Three local historians are taking advantage of the eerie light of the full moon to give the brave of heart a glimpse of what’s lurking behind closed doors in downtown Okotoks.
Karen Peters, Kathy Coutts and Nagille Walsh-Besso will share spooky stories of odd occurrences and hauntings during hour-long full moon ghost tours along North Railway, McRae and Elma Streets Aug. 18 at 9:30 p.m., 10 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. The tours are a partnership between the Okotoks and District Historical Society and the Okotoks Museum and Archives.
“It’s more of a light-hearted look at the dark side of Okotoks’ history,” said Nagille Walsh-Besso, a member of the historical society. “Many are stories that other people have told – their own experiences of different ghost stories or encounters with spirits that they felt.”
Walsh-Besso said she doesn’t plan to send anyone screaming in fear.
“I will walk around the old downtown area and talk about different locations where people have experienced a spirit,” she said. “In the summer time during a full moon it’s nice to go out and about and have a walk through the old downtown area to learn a bit about history, as well as spooky stories.”
Peters said the summer full moon is the perfect opportunity for ghost stories.
“There’s all sorts of scary stories associated with full moons,” she said. “People get crazy and the werewolves come out.”
The ladies will share stories of ghostly encounters in about a dozen different places in downtown ranging from the janitor haunting the hallways of the century-old Okotoks Junior High School to the ghost in a long white dress waiting for a train at the Okotoks Art Gallery.
“Each one of us has different stories we like to tell,” said Peters. “People like a good ghost story.”
Peters said the group sizes are limited to heighten the spook factor, therefore they offer three different tours to get more people out to learn about the darker side of Okotoks.
“We like to keep the groups small so it’s personal and more scary,” she said. “When you take a great big group on a ghost walking tour it loses its atmosphere.”
While the tour guides have done their research on the history of some of the hauntings and have their own experiences, they also learn about other people’s ghostly encounters, said Peters.
“Every time I do a tour someone tells me a new story,” she said.
The full moon ghost tours cost $5 per person and must be purchased in advance. To purchase tickets call 403-938-3204 or go to the Okotoks Art Gallery.
While there are no age restrictions to attend the tour, it is not recommended for children who frighten easily.
