Live Stream #2

We’re going live on YouTube at 7pm MST [mountain standard time] for our second live stream. We’d love to see you! We’ll be discussing our recent investigations, planning for new locations, and generally hanging out with people who come by to talk with us. Click this link to join us: WPI Goes Live We look forward to seeing you! 🙂

Detection Testing Update

It’s been 8 years since Glimmer began her training in the field of ghost detection. It’s been 6 years since testing sessions have been documented. In this time, Glimmer has been involved in many different situations where she suddenly exhibited unusual behaviors that defied rational explanation. This post is an update on responses she has consistently presented.

Positive energies: Glimmer will immediately stop whatever she is doing, she becomes very calm, and she goes into a sit. Her ears move back and down in submission, her head lowers just a little, her tail becomes completely still, and she stares intently in the direction of whatever it is she’s picking up on.

Negative energies: Glimmer suddenly becomes very agitated and nervous. She pants heavily and fast, her tail drops down and between her legs, her back arches a bit, her body stiffens, and she absolutely will not go into a sitting position. She remains standing, her entire body extremely tense and ready to run. She becomes acutely focused on what she’s picking up on and is completely oblivious to everything else around her.

Unfamiliar environments with reported unusual activity: When Glimmer is brought to a new location, she is usually a bit nervous and focused on smelling everything. But once she’s had at least 20 minutes to thoroughly smell the area, she settles down and relaxes. In locations with reported unusual activity, Glimmer becomes hyper-alert and stays that way until we leave the area. Due to this high stress level, time spent in these types of locations is kept to a maximum of 30 minutes, and return visits to the area are made in order to determine if her responses are genuine detections of negative energies, or simply an unfamiliarity with the stimuli of the location.

Due to a variety of different life happenings taking place over the years, Glimmer’s progress has been intermittent. As she has matured, her sensitivities to a variety of things have changed. This is due, in part, to desensitization work with her during her fear phases. However, her reliability in responding to different energies [mentioned above] remains consistent.

I am hoping to resume testing with Glimmer in the next couple of weeks. Tests will be documented through audio and video recordings. Any unusual events or responses will be posted to our YouTube channel, and to this website’s Canine Ghost Detection page.

Mackenzie House, Toronto, Ontario

William Lyon Mackenzie was elected Toronto’s first mayor in 1834, after the Toronto City Council was established – a role he held for just under a year. Mackenzie moved into the Bond Street home in 1859; after a failed rebellion in 1837 to overthrow British rule, Mackenzie was forced into exile in the US, where he lived until 1850. When he returned to Canada, he had no money or belongings to his name; in 1859, his friends and supporters came together to purchase Mackenzie House for William and his family. Mackenzie lived there until his death in 1861. His wife and daughters lived in the house for a further 10 years.

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  Photo credit: Paul Cousins

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  Photo Credit: Paul Cousins

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  Photo Credit: Paul Cousins

The ghost stories started back in the 1940s, when the house was being renovated to become a museum. Hearing footsteps creaking on the stairs, playing of the piano, and spirits standing over those who were sleeping are just a few of the tales. Although he was buried at Toronto Necropolis, many believe Mackenzie’s spirit returns to the house.

Bruce Beaton, a historical interpreter at Mackenzie House, adds that Mackenzie was also a journalist who owned and operated a newspaper called Colonial Advocate, and that the printing press has been known to start up by itself at night. He adds that in 1960, an Archdeacon was brought in to perform a blessing on the home in the hope of calming some of the restless energy. Beaton says the house was donated to the City of Toronto in 1960, and part of the bequest included a full inventory of everything in the house. At the bottom of the list were the words, “One ghost.”

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  Photo Credit: Paul Cousins

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  Photo Credit: Paul Cousins

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  Photo Credit: Paul Cousins

Mackenzie House is open Tuesdays through Fridays between noon and 4pm, and noon to 5pm on weekends. To arrange a tour of this historic building, contact the Scotland Shop for available dates and times.

Have you visited the Mackenzie House? Did you have any unusual experiences while you were there? If so, drop us a line in the comments.