IN PHOTOS: Is the CityNews Winnipeg studio at The Forks haunted?
CityNews reporter Joanne Roberts teams up with the Winnipeg Paranormal Group’s Kelly Smith and Ashley Barnes to find out once and for all whether the Winnipeg news building is haunted.
A debate in the CityNews building at The Forks has been growing as to whether the building is haunted or not, with many of its staff split on what they believe.
The reporters, however, who have spent countless hours by themselves in the building — often late at night — believe the possibility of the station being haunted is strong.
“You hear things that you shouldn’t hear,” said Kurt Black.
Neve Van Pelt adding, “I never thought it was haunted, but we just heard a random laugh come from behind a wall.”
“Maybe it’s a former journalist, who knows, but I definitely think that it’s haunted,” said Mitchell Ringos.
The Winnipeg reporting team has done ghost-hunting stories in the building before, where experts have concluded they believe there is paranormal activity upstairs in the archives room and deep in the basement.
But what’s never been done is an overnight stay during the scariest hour of the year — midnight on All Hallow’s Eve.
The pair set up their equipment in different parts of the CityNews station, trying to make contact with spirits during the early hours of Halloween.
Kelly Smith is the director of the Winnipeg Paranormal Group. (Photo Credit: Mike Sudoma, CityNews)Ashley Barnes is the research director and lead investigator of the Winnipeg Paranormal Group. (Photo Credit: Mike Sudoma, CityNews)Investigators Ashley Barnes (left) and Kelly Smith (right) with the Winnipeg Paranormal Group set up their equipment at the CityNews station in The Forks. (Photo Credit: Joanne Roberts, CityNews)Kelly Smith lays down some equipment, including a glow ball triggered by touch. (Photo Credit: Joanne Roberts, CityNews)Ashley Barnes sets up in the CityNews Winnipeg archives, using The Estes Method to try and sense a presence in the building. (Photo Credit: Joanne Roberts, CityNews)Kelly uses a thermal imaging device to detect different heat signatures. (Photo Credit: Joanne Roberts, CityNews)Close to midnight, one of the paranormal investigators’ glow balls lit up without being touched by anyone. (Photo Credit: Joanne Roberts, CityNews)CityNews reporter Joanne Roberts tries Ashley Barnes’ sensory deprivation glasses. She sees little lights in the corner of the archives room where Barnes felt a footstep. (Photo Credit: Mike Sudoma, CityNews)Kelly Smith went up to CityNews Winnipeg’s catwalk to see if a spirit would communicate with a ghost box, but she didn’t hear anything. (Photo Credit: Joanne Roberts, CityNews)Down in the CityNews Winnipeg basement, Ashley Barnes and Kelly Smith set up the glow balls again. The balls go off multiple times when the team has their back turned. (Joanne Roberts, CityNews)After the second time the glow ball went off in the basement, Kelly Smith tried to set it off by stomping her feet around it but it did not trigger the lights. (Mike Sudoma, CityNews)Ashley Barnes uses a pendant to communicate with spirits. She makes contact with a spirit who said a spirit named ‘Grant’ is in the basement with the investigators. (Joanne Roberts, CityNews)Kelly Smith brings out her Ouija board to try and communicate with spirits when Ashley Barnes believes spirits are in the basement with the team. (Joanne Roberts, CityNews)Kelly Smith, Ashley Barnes and CityNews reporter Joanne Roberts make contact with a spirit named ‘Thomas’, who speaks about the spirit ‘Grant’. (Mike Sudoma, CityNews)Shortly after 1 a.m. on Halloween, the team’s investigation ends with both Ashley Barnes and Kelly Smith believing the CityNews Winnipeg station has spirits within its walls. (Mike Sudoma, CityNews)
What do you believe? Do you know who Thomas or Grant may be? Let Joanne Roberts know what you thought of this year’s ghost hunt, and have a Happy Halloween.
