Haunted Ontario 3. Terry Boyle

Чтение книги онлайн.

СКАЧАТЬ Creek Pioneer Village cemetery may not be any different. The graveyard is located beside the Fisherville Church, at the back of the village.

      The church, built in 1856, originally stood in the old community of Fisherville, once located at Steeles Avenue and Dufferin Street. It was moved in 1960 and replaced the log church that once stood on the corner of the Stong farm.

      The cemetery is original to the site. It was in use from 1845 to the 1920s, and is the final resting place for members of several local founding families, including Daniel, Elizabeth, and Michael Stong, and the Kaisers, the Hoovers, and the Boyntons.

      Catherine Crow highlighted the cemetery haunting during a visit to Black Creek.

      “At night, security employees at the village have reported seeing unexplained orbs of light in the cemetery on more than one occasion. At times these strange orbs have been seen outside the cemetery, floating over the dirt road in front of the church. These mysterious orbs are known to dance around in the air and weave above the gravestones.”

      There are many theories related to orb sightings. Some people believe they may be spirits, others think orbs could be portals or openings from one dimension to another. Other people believe that orbs are just specks of dust.

      Over the years, hundreds of people have travelled to Ghost Road on Scugog Island near the community of Port Perry, Ontario, to see a mysterious orb of light that haunts a somewhat deserted side road. People claim to believe the orb of light is the spirit of a dead headless motorcycle rider. According to local lore the biker lost control of the motorcycle and was decapitated by a barbed-wire fence.

      In 1986, six Niagara College film students arrived at the Ghost Road to do a short documentary about the story. Their aim was to capture the orb of light on film. The first night out everyone prepared for the arrival of the floating ball of light. One student was stationed in the field at the south end of the road where the rider supposedly hit the fence. They claimed a sphere of light the size of a basketball popped out of thin air and hovered in mid-air, sixty feet above them, for a few seconds.

      The students managed to photograph and video tape the light. The photograph depicted the fuzzy outline of a human figure bathed in a strong white light. The video showed a more defined figure in the orb. The outing was a complete success.

      So, back to Black Creek Pioneer Village — Animals often sense the presence of spirits. One night at Black Creek, a security employee brought a German shepherd guard dog with him on his night shift. Catherine elaborated:

      “On the dirt road in front of the cemetery the dog became visibly agitated. He started to growl and bark. The dog then hunched down on all fours then rose up and started to back away from the area.”

      What had he seen or sensed?

      Certainly, there have been full apparitions seen in this cemetery!

      A “ghost boy” has been seen. He has been described as wearing nineteenth-century clothing. He appears frequently to tour guides and to visitors.

      Catherine added, “The boy likes to join the back of tour groups for brief moments and then completely disappears.

      “Sometimes, he isn’t visible, but will tug on the clothes of an unsuspecting visitor or employee.”

      Cynthia, a tour guide in the village, told Catherine she saw the boy herself when she was approaching the church during a tour. Catherine continued, “As Cynthia was talking to her group on the road she noticed a small boy in a period outfit playing peek-a-boo with her from behind the back of the last visitor in line.”

      He was there one minute ... gone the next.

      During the second annual ghost walk in October 2007, a young couple encountered the ghost boy and told Catherine about it.

      “The young man told me he had a strange experience while walking back from the cemetery on the dirt road. He said he felt a persistent pulling and tugging sensation at the back of his jacket as they walked up the road. He asked his wife if she was grabbing his jacket. She told him that she was not touching him at all.

      “This strange sensation continued until they reached the point where the road turns off by the mill and then the pulling and tugging on his jacket stopped all together.”

      If you are a “spirit-seeker” who isn’t afraid of cemeteries, then perhaps a trip to the Black Creek Pioneer Village cemetery is just the ticket. Perhaps you have your own ‘orb-theory’ and share it with the tour guides.

      The Richmond Hill Manse

      ~ Black Creek Pioneer Village ~

      Growing ivy on the outside of your house protects the inhabitants from witchcraft and evil.

      If you want to be watched by someone not of this world, be sure to visit the Richmond Hill Manse. The good reverend is waiting for you.

      The manse, located across from the church and cemetery at Black Creek, was built in 1830. Originally situated at 88 Yonge Street in Richmond Hill, the building — originally a private residence — became a home for Presbyterian ministers in 1840.

      During the 1970s, an official of the affiliated Presbyterian Church found the manse too costly to maintain. The structure was designated as an historical building and relocated to Black Creek Pioneer Village on October 5, 1978.

      The building itself represents what they call “plank-on-plank” construction, with wood planks stacked one on top of the other to create six- to eight-inch walls. The construction technique was in vogue when wood was cheap and plentiful. It provided an uneven surface for the application of plaster and stucco finishes.

      In the early days, ministers would spend four to five years in a particular parish before moving on to the next church. Reverend James Dick preferred to stay put. In fact, he may have never left the manse at all! In life Reverend Dick occupied the building from 1849 until his death in 1885.

      Reverend Dick had a reputation for being moody and eccentric. His uneasy energy remains in the building, and some employees are hesitant and nervous there.

      Catherine Crow explained.

      “‘The manse gives off a disturbing vibe,’ reported Curt, who works as a costume interpreter. ‘I am too afraid to go upstairs.’”

      He is not the first employee to sense the energy or spirit presence. Catherine added, “Harold is a volunteer at the village. His daughter was an employee at one time and she also worked in the manse, as a costume interpreter, until she requested a transfer to another building.”

      Harold described his daughter’s apprehension. “She would actually sit outside the manse and only venture inside when she had to. She just found the atmosphere in the manse was too creepy. She felt like she was constantly being watched in the building by someone not of this world.”

      Richmond Hill Manse, circa 1830

      Harold’s daughter was not the only family member sensitive to the other side. Catherine explained, “Harold had a three-year-old niece who refused to step into the manse when he took her to the site. The three year old stood in the front doorway and said with a pout, ‘mean man inside,’ and then turned around and walked СКАЧАТЬ