Editor's Note: While we're speaking of spooky ... if your Halloween-decorated house in Newmarket is causing thrills and chills worthy of inclusion in our annual Haunted Halloween House photo gallery, please send an email with your address to [email protected].
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It was a night of spine-tingling spectacle as this aghast reporter heard about the ghosts that have haunted Newmarket since the 1880s. Each story raised goosebumps on my arms and the hair on the back of my neck.
The Town of Newmarket, in partnership with Roadhouse and Rose Funeral Home, offers popular annual ghost tours in the spooky days leading up to Halloween, where a guide shares stories of activities of unexplained patches of cold air, orbs of light, and human-like apparitions defying your beliefs in the supernatural. I joined them to hear the tales.
“There’s nothing made up, and there is nothing fictional,” said Colin Service, director of recreation and culture. “It’s all real people’s experiences and their versions of the experience.”
The spirits of past inhabitants are said to linger in the dark at night. Photographs of strange figures add to the eerie atmosphere.
We embarked on the frightful journey from Old Town Hall, once housing the town's police station, jail cells, a courthouse, a farmers market, and a theatre, each leaving its ghostly imprint.
Tour guide Tim Chadwick said he was mopping the main floor when he heard a woman scream upstairs. He thought the theatre group hadn’t left yet, so he went upstairs to check it out. It was dark. He called out to see if somebody was there, but nobody answered.
He went downstairs to continue mopping but heard a woman screech again. He went back upstairs, waiting by the windows to see if town staff would enter the building, but nobody did. He continued to hear screams several days after, five more times.
I was frightened to hear of a spirit staying behind, shrieking for no reason. Shivers ran down my spine as I could only imagine it was a ghost warning us to stay away from the building that houses so much history.
“Some ghost stories emerged from the stories that were shared with us about this building,” said Service. “It became the impetus for a potential ghost tour.”
Our group then walked around downtown Main Street, visiting different pubs and residences. Some of these places have remained vacant due to horrifying events.
“Each one of the stops along the guided historical tour portion has a history of paranormal experience within that particular building of Newmarket,” said Janis Lettrel, recreation programmer for arts and culture. “Residents get to learn about the history of that particular location and experience documented history dating back to generations.”
Stories include business owners experiencing a strange phenomenon; others include family members witnessing a chilling account. Each story is not just a tale but a piece of historical content with mind-numbing details that connect us to the past.
I shook like a leaf when Chadwick told us the story of one of Newmarket’s first murders at 471 Eagle St. He said the building housed the Dye’s Inn. He said a dispute between two men led to a charivari where one man was struck by a stray bullet and died.
He said a woman based her real estate agency on the property. Her electronic calculator turned on without her turning it on one night when she completed paperwork alone. She turned it off. It turned on again and she turned off. When it turned on a third time, she unplugged it from an outlet, but it still turned on. She would then see cupboards and drawers opening and closing in the kitchen. Items were moved to the counters on the table. She didn’t say anything to her other agents until they shared their own unexplained occurrences. The woman moved out of the space. The building remains for sale to this day.
We heard about the former Newmarket Memorial Arena at 221 Cedar St., which has given way to the Newmarket Community Centre & Lions Hall at 200 Doug Duncan Dr. When tearing it down, Chadwick said construction crews found several gravestones from a nearby cemetery embedded in the arena's foundation. Chadwick said arena attendants have seen shadows darting at different corners. He said there are cold spots in the arena where warm spots are. Today, paint continues to peel off the walls in halls one and two.
I was shocked to hear gravestones were embedded in the arena. I thought perhaps ghosts haunted the building because they were disturbed to move to it from the cemetery.
We then return to Old Town Hall, where members of the Georgina Paranormal Society use their equipment to detect paranormal activity in the basement. They use sensors to detect changes in the electromagnetic field, cameras to capture any visual evidence, and radios to communicate with any spirits present. It's a fascinating and somewhat eerie process to witness.
I was sitting behind a large photograph on a board where they captured a figure in the window of Old Town Hall. The team was able to detect a figure on it. I was scared not only because I was watching a ghost but also because it appeared to reach out to me, extending an arm my way. Perhaps it was calling for me or warning me of more ghosts lurking in the basement.
The society said it offers free services to the community for residents who believe a ghost is lingering with them. I might have to call them because I was left speechless on my way home, in my car, and in my room. I started wondering if there were any ghosts next to me. I was up until the middle of the night reflecting on an overwhelming experience. I only hope to be mindful and respectful of any spirits in the community. I would hate to disturb them.
Service said Newmarket is unique because it has always remained a close-knit and connected community. He said relatives or direct descendants of people who experienced hauntings have been more than willing to share stories of the past, making our ghost tour a true reflection of our community's spirit.
This year's ghosts tours are fully booked, though you can join a wait list, and jump on the chance to have your own spinetingling experience next year.
