Sandwich Town ain't 'fraid of no ghosts
By Paul Breschuk
Feature Writer
October 28, 2009
 Along with the emergence of decorations, candy, and costumes, the Halloween season brings forth a yearly batch of horror films. Obviously, there is no better time for audiences to get their dose of scares, satisfying a traditional craving for the macabre.
What is less apparent, however, is that the source of such thrills can be found in one’s everyday surroundings. This realization, that certain locations of Windsor are literally walk-through horror film sets, leads a much more disturbing, yet rewarding experience.
Often going unnoticed during a neighbourhood stroll or school commute are those dark little places, innocently quiet sites of the paranormal. It could be a nearby house, park, or stretch of road harbouring both unimaginable secrets and undead spirits.
By stopping to listen, feeling for the mystical subtleties that lie underneath life’s hustle and bustle, we can attune our ears to the voices of the past.
Naturally, the oldest section of the city is where the majority of Windsor’s paranormal activity takes place.
Sandwich Town, in particular, is known for its many historical sites and the spirits that inhabit them. Established in 1797, the area has had much time to acquire its share of ghostly residents.
While stories of Sandwich Town’s haunted history haven’t travelled very far outside of Windsor, recent attempts have been made to capture its unique essence through art. One such attempt, headed by local stage actor and director Rob Tymec, can be experienced as a walking tour.
At the behest of the Sandwich Town BIA, Tymec created “The Spirits of Sandwich,” a ghost tour in which weaves in and out of the area’s haunting hotspots.
Led by a small group of actors who assume the roles of local ghosts, the tourists can expect a live history lesson with some scares along the way.
By working with local historians and interviewing the current staff members of haunted buildings, he’s constructed an experience unlike any from a movie or play.
“We don’t just hide in bushes and jump out at people,” said Tymec. “Everything is very carefully timed. Actors are coached to tell their stories in very specific ways. A lot of orchestration goes into getting just the right atmosphere so that the crowd's nerves are on edge for the whole walk.”
From the reactions he’s been getting, the hard work has paid off. There has also been enough business for the tour to require a second installment which contains all new ghost stories and locations.
Ghost stories
To get an idea of what kind of stories the tour investigates, Tymec shared some of the highlights of last year’s ghost walk.
The Olde Bakeshoppe, for example, is home to store owner Mary-Ann Cudderman, several cats, and a group of ghosts known as the three women. These spirits, believed by Cudderman to be three sisters from the last century, wander throughout the house at all hours of the day and night.
Cudderman insists she is not frightened by these entities, instead finding herself glad to share a house with such intriguing, benevolent guests. In fact, they are even helpful, assisting her in the kitchen by moving around spices or taking out forgotten oven contents before they burn. In this way, the three women make up a very unusual (and cheap) restaurant staff.
Futher down Sandwich St. sits the Duff-Baby House, one of the oldest homes in Ontario. Declared a heritage site and preserved in its original state, it requires a staff of caretakers to maintain the building.
Many of these workers make note of a ghost dog that seems to remain within the site, hearing its paws walking across the hardwood floors. At night, this spirit acts like a guard dog, growling at any staff members who arrive afterhours.
And although its quiet panting can be heard, accompanied by the odd sensation of being watched, there is never any visual sign of the dog. Some caretakers have even gotten into the habit of announcing their arrival so as to calm the undead canine.
There have also been reports of strange moaning sounds emanating from empty rooms. It has been speculated that these voices belong to the patients of Dr. William Beasley who used the house as a medical office in 1905.
Even more unsettling to the living patrons of the Duff-Baby House is the apparition of young woman who is usually glimpsed out of the corner of one’s eye. She is said to appear lost, looking for something. Research has led some to believe that this is the ghost of Katherine Kennedy who is in constant search for her husband.
Undoubtedly, one of the most obvious sites of paranormal activity in Sandwich Town is MacKenzie Hall. Built in 1855 as a courthouse and jail, this hall is teeming with supernatural possibilities as it has been the site for numerous hangings.
Having been converted into a cultural center in 1985, the current workers of this building are constantly reminded of its unsettling past. In triggering alarm sensors, disrupting the work of staff members by randomly moving objects, and intimidating guests through physical sensations, the spirits of MacKenzie Hall behave in a curiously similar fashion to bored criminals. It is no wonder that such a site of mental anguish and unnatural death harbours some of the most active ghosts.
Taking theatre to the streets
While the stories themselves are entertaining, it takes the talent of the tour’s performers to create the proper ghostly experience. Knowing this, Tymec credits the tour’s success to the way in which the experience is delivered.
“I think what’s most important is that the crowd experiences live story-telling, a dying art form in this current media savvy climate that we live in. There is still great beauty to be found in just listening to someone narrate a tale,” said Tymec.
Perhaps the reason why Tymec can narrate these tales so naturally, aside from his acting skills, is because of his own belief in the spirit world.
“I’ve had plenty of paranormal experiences,” he said. “Even when I was younger I grew up in a very old house and a number of really strange things happened there. I’ve also had some supernatural experiences in some of the older buildings I’ve worked in, including an experience I had with MacKenzie Hall, which I actually tell on the current Sandwich Tour. It’s quite spooky, actually.”
His current tour also includes an optional haunted house style ending that takes place in the rear courtyard of MacKenzie Hall, a particularly dark and eerie setting.
Here, some of the more disturbing ghost stories are told about the building while a group of performers hide, preparing to act them out for the guests.
As Ontario’s oldest continuous settlement, Sandwich Town offers a rich history of the supernatural.
Along with other historical landmarks, the the Olde Bakeshoppe, Duff-Baby House, and MacKenzie Hall are all open to tours.
While ghost stories will be screened in the theaters during the Halloween season, we are reminded by events like Tymec’s walking tour that the supernatural is surprisingly close, within walking distance.
The Spirits of Sandwich, Version 2.0 Walking Ghost Tour
New Tour begins at: The parking lot of MacKenzie Hall Cultural Centre, 3277 Sandwich Street (Corner of Sandwich and Brock)
Time: 8:30 p.m.
Dates: Running every Sunday until Nov. 8
Price: $10 Adult, $5 Child
Maximum Capacity: 45 people |
