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 NAGS Investigates

NAGS Investigates

As Internet rumors swirled about a fantastic haunted location, a new group set out to seek the tunnel. The Niagara Amateur Ghost Seekers (NAGS), started by local resident Kevin Valencourt, began investigating rumored haunts across the Niagara Region. Kevin, along with several friends formed the group to discover historical locations, uncover the truth and provide information to those who were disenchanted with other paranormal groups who showcased orb photos, sold trinkets or featured “Ghost Tours”.

NAGS was the only established paranormal group in the Region and after hearing about the tunnel on the Internet they set out to investigate for themselves. Here are the original notes and photographs from the earliest investigations. Please keep in mind when reading that this group was in its infancy and it is evident that the group was excited and eager to investigate the paranormal as they were indeed new to the study.

Blue Ghost Tunnel Investigation
Location: St. Catharines, Ontario
Arrival Time: 11:20PM
Team Members In Attendance: 7
Weather: -2C, Winds 10Kph, Slight Cloud Cover
Equipment: 35mm, 4 Digital Cams, A&V

Our first journey to the “Blue Ghost Tunnel” was an excellent one. Not only did it seem the perfect night, but it also seemed the perfect time. We entered the tunnel at exactly midnight. This was most of the team members first time at the tunnel.

Before entering, several team members took pictures directed at the mouth of the tunnel, as well as around the entrance. One picture seemed very interesting, as it caught a white mist with a blue mist in the middle.

We entered the tunnel and continued in about 400ft before hitting the walls of ice. These amazing creations of nature have to be seen in person to thoroughly enjoy. At this point we actually stopped and turned off all lights and tried to stay as quiet as possible. It wasn’t easy to hear anything due to the constant dripping of water. The ice around us had started to melt in the tunnel from the recent mild weather.

We all seemed to have different experiences when listening to the tunnel. Two members of the team heard music, which they described as being something that would be heard coming from a very old music box for jewelry. One member had specifically heard conversations in the tunnel coming from the east end. Several members also heard the cries as well as sobbing of what sounded like a young child, as well as whistling. The whistling was first dismissed as the drops of water falling from the melting ice, but as we listened closer, there was a distinct tune.

As for visual encounters, there were two separate sightings. Two of the members that stayed behind at approximately the 400ft mark, were in near darkness and could see the west entrance of the tunnel clearly. One member thought they saw a dark figure cross in front of the entrance, the other member had saw the same thing. This happened twice. While this was occurring, three of us continued to the very end of the tunnel, at least as far as we could go without swimming. We hit the 600 foot mark and couldn’t go any further due to the water level, but we could clearly see the east entrance, which was rumoured to be blocked. We can now confirm that it was not. At this point we all turned around and headed back towards the West entrance. We did not hear, see, or capture anything on audio or film on our walk back out.

Once we exited the tunnel, several members of the group witnessed one last possible paranormal activity. A ball of dim yellowish-orange light shot straight up above the tunnel, and then came swooping down and disappeared inside. No one at the time had a flashlight on or was using any sort of lighting or flash photography. There were also no other people at the tunnel that evening.

All in all it was an excellent night and for many a great first trip to the Blue Ghost Tunnel, everyone is very excited for a return trip.

Blue Ghost Tunnel Investigation
Location: St. Catharines, Ontario
Arrival Time: 10:00PM
Team Members In Attendance: 3
Weather: 0C, Windy 10Kph, Wet Snow
Equipment: 2 Digital Cams, A&V

If you remember, our first journey to the “Blue Ghost Tunnel” was definitely an excellent one indeed, however, this night seemed to draw the NAGS team to the tunnel, however seemed to be an almost risque night to go.

The evening was very wet, and very snowy for an April 2nd evening. We decided to go out to the BGT for a second investigation, only to find that the drive out alone was challenging, due to the amounts of snow that we had received in St. Catharines that same day. There was nearly a foot of snow on the ground within that day, when on April 1st, it was a pleasant and warm rich-green day of spring.

We found it interesting that we were going out to the Blue Ghost Tunnel, on the day between April Fools' Day and Daylight Savings Time. As it was also the very day that Pope John Paul II had died. God rest his soul. However, we also realized that when we first went to the tunnel, it was on the day after the First Day of Spring, the day after Palm Sunday.

After arriving at Gate 12 to park the car, we realized then that we had a bit of a hike to do through all the wet snow that we were receiving that cold night. As cold as it was though, we felt refreshed. Quite the exercise that hike had been, and by the time we got to the railing to go over and down to the tunnel, our adrenalin was definitely pumping. Perhaps driven a bit by what the tunnel was feeling to us at the time as well.

The hike down the steep incline at the mouth of the tunnel was quite slippery, as we found it advantageous to slide down on our rear-ends in order to safely make it to the bottom. As two of our members came into view of the tunnel, about 3/4 of the way down, they had to stop. The tunnel seemed inviting, yet seemed to pulse with a very strange energy.

As we all made it down the hill safely, and stood in front of the tunnel, we all paused and felt like we probably wouldn't be hiking too far into the tunnel that evening. As we all huddled together, kept close, and walked into the mouth of the tunnel, we felt a feeling that we certainly hadn't felt a week before on our first visit. A feeling of a cold emptiness, it was damp and cold to the bones, and even almost too quiet. We don't recall hearing much. However, one of the members of the team recalls hearing a little child's voice again, softly talking from the distant walls of the tunnel.

Around the same time that this was observed, we all felt at once that we should not be there. We had stopped walking about 30 feet into the tunnel when all of this was felt and heard. Deciding then to call it a night and that it was time to leave, we promptly turned around and exited the tunnel.

It was still snowing outside, as we started to climb back up the side of the escarpment. One of the members stopped at the same spot on the way up, as on the way down when the two members had felt the initial strange energy off of the tunnel. He had felt the same energy again, this time turning towards the tunnel and proceeded to take some pictures of the tunnel's mouth. It was not until later that evening and back at home, when he had realized that they had captured a very interesting shot indeed. What was in the picture was definitely not what he saw, but most likely certainly what we had been feeling since arriving at the Blue Ghost Tunnel that evening.

An eventful evening this was, and it was certainly quite spooky. We will always remember the feeling that tunnel had given us that cold and snowy night.

Blue Ghost Tunnel Investigation

Investigation: Blue Ghost Tunnel
Location: St. Catharines, Ontario
Arrival Time: 10:00PM
Team Members In Attendance: 2
Weather: 8C, Light Winds,
Equipment: 3 Digital Cams, A&V

Going out to the Blue Ghost Tunnel a week after our last strange experience, led to very different experiences this time around.

The weather was different, as the snow had all melted, and the temperature had certainly risen. This was the night we had met up for the first time with two of the team members from www.HauntedTunnels.tk

We had been greeted with more young teens, but not as many as the previous night, which was a probable benefit to us encountering paranormal activity. However this night was going to prove much different than any of the last times we had been to the tunnel.

As there were about 7 of us with guests included, we had set up two teams, with 3-4 of us posted at the end of the tunnel, monitoring the eastern entrance to the tunnel. The other three of us would alternate between the tunnel-end post and the front of the tunnel.

We thought we had heard distant moans and groans, and even a few times we thought we had heard footsteps. Closer investigation showed that it may have just been water dripping down from the week's spring melting.

At the East of the tunnel, where we had set up a post, we found what seemed to be a dark figure walking quickly from the one side of the tunnel to the next, across the eastern entrance. We couldn't make out a face, nor did we capture anything on film, but it did seem like “something was guarding the entrance to the tunnel”.

We remained at the tunnel for approximately two hours, but really didn't encounter anything.  Other than a few apparent moans, and the occasional shadowy figure guarding the eastern entrance, and the possible footsteps--it was a fairly uneventful evening.

Perhaps it is starting to recognize us as regular guests to its cold limestone walls, and decided to just let us pass through without giving us a sign.

With previous visits to the Blue Ghost Tunnel, we have pretty much confirmed that there is definitely a ghost there, and that the tunnel is haunted. Due to this uneventful night, we have come to the conclusion that even though a place may be haunted, doesn't mean you are always going to encounter something there.

For, you may just have to make another visit, as you never know what might happen.

NAGS continued to investigate several locations in the Region and as an active member of their message forums I was asked to join the group.

I met with two members, Kevin Valencourt and Gord Westwater, and found them to be honest and sincere in their approach. They were certainly amateurs in regards to paranormal investigating but they were eager to learn and unlike most counterparts in the field were not interested in acquiring fame and fortune as a result of their experiences.

Some earlier NAGS members lost interest. Kevin had assembled others to continue the investigations and the core team consisted of Kevin Valencourt, Gord Westwater aka Dr. Gord, David Horhota aka Makeajazznoise, Stephan Willet aka Naz and myself aka Ghostboy.

As we investigated private homes and historical locations across the Niagara Region we avoided conducting an investigation of the Blue Ghost Tunnel as we were simply tired of hearing about it on the message forums and in discussions. It was a location that was almost impossible to investigate properly.

Orb photos, as well as images of mists, were displayed as evidence. NAGS repeatedly suggested that Orb photos were simply dust particles, water droplets and objects close to the camera that the flash had reflected against. The mist photos, in which individuals saw dogs, ghosts and people, were also dismissed as pareidolia and the mist a result of the photographer's breath or cigarette smoke.

Investigating the location as a team would be rather difficult considering that on some nights as many as a hundred thrill-seekers and paranormal enthusiasts were visiting. As a team we were also sick of hearing about the tunnel. It was the hot topic and it was fast becoming over-exposed.

We were also disgusted about how a significant historical structure could be exploited and destroyed in a few months after being displayed on television.

Earlier I had posted on Haunted Hamilton's message forum in an attempt to gain volunteers for a cleanup effort. The message posters who were so keen about the history and paranormal aspect of the tunnel simply did not make an effort, and not one person from Haunted Hamilton's message forum, nor the operators, attempted to come on the cleanup date. Instead, retirees and those who had an interest in history and not the paranormal, made the effort, and a cleanup was conducted. Afterward the tunnel was once again in decent shape, except for the graffiti that marked the tunnel walls.

Kevin Valencourt, also interested in maintaining the tunnel as a clean and decent historical location, proceeded to propose another cleanup event to be held on a weekend date.

His goal was not only to clean up the trash left behind by visitors and party-goers, but also to clean off the graffiti that covered the tunnel walls. He, too, posted on several message forums asking for volunteers, but no one, besides NAGS and friends, got involved. The general cleanup and graffiti cleanup were both successful.

As a newly formed group we had never assembled to investigate the tunnel together. Each of our encounters with the BGT were conducted as individuals or with people other than our core team. Kevin Valencourt contacted The Seaway Authority to seek permission to visit the tunnel at night and investigate it thoroughly.

The Seaway Authority provided us with waivers and allowed us, along with a news reporter, to document the investigation.

It was the first, and only officially sanctioned investigation, of The Blue Ghost Tunnel.

Here are the original notes and news articles that were produced:

Blue Ghost Tunnel Investigation
Location: Thorold, Ontario
Arrival Time: 9:00PM
Team Members In Attendance: 5
Weather: 20C, Clear, no wind.
Equipment: Digital Cameras, Audio, EMF.

Notes from GhostBoy:

This was my first visit as NAGS team member to the ever-famous Blue Ghost Tunnel. We had acquired express written permission from the Seaway Authority to be on the private property and conduct an investigation. Joining us was Petr Cihacek, a reporter with the Niagara News. This was his first visit to the tunnel and his first ghost investigation.

As we arrived there were already two groups of people descending into the tunnel or just about to. I always find it interesting that visitors go into the tunnel stick around for a few minutes and then walk out expecting a paranormal encounter to occur. They do not take the time, nor execute an investigation in a way that is respectful or tactical. Ghosts simply do not show up, wave a big “Hello” and then send you on your merry way. I am not saying I know the right way, but I know a way that works for me.

We allowed the other groups to go in and out and as another group exited I entered the tunnel alone. I made myself known of who I was and what I was there for. I immediately could feel something, but could not figure out what it was.

The team then joined and we walked the length of the tunnel and noted that it has deteriorated rapidly since my last visit. The tunnel it appears, will not last more than three winters. It will simply collapse under the stress of time and water erosion.

We decided to kill our lights and enter into a circle and try to communicate with the ghosts that reside in the tunnel. At first we started off generically asking questions and talking openly with the spirits. I then wanted to see if we could speak directly with the two firemen, who past on due to the collision of the trains outside of the tunnel. I called out for Charles Horning and tried to communicate with him. I didn’t get anything, nor felt anything at this time. Other team members replied that they had the same feelings. I then tried again for Abraham Desult and again, I did not feel nor sense that this spirit was here. In my opinion, these two gentlemen died, moved on and do not haunt the tunnel.
When we asked further questions Naz saw movement behind me and I also felt as if there was something behind me about 10-20 feet. Naz indicated that it was closer. At this time several EVPs were recorded and several team members heard distinctive voices (mostly female) coming from each end of the tunnel. The voices were not recognizable, however, they only occurred after a question was asked.

We then moved down towards the exit of the tunnel and conducted another attempt to communicate with whatever spirit that was at this end of the tunnel. Again, we could hear voices, but could not make them out. Several EVPs were captured at this location as well. I tried to communicate with the names I previously recorded by Pauline Raby during the work we were doing for Shadows of Niagara, but none of the communication attempts with these names were conclusive.

I decided it was perhaps a good idea to split our team up. I don’t know why I did, but I asked Dr. Gord to join me back at the first location we were at. At this location Dr. Gord had his own experiences which I will allow him to explain. At this location I could feel a cold spot in front of Dr. Gord. I also picked up the name of “Carrie” and that this ghost was looking for its mother. Naz joined us and indicated he picked up the name “Margaret” – I could attribute this name to the mother. It was like a recognition to the ghost. Naz confirmed he could feel the cold spot in front of Dr. Gord and indicated he could see something around his hand. Further questioning of the ghost of “Carrie” determined that the spirit is stuck in the tunnel. The words “Evil Bastard” also came forward. Perhaps this spirit is being held against its will by another.

In several of the communication attempts I asked how many spirits were present or in the tunnel and the number seven was coming forward clearly. At the front of the tunnel, again, Dr. Gord had an experience and I could feel what he was feeling. Naz confirmed the cold spot that we both felt.

At this time I asked both Dr. Gord and Naz concentrate on the spirit and ask how they died. I wrote down the words “Choked” on my pad of paper. I asked Naz and he said he couldn’t give me an answer. Dr. Gord said, “Strangled,” and I showed him the pad of paper and he looked dumbfounded. Independently, without knowing each others thoughts we both came to the conclusion that this ghost died of some sort of strangulation.

We then discussed the tunnels history and our experiences in the tunnel with Petr Cihacek and we concluded our night investigation of the Blue Ghost Tunnel.

Notes from Dr. Gord:

The NAGS Team accompanied with Petr, a local reporter for the Niagara News, went for an investigation to the Blue Ghost Tunnel. Upon meeting at a close destination, we all piled in to vehicles and with our trusty LEGAL WAIVER in hand, we set off for the tunnel at top speed. Arriving at the tunnel, we waited outside while some local tourists explored the tunnel for themselves as we wanted to investigate in peace and quiet with little to no interruptions.

After the tourists left, we ventured in as a group with cameras and recorders in hand. Upon arriving at the section just before the waterfall, which on a side note appears to be the beginning of the end for the old BGT, we gathered in a circle and attempted to communicate with the spirits that are said to reside there. John called out to the two boiler men that died in the train wreck to which we got no response. Upon uttering a general question a faint female voice could be heard from the end of tunnel.

Asking it to be louder the voice grew in strength but still was unclear, at this point; yours truly accredited it to the water droplets falling at the right time. Watching Petr scribble notes like a madman kept me fascinated as I tried to figure out the sounds in my head. We then moved as a group to just outside the trussels and again attempted communication.

Nothing could be heard physically but upon examining my tape I got some real good evp’s which will posted later this week. We then split up in to two groups. John and I went back to the first location and the rest went to the entrance of the tunnel. It was here that the fun began.

Now being the resident skeptic I have always downplayed the paranormal activity in the BGT until this night as stuff happened I still cannot explain. John called out to the spirits to communicate with us. All of a sudden I became very very cold. Thinking it was just a breeze being in a tunnel in all you would think that, so in true skeptical behavior I put my arm out to the left, it was cool but not as cold.

I did the same thing on the right and the same result. It was then that a vision popped in my head of a little girl to which I described to John as a girl aged 10 – 12, out 5ft tall with long locky light brown hair, dressed in a brown dress with a white aprony head piece. I could see it clear as day in my head and I chocked it up to imagination but something happened later that would question this. Steve then approached and the cold dissipated, John informed the spirit not to be afraid and it came back. Steve concurred that he too could feel the cold spot in front of me. I began to feel emotional of lost, sad and lonely and it was then that Steve got the name MARGARET. This would not prove anything to me except this 5 foot tall cold spot in front of me. It was then that we said our goodbyes and turned and headed for the exit of the tunnel. I kept getting this message that I was not wanted to leave but shrugged it off as active imagination. Exiting the tunnel we as a group hung around and answered Petr’s questions but still I was drawn to the tunnel.

Steve asked me what I was feeling and I said I felt that something did not want me to leave. Taking two steps back in to the tunnel there was a significant temperature drop, Steve called John over who again concurred the difference. It was then that the freakiest thing happened to me.

John asked me to in my head ask how she died and he would write down what he got. In my head I saw a man dressed in black jump her and strangle her to death. When John asked me what I saw I told him strangulation, he then showed me his piece of paper with the word “CHOKE” on it. Of all the ways you could died, it puzzled me that they matched. All in all was a very eventful night for yours truly and the whole NAGS Team.

Notes from nAz:

This was my first investigation of the tunnel with NAGS & my first time at the tunnel at night. I’ve been to the tunnel before during the day, but never at night, so I was looking forward to it. Also a NAGS first, a newspaper reporter for the Niagara News, Petr C. joined us.

As we were walking to the Tunnel, 3 people joined up. They didn’t have flashlights, so we showed them the way. As we got down the hill to the tunnel, several other people were coming the other way to the tunnel, so we let both groups go through as to not interfere with our investigation. Like the Screaming Tunnel, people seem to think that something paranormal is going to happen just because they take a quick walkthrough…

After the sightseers left, we entered the tunnel. As a group, we got down the tunnel to the 8^th support truss. The tunnel after the 8^th truss is leaking water very badly. Time has finally taken it’s toll on the Tunnel.

As a group we turned off the lights and stood in a circle to start attempting communication with the spirit’s there. GhostBoy was calling on specific spirits. He attempted communication with the two fireman who perished because of the train collision outside of the tunnel and also called on the names of the spirit’s that Pauline Raby had determined to be there during his investigation for Shadows of Niagara.

While in this circle, we as a group, heard these loud “booms” that seemed to be coming from the tunnel. Some of these noises almost appeared “thunder” like. It was interesting.

During the circle, I noticed movement towards the entrance to the tunnel. It seemed like that movement was coming towards us. At one point I squatted down & felt something brush past me, between the wall and I. Kevin and several members of the group also heard what sounded like a girl crying and talking.

We moved further down the Tunnel towards the exit and started another circle. Again, we could hear voices.

After attempting to communicate with the spirits in the Tunnel in the second circle, GhostBoy stated we should split up into two teams. GhostBoy and Dr. Gord went back to the original location, while Kevin, Makeajazznoise, Petr and I went closer to the entrance. Near the entrance I distinctly noted the presence of a spirit and started asking questions. Here is where I got an evp of a spirit answering me.

Kevin, Makeajazznoise & Petr exited the tunnel while I went to check on Dr. Gord & GhostBoy.

Upon joining GhostBoy & Dr. Gord, I could feel cold spots right in front of Dr.Gord. I was actually able for the first time, pick up a name of a spirit. I got the name “Margaret”. Also, while I was holding the recorder, I could see movement around it! I t was almost like my hand & the red light from the recorder was blinking on & off.

After we left the Tunnel, I noticed Dr. Gord standing just a couple of feet inside holding his hand out and snapping pictures with the other. I joined him and immediately noticed cold spots infront of Dr. Gord and myself. I called GhostBoy over to help investigate. He asked us both to ask the spirit how it died. At the same time, I got this strong impression that the spirits were detained or held against their will in the Tunnel itself. I was shocked! When GhostBoy asked us to ask the spirit that question, I couldn’t answer but Dr.Gord answered choked.  It was then that GhostBoy showed Dr. Gord his notes and they confirmed with each other “strangulation”.

Why are these spirit’s in the Tunnel? There is nothing on record (that we know of) of deaths inside the Tunnel. Why did GhostBoy and I both get the feeling at different times that they (spirit’s) are being contained in the tunnel? This is something worth checking into in the future. Hopefully we’ll solve the puzzle before the deterioration of the Tunnel is complete.

Notes from David:

Well. it was our first visit with the current group of N.A.G.S. team members to the B.G.T. I have been to this locale numerous times with various combinations of people... but this was the first time I went on a proper investigation. This was at the request of Petr Cichacek, a writer for a local newspaper, who wishes to write a story on the tunnel. Most of our current team members, myself included, have stated that prior visits lacked any significant paranormal events. I thank Petr for requesting we do this, as we had kind of disregarded the B.G.T. as a team... and the night turned into yet another noteworthy N.A.G.S. outing.

We arrived at the Grand Trunk Railway tunnel at approximately 9pm, amongst two other groups on their way into to tunnel. The N.A.G.S. team and Petr hung back and allowed the other groups to proceed which gave us a chance to advise Petr a little of what our group does and on the history of the tunnel. Once we proceeded into the tunnel it completely dark outside. We entered with magnetic tape recorders, digital cameras, an electro-magnetic field detector and notepads. The EMF detector went off a lot on this night, and all of us captured EVPs as well. I have seen at least one interesting picture from this night, and since I didn't have a camera with me on this night I'm eager to see the investigation pictures myself!

Sad but true...the tunnels decay is more apparent with every visit, it doesn't appear it will last another year. The instability of the ceiling kept us from going all the way in. We would have needed rubber boots and rain jackets/hoods. We gathered as a group and attempted to make contact about halfway in... after backing up from the noise of the water closer to the end. If any EVPs were to be captured on this night we had to step back.

During our session I audibly heard distant voices. They were unclear, but they were in time to our attempts to communicate. I felt a cold tingling sensation on my right arm and right side of my neck at one point... but otherwise I personally had no other contact to report from this evening. I do know that others had more intimate contacts on this night, and I look forward to reading the others' reports... as well as Petr's article in the Niagara News.

Note from Kevin:

I have to admit this was one of my most rewarding trips to the tunnel. I have been on several occasions in the past, during the day, night, winter, and I have experienced minimal paranormal activity.

The N.A.G.S. team, with granted permission and armed with signed waivers from the St. Lawrence Seaway escorted reporter Petr C. a reporter from the Niagara News Thorold edition to the well known Blue Ghost Tunnel aka Grand Trunk Railway Tunnel.

Once we got all of our equipment organized and the tunnel was clear of other visitors, we all trekked in as a team. We made it up to the area where the water leaks from the roof, and decided that the noise of the water would compromise any EVPs that may be caught on tape, so it was decided to move closer to the West entrance, just far enough away so the water wouldn't be a problem.

We formed a circle, and right away heard a loud rumbling, almost sounding like thunder; this repeated a couple times, I personally don't have an explanation for this. Once we turned of all our lights, John started asking questions, trying to get some spirit activity to contact us. John and I both hear foot steps in the distance on the wood floor, closer to the water, I asked if whatever was there could move closer, and hear the mumbles of what sounded like a young girl. John and I asked questions back and forth, David and nAz also tossed in some questions. What got my attention the most was the sound of crying from this young female, and as soon as I heard that, John asked the question, “Why are you sad” this leads me to believe that we both heard the same thing.

After a few more moments, the teams split up. David, nAz, Petr, and I headed toward the West Entrance, stopped for a few more moments of recording and headed out of the tunnel to discuss things with Petr.

Gord and John headed towards the East Entrance and as you can see by Gord and John’s notes, it was very eventful.

Note that both Gord Westwater and David Horhota were very skeptical about the paranormal and were often our voice of reason. Kevin Valencourt also felt that our trip to the BGT was rewarding and re-evaluated his previous experiences there.

The Blue Ghost Tunnel was visited by members of NAGS throughout the summer of 2005 and continued to produce some interesting results.

That same year an ex-member of NAGS, GhostDave suggested that he would seal the tunnel off to prevent anyone from visiting, however, Seaway Authority employees began work shortly before Halloween without the help of GhostDave (even though he claimed to have done the work). GhostDave was a self-proclaimed skeptic with no interest other than the historical aspect of the tunnel, and he was usually online stirring the pot and saying he was going to seal the tunnel once and for all. The sealing of the tunnel began with the West Entrance using cinder-block and mortar. The efforts to protect the tunnel actually defaced and destroyed the entrance of the tunnel as the cinder-block bricks were mashed into the tunnel walls and held together with a concrete mix that oozed out. Many were furious that someone had blocked up the tunnel and without delay, the next day of its announcement of being sealed, someone took a sludge-hammer and bashed an entire section out allowing access to the tunnel.

Some time later, the iron door was opened as the lock was cut and discarded and again, someone had bashed a new hole in the cinder-blocks and created a new entrance. And with a fear that someone would eventually seal the tunnel away in a proper manner, many more individuals, who postponed a visit, made their way down. On some nights there were as many as sixty or seventy people inside the tunnel and the entire grounds and tunnel became full of garbage, used condoms, hazardous needles and the walls were spray painted to a point where the tunnel looked pathetic. Individuals seriously considering doing a paranormal investigation were disenchanted. It was simply impossible.

GhostDave, who was expelled from the NAGS group months before his undertaking as an imaginary mason, decided to keep a low profile but then emerged and cried foul of his ousting to other paranormal groups, stating that members of NAGS had “fired” him because he believed The Blue Ghost Tunnel was not haunted. In fact, he was ousted from the NAGS group, not for being of a skeptical mind, but for driving to and arriving at residences we were investigating intoxicated. If this behaviour did not warrant terminating him, he then began befriending and acting strangely around the residences' children causing immediate concern. GhostDave has since faded from the paranormal community and his interest in the historical aspect of the tunnel abandoned.

The NAGS group visited the tunnel throughout the year, either as a group, as individuals, or in small get-togethers. Each time, the tunnel produced results and we were convinced that the tunnel was haunted. As a paranormal group however, NAGS dissolved shortly thereafter and the Blue Ghost Tunnel endeavor was abandoned.

Kevin Valencourt continues his interest in history, exploration and photography. Gord Westwater and Stephan Willett have continued investigating the paranormal with the group The Shadows Project. David Horhota maintains a strong friendship. As for myself, I continue to investigate haunted locations across Canada and the United States and occasionally revisit old haunts like the Blue Ghost Tunnel. 

The Blue Ghost Tunnel: Making of a Legend Schizophrenia

Blue Ghost Tunnel Schizophrenia

After the airing of the BGT segment on Creepy Canada, the tunnel became a tourist attraction with car loads of teens, families with small children and investigators as far away as Germany exploring the tunnel on a nightly basis. However, there are two people who shaped the BGT legend more than any others visiting the tunnel in the early days.

The first was a self-appointed “Ghosthunter” who frequented haunted locations across Niagara, but concentrated on Port Colborne and Fort Erie, Ontario. I met Mark “The Ghosthunter” at the tunnel one night where he was performing a “satanic ritual”. I've never witnessed a satanic ritual, but I got the impression that things weren't going the way they were supposed to when I saw a few dollar store candles and a few upside-down crucifixes, along with a man in his 50s sporting a scruffy, untrimmed beard and a flashlight chanting, or rather mumbling, magic words. After his ritual, nothing extraordinary happened.

Apparently, this “Ghosthunter” was opening a portal to hell, that he found under the 2 feet of water near the East-end of the tunnel. According to the “Ghosthunter” there was evil in the tunnel, and the only way to free the spirits was to open a portal and send the demons back. He didn't say if it worked out. The ritual ended without a flash, a bang, or acknowledgment. I kept my distance. Not from the presence of the portal, but from the sorcerer.

This same ghost hunter began telling his tales of evil inside the tunnel online on various message forums and spent days and nights at the tunnel trying to recruit members to his now defunct Yahoo! Group.

One person he did recruit was a Burlington, Ontario resident named Chad Irish. Chad's interest in the paranormal began when he attended a ghost walk conducted by Haunted Hamilton. Chad's interest in the paranormal grew and he soon suspected that Haunted Hamilton was simply a business, and not seriously interested in the paranormal. Feeling betrayed he looked to other sites on the Internet and befriended an investigating team called Hamilton Paranormal.

Here, he discovered The Blue Ghost Tunnel and quickly became obsessed with it. Driving daily from Burlington to Thorold, he would remain at the tunnel for hours, sometimes alone and other times with fellow investigators or people he befriended by chance at the tunnel.

At first, his discoveries were consistent with others visiting the tunnel: weird sounds, misty photos with orbs, etc. Each visit was the same as the last, so he began creating tales about the tunnel, the history and experiences.

Disillusioned with Haunted Hamilton, and the lack of investigating from Hamilton Paranormal, Chad began his own paranormal web site. He named it Haunted Tunnels and featured The BGT with updates regularly.

He said he befriended the original “discoverer” of the tunnel, Russ. However, Russ says he has no idea who Chad was, or is. Chad revealed that he explored the tunnel during the earlier days with Russ and again Russ' own accounts do not mention Chad whatsoever. Chad also suggested that Russ had burned his Ouija Board and ran away to Florida to hide from the ghosts of the tunnel, which apparently seduced and then raped him just before he made his escape to the holy-land of Tampa Bay.

Chad's focus was on the tunnel, but he needed to expand. Soon, he pretended to discover other tunnels around the BGT. He named one “The Devil's Tunnel” - and gave directions to a drainage tunnel near the BGT. He concocted a haunting and placed it on the Internet for the gullible to read:

“In 1978 a hooker by the name of Alice was doing her thing in the tunnel, screwing a GM worker, no doubt after a long shift. Well she didn’t get paid and then the guy sliced her neck open with a knife and stabbed her over 50 times! Both Alice and the dead guy haunt the tunnel. There is still a mattress in the tunnel that she used. Warning: don’t touch it.”

Next, he “discovered” caves near the Lakeview Cemetery. One was “The Creepy Cave” while another was christened “The Bat Cave”. The caves had once been accessible, but they had been filled in for safety reasons long before Chad knew of their existence. He kept their directions private on his web site because, well, the caves didn't really exist.

He also suggested that he found tunnels under the Welland Canal that are haunted as well. There are no other tunnels under the Welland Canal that were accessible, but Chad knew that in order to keep an audience he would need to keep adding haunted tunnels with ghost stories associated with them. These stories sometimes make their way into the fabric of the legend of The Blue Ghost Tunnel.

Growing in popularity, he needed to form a team. You've heard the expression before: There is no I in T-E-A-M. Well in Chad's world, there is. He had some lovely, well-endowed women on his team, along with a host of smart-looking men but none of them actually did exist. I am sure they did somewhere, as Chad lifted the images from the Internet and proceeded to make Team Member Profiles for each. Many fell ill or were away on business or vacationing each time he made a visit to the tunnel.

When members of NAGS questioned and exposed the none-existent haunted locations and fictitious Haunted Tunnel team members, Chad was furious and defaced the BGT in an attempt to anger the NAGS members.

Chad decided to change his online alias several times and was known as: Skully, GhostChad and Daddy-Long-Legs. This last one, he thought would be a hit with the ladies.

Chad's interest in the paranormal faded and he took down his web site in 2006. He has never made an attempt to visit the tunnel again.

Mark the Ghosthunter, however, is still lurking in the Niagara Region and is spreading more ridiculous lies. This time, he is concentrating on a historical cemetery in Thorold and visiting it with a crowbar (that glows!) in an attempt to banish the town of a vampire. I am not joking. I can't make this shit up.

The Blue Ghost Tunnel: Making of a Legend Review

 A review from the UK's Society for Psychical Research:

Reviewed for the SPR by: Tom Ruffles

The Merritton Tunnel, more dramatically known as the Blue Ghost Tunnel (BGT), is in the Niagara region of Southern Ontario.  It is often considered to be the most haunted place in Canada, and a considerable volume of myth and folklore has grown up around it.  Thanks to its reputation, enormous crowds have visited expecting paranormal activity, and the consequent necessity to separate facts from spurious accretions renders serious investigation difficult.

John Savoie has been researching the location for many years.  He traces its history from working tunnel through disuse to fame as a paranormal hot-spot, documenting the sad physical decline, natural decay abetted by vandalism; it is now considered a dangerous structure, one end is flooded and it has been fenced off.  It’s a complicated story, but the inclusion of a large number of photographs and maps helps to orient the reader unfamiliar with the saga or the topography.

The single-track tunnel, built to pass under a canal, opened in 1881 and closed in 1915, superseded by a double-track swing-bridge.  It was first investigated as a haunted site in the 1970s, but its reputation grew enormously from 1999, after a paranormal investigator coined the ‘Blue Ghost’ tag as a result of witnessing a “blue, fog-like apparition” – possibly his breath.  Despite a lack of experience (he was a teenager), he made bold claims for paranormal activity via the internet, which spread the BGT’s reputation much further and faster than would have happened in the old days, demonstrating the speed with which memes can circulate and mutate with very little in the way of decent evidence to support them.  We can see the narrative developing, and have a record of it.

What really seems to have made the BGT what it is today is an appearance on a paranormal TV show called Creepy Canada.   This boomed the location as “700 ft of Hell on Earth!” so it is not surprising that it attracted a certain set with fixed expectations.  Interest after the broadcast increased enormously via social networking sites, making the tunnel a victim of its own success.  Visiting the tunnel, which belongs to the Seaway Authority, necessitates trespassing, but this did not deter thrill-seekers.  How much serious psychical research went on is unclear and it became a magnet for partying youths as well as paranormal investigators possessing varying degrees of competence and contact with reality.

Not having much in the way of direct links to a paranormal aetiology itself, various tragedies in the area became associated with the tunnel, even if not directly related to it, creating a metaphorical black hole which sucked in those events to augment its reputation.  Added to such speculations were wild assertions that were patently overoptimistic, and occasionally faked.  Some ghost hunters were interested primarily in personal aggrandisement, preferring to focus more on potential media deals than in seeking the truth.

The BGT is thus a microcosm of all that is best and worst, but mostly worst, in paranormal research.  Savoie evaluates the various accounts that have accumulated around the BGT, considers whether there might be any truth in them, and looks at possible explanations for people’s experiences.  Apart perhaps from some dotting and crossing, it is unlikely that much of substance will be added to his study.  Clearly at some point the tunnel is going to collapse, but even then one suspects that the location will continue to exert a fascination, and attract further unreliable tales.