits like ‘Yankee Jim,’ a condemned man whose execution was witnessed by Thomas Whaley himself. In this special episode, we join Victor Santana, Operations & Property Manager of the Whaley House Museum Complex, as he takes us on a tour of its haunted history. Victor shares his firsthand experiences with the spirits that linger within the house, from inexplicable voices to objects moving on their own. He also takes us behind the scenes with chilling accounts of visitors’ encounters—some departing with unexplained marks, others feeling a sudden, overpowering sadness as they walk the grounds. Blow out the candle in your jack-o’-lantern, turn the lights down low, and settle in to hear stories from one of the most active hauntings in the world. If you enjoyed this episode you might also like: Episode 190 – The Bell Witch Episode 133 – Sallie House Haunting Episode 75 – Boston Ghost Craze of 1878