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In 1999, an old rail tunnel was transformed from a forgotten engineering feat into a supernatural legend.

The Grand Trunk Railway Tunnel located in Thorold, Ontario, Canada was for the most part undisturbed and undiscovered until a young paranormal investigator and his friends publicized their encounters at the tunnel and distributed directions to its location.

In just four months the tunnel metamorphosed from a forgotten historical landmark into a paranormal hotspot rivaling the most famous in the world. Internet discussion forums exploded with talk of the tunnel, and paranormal groups and enthusiasts flocked to investigate.

Exposed on television a few years later, the tunnel was well on its way to becoming an Urban Legend. And that is what fascinated me. I have always wondered where Urban Legends actually come from. How do they begin? How do they manifest? And what truth is hidden within their simple tales?

The Blue Ghost Tunnel, as it has become known, developed and transformed online and within paranormal communities to what it is today. The legend is continuously molded and the truth becomes increasingly gray.

This book provides a time-line of events, people's encounters, and historical facts to showcase how a legend is born, how it flourishes and how we can learn from this modern experiment. 

Please be sure to visit http://www.torontoghosts.org for more information about Ontario haunts and paranormal encounters.

The Blue Ghost Tunnel: Making of a Legend Safety, Security and the Future

Safety, Security and the Future

On my last visit to the tunnel with several members of NAGS, and under the authority of the St. Lawrence Seaway, we were in disbelief at the state of the tunnel. It had more water seeping down its walls and dripping into pools at our feet then at any other time. The stones were eroding under the constant pressure of the ice build-up. We concluded that the tunnel was generally unsafe and agreed that it would not exist much longer under these conditions.

But the tunnel remains still, holding strong, a testament to the engineering and quality of the workmanship. Visitors hoping to experience the paranormal keep visiting and others with alcohol and drugs continue to rendezvous for a quick thrill.

The Seaway Authority believes the tunnel is unsafe and in 2010 constructed a wire fence around the property and mounted security cameras. They hoped to deter visitors to the tunnel, but admit it is nearly impossible because of its remote location. They have been the defendant in three separate lawsuits where individuals have been injured while on Seaway Property.

There have been talks of sealing the tunnel completely, with tons of dirt and cement, as has been done with other tunnels in the area. But these talks have been ongoing for the last five years and budget concerns seem to get in the way of implementing the measure.

Recently, authorities had to prosecute several individuals for trespassing on the land as they were conducting “ghost tours” of the tunnel. The tours have been canceled.

Proposals to open up the area as park land with historical markers about the Welland Canal are still being debated. Would this clean up the tunnel? Would it allow visitors to safely visit? Perhaps.

Discussions about cleaning up the area, creating parkland with extensive pathways, and placing historical markers on the land began as far back as 1979 with Greenwald et al, The Welland Canals, Historical Planning and Research Branch, and the Ontario Ministry of Culture and Recreation. It is interesting to note that nowhere in the documentation do the words “haunted” or “ghost” receive printed mentioned.

Recently, The Region used Shadows of Niagara as a reference to determine whether or not exploiting sites such as The Blue Ghost Tunnel might be beneficial in bringing additional tourist dollars to the Region. Talks about opening up the area as parkland are once again making the rounds.

Future access to the tunnel is certainly in jeopardy as additional security fencing, cameras and lights have been added to the roadway approaching the tunnel. For those interested in the paranormal, this location may soon disappear. The tunnel will always, no matter what its condition, remain a mystery and the legends that it spawned will continue to grow and develop.

The Blue Ghost Tunnel: Making of a Legend Ghost Theories

The Visiting Ghost Theory

One theory suggests that the tunnel itself is not haunted at all, but instead is a gathering point for visiting spirits who are attracted to the steady stream of humans looking to contact the other side. Perhaps this theory has some merit because there is no doubt there is activity at the tunnel, yet there is no historical document or historical article that suggests that anyone had expired within or near the tunnel. In going by the hypothesis that a haunted location needs a death, the tunnel should be free of any ghosts. So why do people witness strange phenomenon at the tunnel and believe they have been in contact with a ghost or several ghosts? It is interesting to note that of the visitors who profess they have witnessed an actual apparition, or have a deep feeling inside, many identify a group of spirits, not just a single entity. Even first-time visitors who have never previously heard of the tunnel will sometimes come to similar conclusions―that the tunnel is haunted by any or all of the following:

• A large, dark man who often appears as a shadow dressed in period clothing from the late 1800s. The feeling is that this ghost is strong, powerful and angry. This energy usually appears at the entrance to the tunnel and is sometimes near the center.

• A young female child, aged 4 to 7, who is frightened.

• An older female child in the age range of 10 to 13, who is also frightened and who had succumbed to suffocation by some means. It appears this spirit is held against its will.

• An older female aged 18 to 25 who is protective of the children.

Of course there are the additional sightings involving several other spirits, but the most commonly encountered and documented by psychics and paranormal investigators are the ones listed above.

So who are these ghosts and where did they come from?

Are they the angry spirits of the Old Lakeview Cemetery? Were they residents in the long forgotten houses around the tunnel?

Is this theory correct―that the tunnel itself is not haunted, but rather the ghosts have been attracted to the spot because of the human energy there and the interest in speaking to the other side?

The Screaming Tunnel Theory

Another proposed theory is that The Blue Ghost Tunnel is in fact the original and legendary Screaming Tunnel in Niagara Falls. Some claim that the tunnel on Warner Road in Niagara Falls was mistakenly labeled as The Screaming Tunnel and that it was labeled as such only because of its ease of access.

The theory proclaims that the events that took place at the Screaming Tunnel in Niagara Falls actually took place at the Blue Ghost Tunnel, which is why paranormal researchers and visitors alike have experienced the sounds of screaming at the Blue Ghost Tunnel. They also reason that the Screaming Tunnel in Niagara Falls is not haunted at all and that is why many who visit it experience nothing out of the ordinary.

This theory, however, has not survived recent research into The Screaming Tunnel on Warner Road in Niagara Falls, conducted by both Kevin Valencourt and myself. With the new knowledge gathered, the theory that the Blue Ghost Tunnel is the real Screaming Tunnel has been proven untrue.

To protect the privacy of the family involved, this research will not be made public.

The Thoughtform Theory

A thoughtform is a physical manifestation of energy produced by the thoughts of an individual or a group. In Tibetan mysticism it is called a Tulpa.

A thoughtform or a Tulpa can be subdivided into three main categories:

1. That which takes the image of the thinker.
2. That which takes the image of some material object.
3. That which takes a form entirely its own, expressing its inherent qualities in the matter which it draws round it.

The Blue Ghost Tunnel in its early days was simply a dark, dirty and damp tunnel that children had determined was haunted, not based on a murder, a death, a tragedy, or even an unexplained paranormal encounter, but simply because of its appearance. Like an old abandoned house, the children whispered stories of ghosts and of a haunting.

In the 1950s and into the 1960s the tunnel had very few visitors and certainly not all of the explorers were brave enough to enter the tunnel.

It wasn't until about 1970 that these explorers determined that the tunnel was haunted. But again, it was a rumor, and no evidence of such a haunting was ever published or determined to be of significance.

Many of the early explorers dismissed reports of paranormal experiences in the tunnel but were fascinated by its architecture and history.

Later visits, through the 1970s and 1980s, continued in a similar vein. Few considered the tunnel haunted and there were no attempts to gather evidence about a ghost or a haunting.

In the 1990s when those interested in the paranormal began exploring the tunnel, they believed that there could be something abnormal about it, but these individuals, including myself, felt that the tunnel did not provide much in the way of evidence.

Nick Blay and his friends, who heard audible screams at the tunnel and felt that it may be haunted, did not press further, because they did not witness substantial evidence of paranormal activity. It was simply a cool place to hang out―dark and mysterious, away from parents and the pressures of society.

Just as the children of previous generations had done, tunnel visitors in the 1990s began focusing their imaginations on the idea of a haunting.

And along came Russ.

Russ’ reports changed everything because, not only did he declare the tunnel to be haunted on his very first visit, he also maintained that poltergeist activity had occurred―demonic beings manifesting themselves, ghost dogs guarding the entrance―and the list goes on.

What Russ did was create a tangible thought. He took the idea that the tunnel was haunted and gave it character. His online journal created ghosts and gave them names. It gave back-stories, histories, emotion and feelings.

Russ' thoughtform.

The paranormal explorers and thrill-seekers knew of Russ' ghosts and in the early explorations of the tunnel, many came calling on September, the “little girl” and other ghosts that Russ had described. They were sharing his story, wholeheartedly believing in the paranormal and that what Russ had encountered was truth.

The droves of visitors to the tunnel, on some nights numbering in the hundreds, all came to see one thing—the haunting.

A collective thought, and a genuine interest in manifesting the thought, became reality.

Visitors claimed to see, hear, smell, feel, touch, speak to and be spoken to by a variety of entities. Photographic, video, audio and even physical evidence of a haunting began to make its way into the fabric of the legend.

Reputable investigators began experiencing this same phenomenon and many continue to investigate the tunnels haunting.

The Thoughtform Theory suggests that the many individuals seeking to find and experience a haunting have actually created the haunting through a collective consciousness.

Before you dismiss this theory as some ancient Ooga-Booga mind fuck or some new age mysticism, consider what The Toronto Society of Psychical Research manifested in an experiment in which their goal was to create a ghost from scratch and only from their imagination.

Their first step was to create a personality. They would take great pains to make this fictional, nonexistent person seem real.

“It was essential to our purpose that Philip be a totally fictitious character. Not merely a figment of the imagination but clearly and obviously so, with a biography full of historical errors,” said team leader Dr. Owen. “Our ghost would never have existed.”

The ghost they manifested through creative thought was Philip Aylesford, a person “living” during the 1600s at the time of Oliver Cromwell. The Toronto group made Philip a Catholic who was loyal to the king. He was married to a very cold woman named Dorothea who would not bear him children. The two lived at his family home of Diddington Manor. Although there really was a Diddington Manor in England, no such person as Philip Aylesford ever lived there.

The group created a particular incident that figured into Philip’s character as a ghost. One day, while he rode his horse near the boundaries of the estate, he happened upon a gypsy encampment. There he met Margo, a beautiful, dark haired girl with whom he fell madly in love. He moved Margo to the gatehouse and kept their love a secret from his wife. Eventually, however, Dorothea found out and accused Margo of witchcraft. Fearing he’d lose both his reputation and possessions, Philip said nothing and let Margo be burned at the stake. Philip’s subsequent remorse sent him into deep depression. He took to pacing the battlements of Diddington Manor at night. One morning, Philip’s body was discovered at the base of the battlements an apparent suicide. He was 30 years old.

With Philip and his history now established, even down to a drawing made by one of the group members, they began memorizing information about this non-existent character, creating more details, and learning about the historical period in which he “lived”.

They sought to create a collective hallucination of Philip by describing his appearance, food preferences, and especially his feelings toward Dorothea and Margo, until they had created a complete mental picture of him to which they could all subscribe.

In September 1972, the group attempted to contact Philip using techniques similar to a traditional séance, save for the theatrics and magic tricks.

The first meeting went on for several hours with no materialization of Philip. Each week the group conducted the same type of meeting, all concentrating on contacting Philip and each week over the course of several months nothing, absolutely nothing, occurred. The group was ready to give up the experiment but decided to try a new strategy. They began the experiment as before, but the atmosphere and approach was more casual and relaxed. Individuals were allowed to meditate and concentrate on Philip without having to force their thoughts.

With this new technique the group began experiencing success. The first phenomenon they observed was that the table around which they were sitting started vibrating. The vibration could not be explained, and even though the group sat away from the table, it continued vibrating. No logical explanation could account for the activity. Over the next few meetings, the table began to make physical noises. A knock was heard, and repeated.

Thinking they themselves were inadvertently causing the raps, they investigated. But when the table started to move around the floor in an irregular, apparently aimless manner, they started questioning one another. Finally, a member asked, “I wonder whether Philip is doing this?”

At that point a loud knock was heard from the table. Before long, they had worked out a communication system in which “yes” was one knock and “no” was two knocks.

With this taxonomy in place, they began to conduct a series of conversations with Philip. They joked with him, teased him – even flirted with him. They learned his likes and dislikes, and found he had strong views on various subjects. When Philip was asked if Dorothea, his wife, didn’t want children, the members heard scratching sounds coming from the walls. One member asked if the question was too personal and one loud rap was heard responding with a yes.

It was noticed by all present that the raps and movements of the table seemed to be very closely related, if not actually activated, by the knowledge, thoughts, will, moods and power of concentration of each member of the group.

“If the entire team were in agreement about the answer to a question, the responses would come very quickly, but if one or more people were uncertain about the answer, then Philip’s responses would be hesitant, taking some time to reply,” says Dr. Owen.

As the group became more comfortable in their encounters with Philip, they began to treat him as just another member of the group. They learned his personality as if he was a good friend. And Philip would play tricks on them. At times, he would move the table around the room, even rushing up to those arriving late as if to greet them and say “Hi”. Other times, the table would trap certain individuals in corners.

During one especially active night, one of the members jokingly admonished Philip by telling him that he could be sent away and replaced. After that, Philip’s activity began to decrease until it stopped altogether and the experiment was terminated.

“We clearly understand and have proved that there is no ‘spirit’ behind the communications; the messages are from the group subconscious, but it is the physical force we need to know more about,” says Dr. Owen.

The success of The Toronto Society of Psychical Research encouraged other groups to attempt similar experiments. Another Toronto group created ‘Lilith’, a French-Canadian spy during World War II, and a group of French students from Quebec created ‘Sebastian’, a medieval alchemist, and ‘Axel’, a man from the future.

The ultimate goal of these experiments was to manifest an apparition, however none of the experiments was able to produce such evidence.

They did, however, prove that perhaps British psychologist Kenneth J. Batcheldor was correct when he said, “...the atmosphere of belief and expectation that permeates a séance in effect creates the phenomena that spiritualists attribute to spirits.”

The experiments had proven a connection between the mind and psychokinetic activities during séances, but could this connection be made at a purportedly haunted location, such as The Blue Ghost Tunnel?

Could our collective subconscious be responsible for the paranormal activity at the tunnel? 

The Blue Ghost Tunnel: Making of a Legend Exploring Locations Near The Tunnel

Exploring Locations Near the Tunnel

St. Peter's, The Old German Church and The Old Burial Grounds of Thorold, Ontario

For years Internet rumors circulated about an abandoned cemetery that once had been exactly above where the Blue Ghost Tunnel now resides. Eye-witnesses claimed to have seen coffins floating in the water deep inside the tunnel as well as protruding through the limestone roof. Witnesses could not, however, provide photographic evidence and the eyewitness accounts were either ridiculed or dismissed as people mistakenly seeing things in the dark.

To this day, there are still Internet rumors about an abandoned cemetery above or very near the tunnel that is the root to the paranormal activity inside the tunnel.

And this rumor is partially true. There was and still is a burial ground in the area of the Blue Ghost Tunnel, but to say it’s near the tunnel is a matter of interpretation. It would also be a stretch to believe that a cemetery some distance from the tunnel could be the source of its paranormal encounters.

In the early years throughout the Township of Thorold, there were numerous cemetery sites, including several family-operated grounds. In the early 1880s a proper cemetery was established alongside a structure commonly known as The Old German Church.

The log church was erected in 1773 on the crossroads of the former Ten Mile Creek Road and St. David’s Road. In 1775, the first burial occurred on the property. Thorold resident, Jacob Ball, deeded additional land to the church in 1802 so that the church could bury its dead adjacent to the churchyard. Jacob Ball deeded five acres and the transaction was approved by The United Empire Loyalists who governed the local community.

In 1829 plans were drawn up to erect a more functional and impressive church made of nearby limestone, and by 1832 a new church with a new name, “St. Peter's”, had been built across the street from the decrepit log structure, which had in the meantime been transformed from a church into a feed stable.

In 1836, George Keefer, church warden and burial-grounds trustee, motioned for the community to build a new church closer to the vibrant downtown of Thorold. As these plans were set into motion, the congregation slowly abandoned St. Peter’s, save for special occasions and funeral arrangements.

In 1862, St. Peter’s was replaced by St. John the Evangelist in Thorold and by the end of that decade St. Peter’s had become an empty shell with its cemetery filled to capacity.

In 1875 the Thorold Post published an article about the poor conditions of the cemetery grounds. The author wished to have the city regarded favorably by visitors and called the state of the cemetery “...a crying evil...” and a “disgrace to humanity.” The Welland Canal was considered an engineering marvel in its day, and was often visited by astonished tourists. Noting this, the Thorold Post writer asked rhetorically, “...if a stranger came to see the new canal, what would they think by coming across such a site? I am sure they would have a low opinion of the region.”

The article did little to entice the city or populace to act. The cemetery remained in a state of neglect and the lack of care caused the yard, headstones and fence to fall further into disrepair.

In 1876, another article was published in the Thorold Post, emblazoned with the headline: “Oh, Why Is It So?”

The article asked why the city had abandoned the care of the cemetery, allowing cattle to roam inside the church and in the cemetery proper, causing damage to headstone and property. In chastising the local authorities the author concluded: “Why, Oh Why, Is It So?”

The new article gained much more attention as residents felt it ungodly to have cattle defecating on the graves of their forefathers, and in August of 1876, one month after the article’s publication, a plan to have the cattle expelled and the fence repaired at St. Peter's was brought forward to the town council. In addition, a motion to commission a new burial site was also approved.

St. Peters fence was repaired and some of the monuments were re-established after being knocked over by the roaming cattle.

By 1886 a new cemetery was developed on the escarpment, far from the developments of the Welland Canal. With the new cemetery, St. Peter's and the old cemetery were once again forgotten.

In 1903, another article about the old cemetery appeared in The Thorold Post. The author described his visit by saying it was like “...walking through a jungle, with overgrown brush, and neglected grave markers that popped up through the brush. Some of the stones were broken and the fence that surrounds the grave yard was broken in many areas.”

No one took much notice or concern.

In 1921 the cemetery once again in the news, but this time the topic of conversation was its demise. A new canal, one that would be able to transport larger vessels, was needed and the land on which St. Peter's church was on, as well as the cemetery, would be used in the construction of a large pondage area.

The Thorold Post ran a notice asking relatives of those interned at the old cemetery to have the bodies exhumed and re-interned at the new Lakeview Cemetery (which is now known as The Old Lakeview Cemetery).

The residents were given one summer to make arrangements and have the business completed. It was a daunting task, as many of the graves were over 100 years old; the oldest being that of Hannah Lampton, buried in 1793. The total number of graves on record was 842, but only 253 of these would ever be moved to the new cemetery. Families simply could not afford the re-internment and many graves had no family members to care for them.

When excavation and re-internment of the bodies occurred, some corpses were shuffled around and some went missing altogether. Adding to the confusion is the fact that some remains were not recoverable and only some body parts and coffins were moved to the new location.

According to the superintendent of Lakeview Cemetery there are 118 graves with no record of whose body they contain and as many as 72 others which may contain only body parts for which there are no records. He also stated that a number of the monuments were damaged or destroyed when they were moved to the new location.

The limestone bricks of St. Peter's were moved to the new cemetery and used in one of the outbuildings. Other stones were used by local quarrymen to build houses. The remains of St. Peter's, including the hardwood floorboards, were burned.

The Canal construction began and the entire grounds were flooded with a pondage area that was used for excess water flow.

Today, the remains of headstones that were left behind can be seen when the pondage is drained by The Seaway Authority. At first, the authorities had denied that the cemetery actually existed, fearing that they might have to, in modern times, move the remaining bodies or preserve the land somehow.

However, with evidence of pieces of headstones, grave markers and human remains, the authorities have finally said, that, yes, indeed, the cemetery was and is there. There are no plans to move the remaining bodies or preserve the area.

For several years I attempted to find the location of the cemetery, and while I found evidence such as gravestones and grave-markers, but the actual plot of land eluded me. I was convinced I was near the cemetery, but never entirely sure. I did, however, experience a very unsettling feeling when I was near the area.

Gord Westwater of The Shadows Project and Kevin Valencourt, formerly of NAGS, reviewed archives and maps to pinpoint the cemetery’s precise location, and to date, the only paranormal group to conduct investigations into the area is The Shadows Project.

The members of The Shadows Project each experienced different activity at the old cemetery grounds, and with it they recorded several EVPs. You can read about their experiences at www.theshadowsproject.com.

Lakeview Cemetery

Lakeview Cemetery is divided into two separate plots of land―The “Old” and “New”. Old Lakeview Cemetery, which had its first internment in 1886, holds the remains of over 253 bodies from the cemetery known as St. Peter's or The Old Burial Grounds. The New Lakeview Cemetery, which was developed in 1962 to accommodate the growing population of Thorold and the surrounding communities, feels modern, but on it are the remains of The Bishop Fuller House as well as a monument to Bishop Fuller himself.

The Old Lakeview Cemetery is darker and more historical. Some tombstones are so dated that all the inscriptions are worn off.

Since the early 1940s this cemetery has been known to locals as a haunted site, and children dared each other to walk through its shadows. Even today, visitors get an eerie feeling when walking the grounds, while paranormal enthusiasts have recorded EVPS and describe strange activity.

I've investigated this cemetery several times and each time I felt like I was being watched. On every occasion, as I stood there, a feeling of urgency began to occupy my mind. An urgency to leave. I am always drawn to the back left corner of the grounds and often find myself at the same tombstones each time. Others, such as Stephan Willet, currently of The Shadows Project, have also happened upon the same tombstones in the same locations.

Here, on these grounds are the final resting places of the founding fathers of Thorold and many prominent families from the Region, including the Smiths and The Keefers.

Do the Lakeview Cemetery and its stories of being haunted have a relationship with the activity at The Blue Ghost Tunnel?

The Smith House

Just a short distance from The Blue Ghost Tunnel are the remains of what once was a family home belonging to James Smith, who in the 1840s listed himself as farmer and then later, capitalist.

The only elements remaining of the house are a limestone foundation, a nearby small well and a staircase that climbs to what was once a vegetable garden.

Here one can find the residue of broken housewares originating from England and Scotland.

There is little historical documentation about the house, but it was known to be abandoned by the early 1920s as farms had amalgamated into larger operations.

I happened upon the foundation while hiking around the Blue Ghost Tunnel, believing that perhaps other structures or evidence of such could be found.

On a separate hiking adventure, Gord Westwater, of The Shadows Project and Kevin Valencourt, formerly of NAGS, had found the same structure and conducted a few investigations in which Gord said he had evidence of it being haunted.

Are the spirits who haunt this particular location responsible for the paranormal activity at The Blue Ghost Tunnel?

The Mystery House Foundation

In the general area of The Blue Ghost Tunnel, a larger house foundation was discovered by Gord Westwater and Kevin Valencourt. All that remains of this structure is a limestone foundation and there is so far no documentation found to determine who owned this particular structure. It is of a much larger scale, and perhaps this was simply a farmhouse or even an outbuilding from the Smith property.

The House on the Hill

Above the Blue Ghost Tunnel's East Entrance, near the edge of the Quarry, stood a large three-story house. It is seen on only a few photographs of the Blue Ghost Tunnel as a blurry haze. During my investigations into the tunnel I approached a psychic medium who drew an aerial view of the tunnel and placed a house upon a hill, alongside a large barn. She indicated that the source of the paranormal activity of the tunnel was the house on the hill.

In venturing up the hill and looking for a house, I found no evidence of its existence. Walker's Quarry is still operating and they have taken much of the hill in extending their operations. Officials at the quarry insist that a house was indeed on the property and was owned by one of the Walker Brother's―most likely John Walker himself―but they could not provide any more details. They said the house was most likely torn down in the late 1960s when the quarry was expanded.

In talking to many locals I learned that they used to regard the abandoned house as a foreboding presence upon the hill. These same locals played as children around the wooded areas surrounding the Blue Ghost Tunnel, and often spoke of a haunting inside the walls of the dilapidated mansion.

“As kids, we used to call those two buildings on the top of the hill, ‘the haunted house’. Even in the 60's going over the Skyway you could see them,” says Pendykowski. “There was only the stone shell, no floor or roof. What would have been the rear, facing the canal, had a large doorway opening on to a 10'x10' pad with steps down to the ground. This also was when they still cut stone blocks using a cable & pulley system as well as with a saw.”

Several other residents of Thorold told me the house was said to be haunted by an angry old man who would try to capture children if they came close to his dwelling. The story proclaimed that this old man could travel as far as the Welland Canal and possibly into the Blue Ghost Tunnel.

Could the source of the activity originate from this house? Or are these simply fables formulated by children to scare one another? And what of the psychic's assertions about this house on the hill, of which she had no prior knowledge or even awareness?

The Blue Ghost Tunnel: Making of a Legend Murder, Rape and Ghosts That Can't Escape

Murder, Rape and Ghosts That Can't Escape

In my research, an unlikely witness came forward with yet another narrative to describe the source of the paranormal activity at the tunnel. Due to his past relationships and his activity with a local biker gang, this witness wishes to remain anonymous.

“I can't remember the exact date, or even the year, to tell you the truth, but I remember what happened and I can also tell you that the tunnel is haunted. I know that for a fact.”

“In the early seventies the land back there was mostly private and there was no golf course or offroaders. Growing up in the area we knew of the tunnel and we heard that it was haunted. A lot of us didn't believe in shit like that, or pretended we didn't.”

“There were pretty big caves out that way as well and we all said it would be a perfect place to hide stolen loot or even hide out if we had too. We didn't spend much time there, but we did occasionally visit the tunnel.”

“We called it The Screaming Tunnels because there were other tunnels in the area and they were all connected* even to the small one in Niagara Falls.”

“I don't know who told me, but the rumor was that a little girl was raped and murdered in that tunnel and you could hear the screams if you listened closely. It was like a record player being played over and over again through time. I heard the screams for myself and I also saw the little girl's ghost but I'll get back to that later.”

“Many of my friends worked at the factories in Thorold and St. Catharines and some worked at the GM Plant as well. You could get to the tunnel two ways—a short way through GM property or the long way through the cemetery from the Falls.”

“When new recruits were brought on board sometimes we would fuck with them and see how tough they really were. We told them the stories of the tunnel and then we drove them through the cemetery, down a road toward the tunnel alongside the canal. When they reached the tunnel they had to go inside with their bike and stay there for the night. If they made it, we knew they weren't chicken shit.”

“We used the tunnel a few times as well, just to meet up or hang out because it was so secluded. Sometimes we would send people in on foot. There was about a half-foot of water near the middle of the tunnel and it leaked a lot.”

“But here's another thing that happened down there. Once one of the members brought a prostitute down from the strip and she was involved with some drugs being stolen or something like that. Anyhow, the guy that brought her down roughed her up pretty bad. A few of the guys had their way with her as well even after they nearly drowned her. From what I heard, they let her go and she ran out the other end of the tunnel. I've also heard later that they killed her down there and buried the body. But I wouldn't know since I was never there and this was told to me a few years after the fact.”

“Now here is the fucked-up thing. The rumor is that in the early days a girl was raped and murdered in the tunnel and that is who is haunting it. I've heard her scream and I've seen her ghost. I've also seen a man ghost down there. A big fuck with a dark coat, hat and beard. He looked like a Mennonite.”

“A few years back I heard that people were going down there to have a look at the tunnel to see ghosts. I can tell you that I've been there a few times and never felt good about the place. The girl didn't scare me, it kind of makes me sad in a way, but the guy I saw in the dark coat scared the shit out of me. He was smiling, like a crazy person would. Like a perfect psychopath. I figured he was the one that raped the girl. It was a weird feeling I got looking at him. He wasn't like a ghost, you know, see through. He was like real life. But then he disappeared after a few seconds. He's keeping the ghosts down there.”

“I haven't been back and don't think I would go down there. Some things are just better left alone.”

Other witnesses have come forward with the same suggestion that the tunnel was used by local biker gangs as a hang out. The remoteness of the tunnel would surely be advantageous, but the rough condition of the roads would be a deterrent to someone riding a Harley Davidson. The local biker gangs have all since faded or amalgamated with the Hell's Angels. There have been no reports in recent years of the tunnel being accessed by any biker gangs.

Police records show no investigations at the tunnel throughout its history, except for the recent trespassing and activity starting shortly after the show Creepy Canada and Tour Operators Haunted Hamilton showcased the tunnel on television.

Newspaper and local media also do not provide any reports of any murder, rape or any other criminal activity at or near the tunnel, neither at the turn of the century or any other time.

The Blue Ghost Tunnel: Making of a Legend Visiting The Tunnel in the 1990s

Visiting the Tunnel in the 1990s

I first heard of the tunnel from a friend-of-a-friend (isn't that how Urban Legends go?) and I was told that it was haunted and a great place to check out. In the 90s I was mildly interested in the paranormal and began chatting on Bulletin Board Systems (BBS) about local haunts and experiences and one user indicated that they knew of another tunnel, and unlike the popular-Screaming Tunnel, this one was really haunted.

A few high school friends had heard of the tunnel as well and together we made plans to meet others from Thorold High at the entrance to the tunnel. We decided to make the trip down to the tunnel using a flock of beaten-down BMX and mountain bikes. The initial idea was to visit the tunnel and to experience whatever ghost was there but it quickly turned into a get-together as plans were devised to bring a case of beer. We were hoping that perhaps with this new component a few girls might be enticed to make the journey as well.

We managed to make it to the tunnel and found that the get-together was actually a convention of losers with a six-pack and two girls between a dozen boys. We dropped our bikes and proceeded to look over the dark mouth of the tunnel.

It had an eerie feeling to it and we were all apprehensive about going in. We shared stories about the tunnel but I only remember one of the half-dozen that floated around, each ending with one of us declaring it bullshit.

The story went that a little girl was kidnapped by her deranged family friend and brought into the woods near the tunnel. Finding no way to cross from Thorold to a less populated area across the canal where he planned to sexually assault the girl, the man entered the train tunnel. The girl broke free when she was near the back end of the tunnel and the man quickly caught up to her and strangled her to death to stifle her screams. Frantic he took her body and buried it into the East-end woods and it was said that he escaped to the United States and was never heard from again.

Upon hearing the conclusion of the tale, one of us said it was bullshit and mustered enough courage to enter the tunnel.

The rest of us followed, and the only one of us smart enough to think of bringing a flashlight was assigned to take up point. At that time the tunnel did not have any support beams nor much ground work and we quickly came to a halt, stopped by standing water that appeared to go the length of the tunnel.

We stood there for several moments and continued to talk about ghosts and ghost stories. One of us spoke of some teens that drowned near the tunnel in the canal some years ago and that tale, which seemed to be based in fact, scared us back out of the tunnel.

That was my first visit to the tunnel. The beer having been quickly consumed and curfews overrun we decided to ride back home. The girls were scared, but not enough to get undressed or even take comfort in the form of a warm embrace. Aside from eerie feelings and being spooked from the tales, there was no encounter, no ghostly presence and no evidence that would suggest that the tunnel was anything more than a damp, dark hole under the Welland Canal, not worthy of another scouting trip, even with more beer and more willing female participants.

Years later, as my interest in the paranormal grew, the tunnel came up again as a definite hot spot for paranormal activity. Together with a college friend I explored the tunnel and the surrounding area. My friend brought a tape-recorder that we used in class to record lectures and we hoped to capture Electronic Voice Phenomenon (EVP), or in other terms, ghostly voices.

On this visit I noticed a well-constructed fire pit had been built and several empty bottles of beer were lying near. It had become a popular spot for local teens to escape reality, share a beer, and wonder about the unknown with the tunnel as the backdrop.

The tunnel had changed. Support beams were put into place and railway ties were placed along with fill on the tunnel floor. To the left, a drainage ditch was constructed to allow the flow of water to continue and exit the tunnel.

We recorded about an hour worth of tape from the tunnel using a micro-cassette recorder, and we took several photos. None of the photos produced any anomalies and the sound we recorded produced only what we considered the natural sounds of the tunnel. The tunnel had been damaged by the constant water flow since my first visit, and water was slowly dripping down, echoing like footsteps and knocks, producing an eerie sound.

A year or so later, I visited again, with members of a Bulletin Board System (BBS). We descended the trail with the assistance of General Motors employees who helped us re-locate the tunnel which for some reason we were not able to find, even though two of our group had been there previously.

The GM employees joked about the tunnel's “ghost” and generally tried to scare us for their own amusement. They indicated the ghost was a man that was killed in a train wreck and that we should be careful. Thanking them for directions and cursing them under our breath we proceeded to the tunnel entrance where one of our group members started feeling ill. The wave of nausea did not pass so we decided to leave him at the entrance while the rest of us ventured inside.

Again, photos and audio were recorded, and a videotape was also documenting the experience. This time we heard an audible scream, and whispers. We also heard footsteps running down the length of the tunnel. We remained there, trying to get further evidence and trying to validate the sounds we perceived for several hours. However, nothing noteworthy occurred after the first fifteen minutes.

It seemed we did hear what we concluded was paranormal, however, our audio equipment only recorded the sounds of the footsteps. Later one of our group determined the sound must have come from water dripping, but some of us were not entirely convinced of this theory.

For several years after I heard about the tunnel and the ghostly goings on, but each time the tale was different. It had become an alternative spot for teens to gather, to share experiences and enjoy being apart from the world around them. The tunnel provided solace and for several years it remained nothing more than that—a place to hang out.

In early 2001, I read about a paranormal group who had encounters with The Screaming Tunnel, but their description and location of the tunnel did not match the one on Warner Road in Niagara Falls, Ontario. At the time I believed the poster was either incompetent or simply making up yet another story about The Screaming Tunnel. I didn't realize that this poster was talking about the tunnel behind General Motors, the one we now know as The Blue Ghost Tunnel.

However, the message thread caught the attention of a young paranormal enthusiast from Welland, Ontario, known online as Russ. He had already visited several haunted locations in the Niagara Region and was interested in learning more about the tunnel and visiting it himself.

After several visits, Russ quickly defined his entire online persona by declaring the discovery of the tunnel which he dubbed The Blue Ghost Tunnel. His web page quickly became devoted to the tunnel and he began writing about his experiences in an online journal which he said would lead him to a book deal documenting the encounters with an entity known as September. I followed the online journal and then found out that Russ had taken the website down and abandoned all his work and interest in the paranormal. According to online rumors, he had been so scared about his last encounter at the tunnel that he ran off to Florida to escape its evil grip. Whether or not the rumor was true, Russ disappeared, both online and offline.

At that time I was working on Shadows of Niagara, Investigating Canada's Most Haunted Region, a book that chronicled and documented firsthand all of the haunted locations in the Niagara Region. At first I did not include The Blue Ghost Tunnel but as Internet chatter picked up about the tunnel and others such as Hamilton Paranormal and Amateur Spirit Seekers visited the tunnel, gathering evidence to suggest the tunnel was haunted, I proceeded to make plans to revisit the tunnel with a few psychic-mediums and a host of equipment.

Perhaps my previous visits had missed something extraordinary.

During the work on Shadows of Niagara, several visits to the tunnel were made and recorded. One of the investigations included over a dozen eye-witnesses and produced some interesting results including an audible scream so loud that all in our group heard it, our EVP recorder picked it up, and three video-cameras picked it up. The audio was subjected to analysis and it was determined that the scream heard was indeed real.

All of the visits to the tunnel produced some results and I was convinced that the tunnel was indeed haunted, but there was a lot more work to be done in order to find out by whom and why.

The Blue Ghost Tunnel: Making of a Legend More Blue Ghost Nonsense

More Blue Ghost Nonsense

In the summer of 2005 a sealed plastic Ziploc bag was discovered at the mouth of the tunnel containing a VHS tape labeled #2. Several other tapes, sealed in plastic bags and numbered, were discovered.

The curious viewer would see a short clip containing visuals of the tunnel, The Welland Canal, rusty objects, dead animals and a man in a cheesy Halloween mask. The effect was to produce a tape similar to the one found in the movie The Ring. The majority of viewers found it amateurish.

Chad Irish was the person who actually found the tapes, and many speculated it was he who was responsible for placing, and ultimately finding, his own tapes. This was during the period that Chad was engrossed with the tunnel and visited daily and nightly for months. He was spellbound by the tapes and made extra trips to the tunnel simply, he said, for the chance of finding another tape. Several pages of his web site were now dedicated to the tapes themselves and he developed his own hypothesis about the tapes. They were, evil, he said, and the viewer would physically get sick, or even die after viewing them. He cautioned his web site visitors about the tapes and proceeded to amass a collection of plastic baggies and VHS tapes.

When the interest of the tapes faded, Chad devised another attention grabbing scheme. He made his own video tape and had to discover it himself after no one had noticed it sitting on one of the strengthening beams in the tunnel.

In the months that passed, yet another video was made, by an anonymous filmmaker, and mocked the whole videotape controversy. It contained images of the tunnel as well as Thomas The Tank Engine cheerfully smiling as he tooted his whistle. Speculation about the origin of this jeering video was centered on a local graphic artist and paranormal enthusiast known on paranormal forums as Toadfuss.

The original producer of the first video and Chad's distribution created yet another layer of the Urban Legend. Even though most people dismiss the tapes as a cheap-practical joke and Chad as an eccentric ghost hunter, the tapes still pop up in some conversations as pieces of the story:

“They found these old movies there of a man killing a girl.”

“They found parts of a snuff film, but the rest of the film was destroyed by water.”

“The guy who made the film was murdered.”

Not even a decade old and many people fail to delve into the truth. Instead, they read or hear about a video tape and somehow, somewhere along the way, decide it is historic truth.

Of course, each story, like branches of a tree, continuously grows new branches and leaves. The legend grows and grows.

The original creator of the video series, James Straughan, was recently exposed by Kevin Valencourt, founder of The Niagara Amateur Ghost Seekers. During the time in which Chad was infatuated with the tapes, James Straughan posted many entries onto paranormal discussion boards about the video tapes, marketing them and pretending not to know who did them. He lied about his involvement with the tapes and his credibility was tarnished.

On Hamilton Paranormal's Old Message Forum:

By James Straughan on Friday, December 10, 2004 - 10:03 pm:

Hey all, long-time no-post

Since spring I had not been back to the BGT, and wow has it changed. I guess it's become pretty popular since that tv show aired cause it's amazing what you'll find down there. I've been there three times in the last month, and found things ranging from bikes to fires in the tunnel.

One particular thing though, when I went tonight I found a vhs tape in a ziplock bag ...left seemingly intentionally in the middle of the tunnel. I took it home and watched it out of curiosity, and it is flat out strange. Actually, it can't be described. You want to think it's a joke, but there's such a frightening amount of effort and impact with it. Why?

By James Straughan on Saturday, December 11, 2004 - 02:27 am:

I've been trying to get my tv input card to work so I can take some stills but to no avail. I'll try again tomorrow. To be honest, after viewing the video I just felt ...well, bad....not only is it menacing but it is also depressing.

It is relatively short...almost 3 minutes I think. I've decided the best word to describe it would be “montage”. Among the things shown are the tunnel itself, some VERY old gravestones somewhere, a destroyed car/truck in the woods, a dead fox, a rotten door standing on it's own, something emerging from the reeds wearing a policeman or conductor uniform, a human skull sunken in the mud, and a piece of paper in a tree that reads 27. The whole thing has unidentifiable audio, with what sounds like a young girls voice and an old man. I can't make out what they're saying though.

I know that all must sound strange, and it is. Hopefully I can get some stills tommorow. Night.

-James

When asked recently about the video and its purpose, James Straughan provided this statement:

“I made the film in 2004, hold all copyrights, original footage, soundtrack etc etc. If you have any follow-up questions talk to my lawyer at Wilson Opatovsky (905) 835-1163. I do not consent to my films usage, in whole or part, in any project/compilation/anything.”

The statement in itself reveals the character of the man behind the cheesy-Halloween mask in the video.

You may find the video online on YouTube. If the drivel does not entertain you, some of the comments left behind by more creative individuals will. Viewer discretion is advised, however, and this author is not responsible for any illness henceforth caused or immediate, and/or sudden death upon viewing. Perhaps contact Wilson Opatovsky to seek compensation for any damages. 

The Blue Ghost Tunnel: Making of a Legend Russ Exposes The Tunnel

Russ Exposes The Tunnel

In 1999 a group of paranormal enthusiast began visiting known haunted locations across the Niagara region. Headquartered in Welland, Ontario, the group often visited sites in Niagara Falls, Fonthill and Port Colborne. After visiting the likes of The Screaming Tunnel and the Old Fonthill Cemetery, they were determined to find additional locations to explore and investigate while simultaneously gaining interest in dowsing, Ouija boards and casting “spells”.

Russ, a teenager and member of the group, became active on paranormal discussion boards and developed his own web site, sharing haunted locations, stories and experiences.

Questioning those on paranormal forums about other haunted locations, he found information about another tunnel named “The Screaming Tunnel”, in an article written by Nick Blay, who visited the tunnel on a regular basis with friends years previous to Russ' discovery. This was not the same “Screaming Tunnel” near Warner Road in Niagara Falls, Ontario that Russ had already visited. This was a new tunnel, untouched by paranormal enthusiasts.

Nick believed that the tunnel might be haunted, but did not believe all of the tales about it. He provided the following history of the tunnel and nearby cemetery, which fascinated Russ, who planned to visit the tunnel for himself.

At the time my friends and I were going to what is now known as the Blue Ghost Tunnel, we were calling it the Screaming Tunnel. Although we were aware of the actual tunnel in Niagara-on-the-Lake of the same name we felt the Blue Ghost Tunnel was more ominous and more deserving of the name, so that's just how we referred to it throughout our tenure there.

We used to go there and have bonfires, a few drinks and just gather as a group. It was our spot that very few people knew about or felt the desire to trek out to, so the place was like our own personal escape. A few times we had explored the tunnel during the day, but mostly came at night when we had groups of people.

Many times we would be able to get about halfway in but due to the joist beams collapsing midway through we never got all the way through during the night. There were definitely some ominous overtones to the tunnel itself, we always sat just outside of it at the mouth of the tunnel and throughout the years we had compiled stories of what we believe caused the tunnel to be haunted.

Once or twice we would catch something out of the corner of our eye moving through the tunnel. The smoke from the fire would filter into the tunnel, and that very well could have been it, but a big part of me knows that it probably wasn't just the smoke. We also a lot of time went to the old pump house and frequently walked to the cemetery up the road until the bridge next to the pump house had collapsed. I do not know if it has since been fixed.

One of the earlier accounts we had of the tunnel was that above the tunnel was an old cemetery. When the canal began to expand and the tunnel was created to move ore (I believe) from one side to the other the cemetery was transplanted to the current Lakeview Cemetery, I think, which we would often walk to, which was an odd experience in itself.

On one such visit to the Blue Ghost Tunnel we trekked to the Cemetery where it was completely dark, upon turning to leave candles began to light up. Now being that it was late and pitch black we didn't see anyone else in the cemetery but we decided not to stick around to find out. Back to the transplantation of the bodies from the tunnel though, as the story went all the bodies had been relocated save for the bodies of some children, whether it was that the graves were unmarked or the children were purposely not relocated I can't be sure but that was one of the stories we had come to accept.

After digging around the Internet and local records we found that indeed the tunnel had been used to transport something from one side of the canal to the other but it was actually done by train.

Apparently a one-rail track was laid through the tunnel and a train would pass through delivering the material. Two different stories emerged from this, one being that a train coming through was going too fast and upon hitting the curve outside of the tunnel fell off the track and crashed killing the driver.

Another version has it that two trains collided on this single track going through the tunnel and that the occupants of both trains now haunt the tunnel and surrounding areas.

It's hard to determine what has validity and what has been thrown in and mixed with the truth with regards to the accounts of how and why this place is haunted. I personally think that there were more than just a few incidents involving people losing their lives in and around this tunnel throughout the time that it was used.

At the time of our visits to the, now coined, Blue Ghost Tunnel we were just looking for a place to call our own and enjoy our summers nights with friends. We also were on somewhat of a ghost hunting kick which most likely lead to my original post on the Haunted Niagara websites, but all in all from the time we were 18-20ish we were just looking for a place to have fun.

We definitely weren't the only ones, as there were always smashed bottles and remnants of old fires prior to our arrival but we always tried to keep the place clean because, again, it was our spot.

As I said earlier we caught glimpses of something in the tunnel from time to time so we always felt like something was around us. Occasionally we would also hear sounds we couldn't explain emanating from the tunnel, and we would always try to find where in the tunnel they were coming from but to no avail.

The sounds would generally cease once we got close to halfway in.

I think the last time that I visited the tunnel was in early 2007. By that time the landscape of the tunnel had changed drastically. The ominous feel of the open mouth tunnel of the defunct Grand Trunk Railway system seemed muted. The entrance way was closed up with cinder block bricks and mortar and a gated entrance, reminiscent of an old jail door. It was clear that the Seaway no longer wanted people on their private property. I assume that the next group of people that took over after we left didn't keep it so clean, and the graffiti was definitely a strong indication of that.

It was definitely sad to see the change at the tunnel, I have always felt that perhaps if Russ and his crew hadn't tried to make it such a spectacle that it wouldn't have gained as much notoriety and the Seaway wouldn't have been forced to close it up and add security requirements around the area. Although it is on private land it is a part of Niagara Heritage, like the Decew House, Queenston Park, Beaverdams Park and so on. It should have been restored so people could use the trail to walk through and experience a part of history.

Now it has been coined the Blue Ghost Tunnel. A place that most people will never see, never have a chance to walk through, even if only half way, because the owner of the land is tired of people disrespecting their land and property.

Perhaps if I had never mentioned our place the current state of the tunnel would be different, but then again there would have always been someone to occupy their nights in front of the tunnel and not all of them would have respected the place as much as my friends and I did. It was probably inevitable that the Seaway took action to try and prevent people from being there, but who can ever really say for sure. When I was last there it was evident that people didn't take kindly to the Seaway locking up the tunnel as the door was not locked and a cinder block or two was missing.

All I can say with absolute certainty was that I loved each and every night I spent there with my friends. We respected the tunnel and the area because we considered it our own. I will always remember the fun we had and the explorations we did. It's definitely a time in my life that I miss.

Before Russ visited the tunnel, he decided to gather as much information about the tunnel and the surrounding area as possible, and began questioning the Toronto Ghost and Hauntings Research Society (TGHRS) about “The Screaming Tunnel.”

In his correspondence with Matthew James Didier, co-founder and operator of TGHRS, Russ indicated that he didn't find the tunnel that haunted.

“Initially Russ did not claim to have any ghostly encounters at the BGT aside from numerous photos he took that contained 'orbs'. Even way back in those days we doubted that 'orbs' or 'mists' were much more than something natural (rather than supernatural) in true origin, (not to mention it was snowing in several of Russ' shots) so we felt no need for further investigation (by ourselves) based on his evidence,” says Matthew James Didier.

However, Russ maintained that his first visit to the tunnel wasn't until 2002 and his claims of paranormal activity at the tunnel were reported to others and within his online texts as extremely high even on that first visit.

Russ first visited the tunnel in April, 2002 and decided to document his entire experiences so he began an online journal. The web site which stored the original journal was deleted by Russ shortly after he disappeared from the paranormal community. Here are the original journal entrees, unedited:

Russ' First Journal Entry

So last night (saturday) our group decided that we would investigate this “other” screaming tunnel that we read about.

There were four of us and it was raining and generally miserable out. Nevertheless we got our gear together. We found the road and the dirt mound and parked the car and walked for about a mile or a mile and a half. We checked out a few of the paths along the road that lead to a river with a dam.

We began to get audible manifestations once we were about half way to the original graveyard area. At one point we were standing right on top of the tunnel without realizing it and our emf went off. We investigated a pathway that leads you right atop the tunnel entrance. It was a very steep but short path off the main road. Directly on top of the actual tunnel. It was very creepy.

We continued down the road until it bent right and found the stoney path that leads down the hill to the tunnel. When the tunnel came into sight I took out my divining rods and went slowly forward with the rest of our group. Our friend JJ was ahead with the flashlight and emf.

We got about 20 feet away from the entrance to the tunnel and stopped to prepare to enter. At this point a couple of members in the group described that they felt dizzy and overheated. I was a little dizzy but felt like I was plugged into a 12 volt power source. You know how when you are near a haunted location you get that feeling?

Anyway the feeling intensified and intensified as we crept slowly toward the entrance of the tunnel. At this point I wanted to test the divining rods. I have a really good set that I got from divining mind, anyway so I take them out of my pack that I carry all of my equipment in. I’m standing there with my friends fairly close and the rods out pointed toward the tunnel entrance.

JJ approaches the tunnel entrance and is approximately10 feet from the entranceway and he begins to flash his flashlight inside. He also snapped a few pictures. About 20 seconds after he flashed the camera and the tunnel got dark again he was getting his flashlight ready to go inside.

I caught a glimpse or visual manifestation. It was ice blue and fog like. It formed the face of a wolf or dog like animal.

Before I had a chance to ask if anyone could see it, it was gone, and I was wondering if I saw it at all.

At this point my feet are glued and that feeling of being plugged into an electrical socket increased about 1000 times. The divining rods started acting very peculiar. There was a force on them that pushed the one in a complete 360 degree counterclockwise direction while the other rod went completely horizontal at 90 degree angle. They then came around and crossed and uncrossed, crossed and uncrossed. Things got a bit surreal at this point.

I shouted to the group to look at my rods. There was definitely a charge that was building up in the area and I had the feeling like something was going to happen. Then BANG something like a rock or a part of the structure of the tunnel fell from inside.

Evidence of poltergeist activity.

At this point everyone in the group was acting a little odd and there was an overwhelmingly strong sense of fear. I was actually quite frightened which is not common for me.

Seconds after the BANG noise from inside the tunnel an apparition as plain as day appeared that all four of us can confirm. (wondering if it will show up on our film).

It was ice blue and fog like and hovered for approximately 10 to 15 seconds at the tunnel entrance.

It was shifting in form and was amorphous but I could make out several shapes at once. A face, a body, demonic, wolflike, human, all at the same time.

Later we discussed this and everyone sort of interpreted the apparition differently but there was no doubt that all of us witnessed it. At this point the fear was overwhelming. We were not prepared to go inside the tunnel because of whatever was guarding the entrance. Two members of our group are returning there tonight with more equipment to record and measure the level of activity here.

As far as I am concerned this area is the single most haunted spot in Niagara.

I'm still debating whether or not I want to return to investigate the graveyard sections and the inside of the tunnel itself. I'm thinking that it might be safer by daylight.

It was obvious that whatever was guarding the tunnel was not about to permit us entrance without consequence. I am wondering if I can persuade it by bringing flowers for the headstones, or asking it to grant us access. I'm not sure what I'm going to do about this, but last night we were ill prepared for what actually happened. I wasn't expecting much at all, and really it was way crazier than what I thought it was going to be. I'm going to be prepared next time.

Russ' Second Journal Entry

Yes this place is very crazy.

To be honest i was not expecting, nor were we prepared for anything like this...Whatever manifested itself was not letting us through the tunnel.

It would have been suicide to get any closer. We are returning in two weeks.

I have to prepare. Does anyone have any spells that we can use as protection? Additionally, I need a way to insure that it does not follow us home after. When we get the pictures developed I will post them, but there are still many snaps left on this roll of film. We are going back there with a ton of equipment to take video, evp recordings, temp readings, etc etc.

The whole expedition will be documented.

Russ' Third Journal Entry

This Saturday we returned to the tunnel at Gm gate 12. Things were definitely weird but not as intense as last time. Here is an account of things that happened, in the order that they happened.

Arrived at 11:30 party members formed a circle and cast 5 layers of protection spell, and did the hike down the road toward the tunnel.

At 11:45 approximately we were on the road above the tunnel. Emf went off. party members entered circle again to cast invocation spell.

Climbed down the rocky decline and approached tunnel slowly. Took dowsing rods out of pack, got camera ready.

Slowly approached tunnel. Dowsing rods began spinning in 360 degree radius just like last time except that this time both rods were completely spinning quite rapidly. Approached threshold of tunnel.

Asked several yes no questions where whatever “spirit” was there would answer by spinning or not spinning the dowsing rods. Worked fairly effectively.

Noted several visual flickers inside of tunnel and strange fog. No really strong visual manifestations this time. No real strong sense of fear.

There were however several auditory manifestations.

• Hissing. (could be an animal)
  Auditory: Someone walking through the tunnel towardus. Very defined sound of footsteps.
  Noted green slime on wall on outside of tunnel.
  Noted banging noises inside of the tunnel.
  Noted strange watermarks on the walls in the shape of three human figures, two soldiers, one person hanging. (could be coincidence but it was neat to look at)

Entered tunnel. Wow was it cold in there! Approximately a 20 to 30 degree temp drop with cold spots in the tunnel that you could see your breath. Went deep into tunnel until entrance could no longer be seen. Very wet in there. Reached the part of the tunnel where it is blocked off. Not impassable but it is very very very deep in water. Can't wait for summer to dry that up. Took several pictures in and outside of the tunnel. Everytime we go back we just end up with more and more questions about this place. it's bizarre.

Here is the killer part. Took the pictures to be developed. Film returned blank. Underexposed. EVERY PICTURE!!!!!

Very weird indeed. We are returning there next time with EVP recorder, infrared thermometer, more cameras, etc.

Russ continued to visit haunted locations across the Region, but his main focus remained the tunnel which in his next visit he would call The Blue Ghost Tunnel. According to Russ the blue, fog-like apparition he had witnessed previously danced at the front entrance and appeared to him as a beautiful young female who later revealed herself as a soft-spoken seductress named September.

The apparition was only seen by Russ, and others in his group say that they did not witness an apparition named September. In the tunnel, one of the members, who wishes to remain anonymous, recalls finding a picture of a girl. The photograph was old, he recounts, and the image was that of a girl, perhaps 16 years of age. On this visit Russ made contact with the spirit of a little girl who he described as “pretty”, and he provided photographic evidence of this encounter by posting several images of the inside of the tunnel. Within the images he saw “a beautiful girl”, “a demonic devil-like thing” and “a dog.” When the photos were shared online, others pointed out angels, cats, winged-beasts, severed hands and railway wheels.

In reality, the photographs in question show nothing more than Russ' own breath expelled while the snapshot was taken in the cold, moist atmosphere of the tunnel. Inside the swirl and mist objects became defined through a psychological phenomenon known as “pareidolia”.

Russ captured no ghosts on film but he captured the imagination of others.

As a result of posting his online journal and switching his entire focus to the tunnel, the tunnel's name stuck: The Blue Ghost Tunnel and for short The BGT. Several other groups quickly became interested in the newly discovered hotspot. Russ continued to visit the tunnel and became obsessed with it. Several of his friends were alienated by his ambition and now insist that a lot of the events that took place with Russ were manufactured within his own mind.

“It's hard to believe what he was experiencing,” says Dave. “I didn't witness some of the things he claims.”

“Some weird stuff did happen, but a lot of it was just Russ,” says Laura.

But these friends were not active online at this time and they did not protest the statements made by Russ. Many of them abandoned Russ' group and parted company with him. Russ continued to add to the story and weaved a tale that he openly said would lead to a book deal or even a movie deal because “...it is so intense and scary!”

In one journal entry he said that he communicated with the spirits of the tunnel and learned that one, the dancing blue misty female, was named September. He learned she was nineteen years old and was murdered at the tunnel. Russ developed a whole persona for September, which he communicated and interacted with via a Ouija Board.

As Russ continued to expand the experience for the online crowd, others joined in as they learned about the tunnel's existence and “extreme haunting”. Groups like Hamilton Paranormal and Amateur Spirit Seekers visited and posted their experiences which included several parallel experiences to Russ'.

Russ posted a weekly update and then turned it into a daily event because the ghost known as September had, according to Russ, stalked him and followed him home. It was all coming to a grand climax, however. Russ tried to gain the interest of publishers, with no luck. Hollywood was not calling either. Russ was lost and like the tunnel itself—abandoned, save for the online crowd of paranormal thrill-seekers—and needed an out. His personal life was being affected as friends abandoned him, due to this abnormal behavior, and he came up with an exit strategy.

September had seduced him, he stated, and was most likely, according to Russ, a demonic spirit. This spirit had not only seduced him, but then proceeded to physically rape him, according to his journal. Violated and wanting to end this multidimensional relationship, he took the Ouija Board that first made contact with September and burned it.

Suddenly, Russ was offline. There were no more updates on his web site and his journal ended in June 2002. In a short three months he transformed a seemingly lost tunnel into North America's must-go-to haunted tourist attraction.

Rumors quickly spread that he ran away as far as Florida to get away from the demonic, sexual harassment he found at the tunnel. But Russ re-reemerged briefly in October of 2002 to say he was in Florida with family. That same year he deleted his web site and removed his online journal, never returning to the paranormal community again.

One has to question this entire affair, from Russ being totally engaged with the paranormal to abandoning it altogether. Was his ambition of securing a book deal and movie deal his primary goal? Was his only motive to gain publicity and popularity?

In 2009 I caught up with Russ and questioned him about the tunnel and his experiences within it. He remained silent and did not respond. In 2010, I again contacted him directly and questioned him, and referenced this book idea and the possibility of it being published. Russ refused to cooperate and to this day refuses to talk about the tunnel. He wishes to remain anonymous, known only as “Russ”, the one who discovered The Blue Ghost Tunnel, the single-most influential spark to the legend.