Leslie Norman jests that an apparition is responsible for the Pitt Meadows Museum's occasionally malfunctioning office equipment.
Norman, the museum's curator, said a former owner of the building and a postmaster, a Mr. Struthers, died inside in what is now the museum in 1948. Computers sometimes crash at the museum, located along Harris Road in Pitt Meadows, and the photocopier sometimes goes on the fritz.
"We jokingly blame them on the ghost," said Norman, who doesn't know whether or not there are any ghosts inside the building.
But thanks to Vancouver Paranormal, who visited the building last year, she's more inclined to believe in ghosts now, she said.
Vancouver Paranormal Society continues its ghost hunting at the museum's Old General Store site on Oct. 28, when they will once again look for paranormal activity.
Between 8 p.m. and 9 p.m., members of the group will answer questions at the Old General Store about all things paranormal and ghost hunting. The event is aimed at teenagers and adults.
Norman and the volunteer staff tend to take the talk of ghosts facetiously, she said.
But the Vancouver Paranormal people take their work seriously, said Norman. They do admit, however, that they can't explain everything, she added.
"There's some stuff that can't be explained by rational means," said Norman.
The museum has several "nice examples" of flying "orbs," she said. On one wall, visitors can see several examples of these small, circular lights that have been captured on cameras.
Two orbs can be seen in a couple of photographs, she said, and it's said that those two orbs could be the two former owners who died inside the building. The other owner died sometime in the 1970s, said Norman.
The question and answer session provides a unique opportunity for the curious to have their questions answered about what they suspect might be paranormal activity inside their homes or businesses, she said.
After the session, several Vancouver Paranormal members will examine the building once again for signs of paranormal activity. Last year, it was more of a social gathering, with a number of museum volunteers wanting to stay up until the wee hours of the morning, said Norman.
But this year, Norman and probably one other volunteer will stay up while Vancouver Paranormal conducts its investigation, she said.
"It will probably be a lot more serious than last year," said Norman.
After getting a few hours sleep, Norman will then be back at the museum Sunday afternoon, when the Pitt museum hosts a Haunted Halloween open house at both the General Store and Hoffman and Son locations from 1 to 4 p.m. The event is aimed at children and families.
Children - and the young at heart - can participate in a Halloween mask making craft session at the General Store site and can visit the haunted blacksmith area of the Hoffman site, where kids can make a reflector tag for their trick or treat bags.
Everyone will leave with a craft and a Halloween treat. And don't forget your costume.
The suggested donation for both the Saturday evening and Sunday sessions is $2 per person. Pre-registration for Saturday evening is preferred because space is limited.
For more information, phone the museum at 465-4322 and ask for Leslie or Carla.
http://www.mrtimes.com/issues06/102206/ ... 06co3.html
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