What's Your Favourite Ghost Story?
Spooky tales from The Amy Volume Show on KiSS 105.3. A mix of calls from listeners, text messages and Facebook comments all from people who’ve been visited by spirits. Some kind, some not so kind.
Like most of you, I’ve been watching The Haunting of Hill House on Netflix. I love a good ghost story, so I asked the question: “what’s your favourite ghost story”? It could be a television show, a movie, a legend or maybe a more personal experience.
As they say, ask and you shall receive…
The above audio is a collection of stories from The Amy Volume Show on KiSS 105.3 from October 19th, 2018.
More stories were shared via social media but due to privacy restrictions, I am unable to embed the original post. However, you can CLICK HERE to be taken to the thread filled with ghostly movie suggestions and personal tales, like these:
“One Halloween weekend at the cottage a group of us hired a medium to come and do our readings. During his last reading the medium looked out to the balcony and asked my friend ‘who is the man standing there looking at the roof with his hands on his hips’ I’m seeing an apparition! She said that’s the owner’s father who built the cottage, he was always inspecting the roof. The medium was so spooked that he left right away without saying goodbye to anyone!”
“I was living in a farm house east of the city and one night as I was about to fall asleep, with my eyes closed I saw a super bright light in front of me then as I tried to get up I felt pinned down. It happened twice. Needless to say I ended up leaving the lights and radio on all the time.” - Matt
"In the delivery room giving birth to my first child. The nurse that looked after me looked just like my Nanny who had passed away just before my daughter was born. The labor and delivery were difficult, and I had serious complications. The same nurse stayed by my side even in the delivery room and kept telling my husband and I everything will be alright. My daughter is born, and she was beautiful and healthy. We wanted to thank the nurse (who looked just like my nanny) for taking care of me and our baby. We asked staff members if we could speak to nurse Louise (my Nanny's name) and staff told us there was no Nurse Louise on the unit!"
"I have a scary story about me and my friend... [We went] to her cottage for the weekend and we were bored and found an unopened Ouija board, we started playing and it worked! We were really scared. There was a person we contacted... It was a girl and she was sixty-one and we were asking how she died… The pointer went straight to ‘goodbye’ and we kept hearing noises outside... It was a very scary experience." - Katie
“I was with my mother a few years ago at her house and we were having a conversation in her kitchen. My mother keeps her utensils in a jar on the counter, then one day when [we] were standing on the other side of the kitchen, her potato masher lifted out of the jar and flew across the room all on its own. It was SUPER creepy!” - Nina on Facebook
“An old apartment of mine in Kemptville is haunted. I lived there for over a year and I was getting really sick. I kept going to the doctors and had so many tests done. We couldn't figure out how or why I was throwing up, up to 15 times a day, sometimes more. Eventually I got fed up and went to a psychic. Turns out, I wasn't welcomed where I was living.
I have seen all my cupboards fly open. I was laying in bed once, no fan no window… Everything closed. And a little figure (child like) was coming out of my curtain from my closet, just standing like a child would wearing a sheet to be a ghost.
There were constant cold spots. My girlfriend and I were trying to film, in separate rooms, and we couldn't hear each other from 10 feet away. We were screaming and didn't hear one another. We watched the footage and we could hear everything, each other's yelling one another's name, saying come here, etc.
There were two or three suicides in that place and it got destroyed in one of the great fires of Kemptville. I moved out and I haven't been sick since…” - Chelsea on Facebook
“My husband is in the flooring business and has a lot of experience so he has people calling him all the time. This one time we got a call from a friend who needed some help. I couldn't get out of the car… I felt physically sick. I am quite sensitive. Hubby went and came back about 45 mins later. I didn't know his friend had told him something happened that night...
We go back the next day and I forced myself to go in. Huge mistake. I didn't see but I sensed things. One room a man had stabbed his wife to death and then hung himself. Moving along I came a smaller room where a baby died. Freaked out I went into the room where they were working and said I have to leave. They both look at me.
’Why? Are y'all crazy? How can you stay here?’
‘One of the previous owners wants you out he doesn't like that you are renovating his house. He tried to get you to leave last night.’
[Before leaving, I headed down to the basement] another bad mistake on my part. I felt a sense of cold at the top of the stairs. A flash of light from the corner freaked them out and when they turned and looked at me my very long hair was standing straight up. I walked over to a door and said never open it. And took off running I haven't been back and have to idea if they ever opened that door.” - Patti on Facebook
“There’s this place forty minutes outside of Pembroke called Buck Hill on Round Lake Road. I went there with friends one night and I saw the man; the story is his daughter was lost in a snow storm and he searches the bush looking for [her] and when he died, his ghost continues to look... It’s quite the story but I saw the light floating and then he was right outside my truck.”
Do you have a story to share? Contact me any time via e-mail, or join the conversation weekdays from 9AM to 2PM on KiSS 105.3 in Ottawa, Canada.
Instagram Live. Local. Morning Show Crossover.
Watch the video to find out what I have NEVER done that I’ve always wanted to do...
What’s something on your “Never Have I Ever” list??
Oh yeah, here’s what that sounded like on the radio:
Bluesfest 2018 wrap-up
I have had issues with Bluesfest in the past. Mostly just a rough run in with some security staff who poorly handled my request for assistance (as advised by police) RE: accessibility needs. It’s old news. I’ve learned from that run-in and I hope Bluesfest and their subcontracted workers have, too.
I did not attend the music festival last year so this time around, I didn’t want to miss out! Despite what happened in 2016, I 100% do not hold a grudge against what I consider to be one of the most fun times in Ottawa. I had to go.
Beck, Sturgill Simpson, The Strumbellas, M. Ward and the Foo Fighters (to name a few) were all top notch.
Lines were lengthy to get in but moved very quickly. I did not require assistance with the festival’s A-Team (accessibility volunteers) this year, though I have heard through a few friends that they were very helpful. This is obviously great news!
I also noticed that a few music lovers with accessibility challenges had some struggles with Bluesfest reps, which can be wildly soul sucking (I know). To this, I wonder if Bluesfest would be interested in partnering with a person or team who’d be willing to prearrange accommodations for individuals with unique needs to ensure everyone is able to enjoy this glorious festival. A liaison who connects with the individual or their care worker who can get their needs met or heard prior to the event in order to best judge whether or not a day at Lebreton is feasible.
One woman who’s story really hit me, was Katie. I saw Katie’s story unfold on Twitter. A stage 4 cancer patient desperate to see the Foo Fighters was allegedly told it wasn’t a good idea for her to attend as she could not be promised an accessible place to sit, nor access to her vehicle should she become overwhelmed or need medicine.
Another person who voiced her concerns via Twitter was a young woman named Samantha. Samantha, again, had very unique issues holding her back but she didn’t want to miss her favourite act, Greta Van Fleet. Luckily, she ended up being able to make it after making some contact with the group (via social media).
Many friends have reached out to me personally asking for guidance when it comes to Bluesfest’s accessibility. I never did get an apology or answers of any kind... I don’t need or really ever expect that. What satisfies me is hearing about the positive changes that have been made and are continuing to be made. I have faith that people want to help. No one wants to put other people down. Music is what unites us. It shouldn’t discriminate.
When a friend (who’s young son needs assistance getting around) asked me if I knew of any parking allowances or accessibility aids that might help her family have a carefree evening at Lebreton. I sent her some links but decided to go the extra mile to ask questions in person (of BF staff and War Museum reception, for on site parking).
I live close to the grounds and now, with my motorcycle, it is very easy to scoot somewhere and ask questions without really leaving the bike!
I spoke with two security members (same company from 2016) who were very understanding with my questions & why I was asking them. They said that the family could drive in through the gate to have their son (and a parent) dropped off in a non stressful way right by the front gates. They would have to do it pre-5pm as the roads close, but HEY! That’s something, right?
An accessible drop zone, that would be huge.
Absolutely huge.
For persons who do not have accounts with ParaTranspo (which can be tricky to set up, especially for just one event/outing), some understanding and cooperation with Bluesfest regarding a hassle free drop off/pick up zone would be incredibly helpful.
How do you ensure this area doesn’t get abused? A liaison working with the accessibly challenged AND the festival would have it all planned out ahead of time.
While I understand that many persons with accessibility issues have deeply unique and possibly intersecting ailments, I want to believe that what is being done to accommodate such individuals could go further. Some people will not be able to attend. I get it. Some people could attend, but need help planning their day/night out to ensure the best chance of success.
Let’s help everyone enjoy this great festival.
Furthermore, I helped myself out by buying one of these inflatable couch thingies which is very awkward and embarrassing to set up but once inflated, it provided hours of comfort and helped me rest up for maximum fun (and the walk home). If you have rheumatoid arthritis or an ailment that makes walking/standing hard, these inflatable thingies are super compact (when deflated), lightweight (less than 1kg) and very comfortable (the brand I got is Vansky). A newfound festival staple!
STANDOUT MEMORIES from this year: the additional toilets are great! Noticed heightened security and a larger police presence (IMO: also great) and Beck. Wow, Beck was gooooood.
Thanks for another year of big names playing in our backyard, Bluesfest. Til we meet again.
*July 15th: Originally posted from my phone, will likely undergo format editing to add more context and style.
**July 16th: Has been edited to include multimedia and direct links to sourced content.
Partake Brewing: the Best Non-Alcoholic Beer
Oh haaaaaay, this is an opinion piece - I'm sure you have your fave non-alc. drink and there are more and more options each day. This is a good thing! I'm 32! I can't handle hang-overs any more, yet my love of beer isn't going away... What to do, what to do?
After a particularly gnarly hangover, I decided to attempt a 'sober summer' and so far, so good. Thanks, in part, to non-alcoholic beer!
A huge shout out to Rockfest & Budweiser for selling frosty tall-cans of Prohibition brew at this year's festival. For some, abstaining from beer is very easy - just don't drink a beer! Right? Well, I don't want to drink 10 cokes at a music festival and I really, really like beer. In addition to h2O, it is super lovely to be able to grab what TASTES like a refreshing brewski (well, it tastes like a beer because it is... just a de-alcoholized one)!! I hope more music fests follow Rockfest & Budweiser's lead here... looking at you, Bluesfest!
I've had Prohibition, Grolsch's Non-Alcoholic Radler and Non-Alcoholic beer - and then I tried Partake...
Words cannot adequately describe the taste of Partake *hence the .gif* - you've simply GOTTA try it. This is the ONLY non-alcoholic brew I've tried that, taste-wise, could pass for a regular beer. At 0.26% and 10 calories per can, their IPA quickly became my Top Choice. I can't recommend their beer enough!
The company was started by Ted Flemming, an avid craft beer drinker from Toronto, who's surprise medical situation 'changed his focus'. After trying major market non-alcoholic beers, he decided to do his own thing... which meant, making his own non-alcoholic craft beer!
The company is working on a Stout, which will have 0.5% alcohol content (the highest a brew can have to be considered 'non-alcoholic' and a Lager, also 0.5%. Pictured below, you see their Pale brew which I've yet to track down in Ottawa!
Partake Brewing Non-Alcoholic IPA
Water, Barley, Hops, Yeast
Forest Blakk at KiSS: old lives, future hopes and how art brings light to dark places
An excerpt from FOREST BLAKK's official bio:
"He was born in Montreal and his early years were spent with his mother, who had Blakk at 17 and struggled with addiction, and his stepfather, a notorious drug dealer.
Blakk can tell you hair-raising tales of his childhood, including an assassination attempt on his father on the family’s front stoop, rooms full of cash, and moving around constantly... to evade child services when Blakk’s teachers in Canada discovered the physical abuse his father had inflicted on him."
Forest has been musically inclined since childhood, using an old Don Henley tune as a reprieve from the gloomy surroundings he was born into. He ran away from home at 13, and moved in with his grandmother at 15. She bought him his first guitar and will be seeing him play it, all these years later, to an arena crowd later this summer.
In a former life, Forest gained local success in a band but he didn't seem too interested in talking about that...
“Yeah, that’s the past. The past is the past. I think like all things, that was my elementary school [outlet]. Yeah, I had to learn. I paid my dues like I think a lot of artists do... but I hadn’t really found myself... I had to go from the caterpillar to the butterfly.”