With Halloween’s arrival, there is an increased — if fleeting — obsession with the occult. But if actual undead entities start commingling with their flesh-and-blood counterparts this year, it's time to call the Paranormal Investigation Society of Toronto (PIST).
When PIST was formed in 2006, its initial role was to simply investigate reports of ghosts and other paranormal activities, but the society's influence has evolved since then.
For Gary Holgate, the society’s founder, the original “ghost hunts” didn’t offer as much of an educational focus as he would have liked. Now, he features guest speakers from all over the world at workshops and seminars, including ex-employees from the infamous Area 51, members of international paranormal societies and at least one voodoo priest.
Since doing so, Holgate’s group has expanded to nearly 1,000 members in Toronto. New groups have also been created in Niagara and Hamilton.
“I wanted to introduce an educational component to it, because nobody else had really done that,” he says. “You can take people out and do this, but you’re not really teaching them anything. If you don’t find a ghost, then it really becomes a waste of an experience.”
So what kind of ghosts has the society uncovered? Holgate's experiences with the paranormal are varied: he has encountered flashing orbs and rapid temperature drops of up to 15 degrees. He's caught various ghostly incarnations on camera. He also recalls one incident when a ghost corrected a mistake he made while reading out a tombstone inscription.
In Toronto, there are a number of other societies that investigate paranormal activity. They include the Toronto Ghosts and Hauntings Research Society as well as the Cold Spot Paranormal Research and Investigation Unit. Both of these groups conduct investigations on properties where reports of ghostly and paranormal sightings have been made.
For those seeking paranormal activity — rather than reporting it — there are a number of companies that offer tours around the city, stopping at such sites as the University of Toronto and the Royal Ontario Museum.
We can’t promise that you'll find any ghosts, but it’s bound to be more enjoyable than raiding your kids’ treat bags.