Since 2007, Calgary Ghost Tours has given Calgarians the opportunity to blend history and the supernatural with walking tours. The 90 minute tours explore the stories surrounding haunted locations like Old City Hall, The Hose and Hound pub, The Deane House and more.
“It’s a really unique evening out,” said Jason Clevett, who has been a guide for the company since 2008. “When you go to a city like Boston or New Orleans you really get a sense of history just from the walking around and it is a given there are stories there. Calgary may be a younger city but we have lots of cool stories.”
The brainchild of Johanna Lane, the tours started in Inglewood and Downtown. Since then it has expanded to include Kensington, 17th Avenue/Beltline, and Banff. The company also offers haunted pub walks with visits to three haunted pubs along Stephen Avenue, and special “medium tours” during which the group wanders Inglewood listening to the commentary of a medium. They also offer two non-ghost tours – historic tours of Chinatown and Downtown Calgary.
For the first time, Calgary Ghost Tours is presenting a pair of tours specifically for the LGBT community and their friends and family. On Thursday October 14th they are offering a bus tour with the medium, while on October 15th, Clevett will guide an Inglewood walking tour.
“We only do one bus tour a year, and I really thought it would be a neat thing to offer the community,” Clevett explained. “It is always fun to get out to an LGBT event and hang out with your friends and meet new people. With there only being one bus tour available, it makes it extra special.”
The tour will visit multiple spots included in all four walking tours, with a medium on the bus giving her observations, as well as teaching participants how to tap into their own intuitive abilities. They are working on getting some additional special stops as well. Clevett will be on the tour and is excited himself to partake.
“I am usually doing other tours the nights of the medium walk, so I haven’t had the chance to go on one yet. So I am really pumped to get to experience this myself. I’ve heard rave reviews of the medium walk.”
Those wanting a simpler tour can partake in the Inglewood walking tour, which will include some stories specifically from his experiences.
“I have one story that is special to me about what was once an abandoned lot. It’s pretty freaky how things unfold, I get chills every time I tell it,” he said. “Inglewood has so much history and so many stories. While I haven’t yet seen a ghost myself, there are quite a few stops that make the hair on the back of my neck stand up, and one in particular that scares the hell out of me whenever we are there.”
Clevett says his favorite moments are hearing stories from people on his tours.
“I especially love when people back up a story, when they know someone who was involved. That has happened a few times. When I first started doing tours I didn’t have many stories about the James Joyce Pub on Stephen Avenue, but within a short time I had quite a few from people who had worked there. That is another place that absolutely chills me when I am in there, especially now that I know what may lurk there.”
Clevett is confident that anyone who partakes in one of the two tours will have fun.
“It is always, always a good time when the community is together. What could be more fun than throwing a bunch of folks together for Halloween and telling some ghost stories? I’ve been doing this for three years and have a blast every single time I go out for a tour, because the people are so much fun to interact with, because we often hear their stories, and because we never know what will happen. Who knows, we may actually see a ghost on this tour.”
Both tours start at 8:00pm. The Medium Bus tour is $36 and the Inglewood walking tour is $13 per person and must be booked in advance. If you can’t make those two dates, there are lots of public tours available this month, or private tours available anytime for 20 or more people.
