What It Takes to Investigate Calgary’s Most Haunted Buildings

What It Takes to Investigate Calgary’s Most Haunted Buildings Paranormal investigation requires curiosity, scientific testing and a desire to go where no one else wants to go By Karin Olafson October 03, 2014 Image courtesy of Glenbow Archives NA-2186-52 detail According to Colin Bengert, the Deane House is the most…

According to Colin Bengert, the Deane House is the most haunted building in Calgary.
Image courtesy of Glenbow Archives NA-2186-52 detail

What It Takes to Investigate Calgary’s Most Haunted Buildings

Paranormal investigation requires curiosity, scientific testing and a desire to go where no one else wants to go

Image courtesy of Glenbow Archives NA-2186-52 detail

According to Colin Bengert, the Deane House is the most haunted building in Calgary.

In October, work gets a little busier for paranormal investigators, according to Colin Bengert, executive director of the Calgary Association of Paranormal Investigations (CAPI). Having spent eight years as a paranormal investigator with the association, Bengert is no stranger to eerie homes and knows how an investigation is done.

When your house gives you goosebumps

Bengert says signs of haunting are usually the same. Clients hear the sound of footsteps and disembodied voices, feel sudden changes in temperature and see electronics or lights turning on and off. But this doesn’t always mean Casper has taken up residence; Bengert says roughly 95 per cent of the places CAPI investigates show no confirmed signs of paranormal activity.

What to do next

People like Bengert have an insatiable desire to get to the bottom of the otherwise inexplicable. A paranormal investigation is made up of just three people, sometimes four, depending on the size of the house. Bengert says it’s helpful if the investigators have a scientific background, although no special credentials are required.

Inside a paranormal investigation

Lasting an average of three hours, investigators prefer to conduct all investigations without the homeowners present in order to control as many variables as possible, and – contrary to what you often see on TV shows like Ghost Hunters – during the day for safety reasons. Using tools like electromagnetic field detectors, cameras and infrared and UV light, inspectors test for anomalous electromagnetic fields, temperature, sound and movement.

“We also rely on electronic voice phenomenon, which is where you ask questions into an empty room. In a house with paranormal activity, you’ll hear a response to your question when you listen back to the recording,” Bengert says.

The most haunted buildings in Calgary

Bengert has experienced strange phenomena on multiple occasions, although his most memorable experience was in the Prince House at Heritage Park two years ago.

“Twice I heard a voice. It was just a whisper and I think it was a child’s voice,” he says. “The first time I heard it, it was on the opposite side of the room. I asked a few questions, and then the next time I heard it, it was directly beside me.”

And the most haunted building in Calgary? “In my opinion, the Deane House is probably the most haunted single building in the city,” says Bengert.

To read more about paranormal investigations conducted in Calgary, visit capi7.ca.

Learn more about the people and organizations moving Calgary forward with Avenue's Innovation Newsletter.

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Accept Privacy Policy

Privacy & Cookies Policy
Avenue Calgary