Are Cemeteries Haunted?

Boot Hill Cemetery used between 1912-1968

When I first visited a tucked away prison cemetery with a dark past (“Boot Hill” in New Westminster, BC), I was astonished that the city allowed it to be forgotten. During a second visit, the small plot of land had been mowed. Each visit it was different, sometimes overgrown and other times the grasses had been cut to an even height. The gravestones seemed to be sinking deeper and deeper into the mushy, lumpiness of the earth, while the grasses and brambles continued their growth over top... As if to say “no one cares”.  I found this place fascinating and

Fighting Negative Energy & Oppression...

Hello friends,

This past weekend VSPI performed one of its most urgent and extreme home cleansings/blessings; as well as cleansing the client of a negative energy that had been attacking her and getting stronger by the day.  This is what VSPI is about, “carrying through with our promise to help our clients as best as we can”.  Indeed something to be proud of and shows that not all paranormal teams are “all about gathering evidence”; that we care, are compassionate, take action to resolve issues, and are a necessary group in this field.

So what happened? Why was this needed? What was going on?  Find below some of the facts of this case. Keeping in mind, we are protect the privacy and confidentiality of the family involved, and will not disclose their name(s) or location of their home.

Research Brings Gifts...

Hi Tante Kati (German for "Aunt Kati")! I just moved into a new place and was told by the downstairs tenants that apparently our suite is haunted! One room specifically. The house is definitely old, probably at least 70-80 years. Do you know how I would go about learning more about the history of the place? Maybe you could come over and investigate it! I haven't noticed anything unusual going on, but I have only slept there one night so far since they are currently renovating it." Natasha, my niece, messaged me through Facebook one Thursday evening.

Of course I was intrigued, and wondered if the renovations would kick up activity. I would have to know more. With a few messages back and forth over the next few days, I received the address of the home and began my trek through the wonderful world of research. I let Natasha know that if anything unexplained occurred over the following week, to write it down, text me any time, and I would help as best as I could. I promised to get back to her within a week. A few days later, Natasha let me know her doorbell had rung with no one there, and she witnessed a shadow person, possibly a woman, looking at her.

Occasionally I receive visitations from spirits in my own home, usually the week prior to an investigation. It seems as if they know I am coming. Sometimes I get a feeling of whom it is, and other times I’m not sure. When I hear the footsteps on my bamboo runners, or the glass smashing in my kitchen, or knocks on my walls, I always rule out the obvious (living in a cement building transmits less noise than in other structures – I check thoroughly regardless). With the upcoming investigation at Natasha’s, I received a visit from what I felt was a female spirit informing me she was looking for someone. I read out the names of the families I had researched and landed on one that made absolute sense. I kept this information to myself.

Poco Heritage & VSPI - Mini Ghost Hunt (Oct/12)

“Did you hear that?” a young girl asked the group and looking at me with hopeful eyes.
“Yes, it sounded like a chime.” I confirmed her observations.
“I heard the same thing.” Brian, the president of Poco Heritage Society, agreed with us.
Several others nodded in confirmation.

We sat in silence waiting with wonder, hoping to hear the bell-like ringing again. It
came a little later, but this time it was two chimes in a row. Settled on the floor of the backstage hallway in the dark, the group was wide-eyed hoping to capture some evidence of the spirits from beyond. I was leading a group of teenagers and adults in a mini ghost hunt at the haunted Giggle Dam Dinner Theatre. Earlier, I had guided them through a power point session on investigating the paranormal at the Poco Heritage Society’s temporary site, and then walked the group over to the Theatre to put what I taught them into action. We were practicing using our senses, being alert and conducting an EVP session in the dark. Calling out to the spirits of the Theatre, we had hopes to make contact with the main spirit, William (or Bill as he sometimes comes through), who was been murdered in the building in the late 1990s. Wondering if this was a sign from either Bill or one of the other spirits (there’s the man who stands on the stage and appears to children and makes himself known to sensitive’s /  the woman who is seeking her red shoe we believe to be Rose Anne Lilly / and a woman we call "Maria" who died at the famous Essondale Hospital of the Mind, now known as Riverview Hospital, who is seeking someone to help her find her stolen child).  Unfortunately it was not a sign, nor was it paranormal.

2011 Adventures

Hello folks,

It's been a while since I've written.. actually it's been a year. 2011 has been a busy year for me in every way. In July I married my sweetheart in Vancouver BC, and we went on a wonderful adventure in California as our "honeymoon".

We went on a day trip to Fort Ross (Jul27, 2011), on the coast northeast of where we stayed; and conducted a formal investigation of a private mansion outside of Petaluma. Both were interesting trips! We were not looking for "spirits" at the Fort, and didn't find any.. however, we discovered a voice on our digital recorder interact with our discussion at the small Russian Orthodox cemetery just south of the Fort. No one was there. We carry our recorders with us everywhere we go. Lesli & I do not expect "spirits" to be present with each and every trip, and we do not have a belief that "spirits" linger in cemeteries, but perhaps drop in on visitation when family or friends visit their grave. We simply are not expecting "spirits" to hang out where their bodies are buried, but who is to say they don't from time to time? We just don't know.. and I think that is part of the curiousity and questions we have. When I pass on, will I hang around where my ashes are spread? Will I be able to pop in and out when someone visits the spot? Would I want to? It's as simple as that. This voice we caught on our digital recorder was interesting. A man with a friendly voice, reacting to our conversation of the wonderful view of the coast for those who are buried there. (PS: you can listen to the EVPs at our website: http://www.vancouverspooks.com/findings ) It truly is a beautiful and peaceful spot. I am wondering who this man was? He spoke without an accent, but then do "spirits" speak with accents if they are not of English decent? There are so many questions I have when it comes to "spirits" and their abilities or not. It was a bit of a cloudy day when we arrived at the Fort. I love history, and felt refreshed with the park. The displays are truly wonderful, and the fort itself is a recreation as most of the buildings were destroyed. I recommend anyone in the area to check out the Fort! By the time we got to the cemetery it was late afternoon, and during our visit we noticed the fog slowly enveloping the fort (we had a good view of the fort) and rolling towards us. We left shortly after taking a number of wonderful photos. It was getting late and time to get on the road. We drove south along the coastal highway to a small cemetery outside of Bodega. We wanted to visit the gravesite of a young lad who's life was cut short (at the age of 7yrs) during a family trip to Italy. Truly a sad story.

Cemeteries of Sonoma County

Hello Friends,

As I mentioned in our previous blog, I thought I'd tell you about some of the cemeteries we visited at the end of Dec 2010 into the beginnings of the New Year 2011. They are:

Forestview Cemetery - established in 1873, aproximately 5 acres and dotted with Russian Orthodox crosses. Although we did not have any spirit contact here, this small cemetery lays off the main road, and gives off a peaceful feeling.

Oak Mound Cemetery - not known of the establishment date, however, the Cemetery folks advised it was in the mid-1860's & if we find any diffinitive answer to let them know. There are gravestones marked back as far as the 1840's, however, it was believed that a cemetery may have been near the town square, and due to a flooding, bodies floated up from underground. Therefore, they wanted to establish a cemetery on higher ground. Thus the cemetery today is on a hill.

Travelling the older part on the hill, we felt a pull in one area. Although our meters did not detect anything, using dowsing rods I connected with one soul. A feeling of sadness and a light headache, seemed to move around the small area. A mist is seen in the photograph. It was not there to our naked eye, but showed up in both the full spectrum shot as well as the normal camera shot, making this interesting.