+34
Seven Oaks House Museum is offering candlelight haunted tours of Winnipeg's oldest home, exploring the paranormal and history of the Inkster family property. The tours are led by author Matthew Komus and feature stories from the Winnipeg Paranormal Group.
Seven Oaks House Museum is offering candlelight haunted tours of Winnipeg's oldest home, giving visitors a chance to explore the grounds where John and Mary Inkster built their lives in the mid-1800s.
The tours take place as night sets over the city and focus on the paranormal history that has been talked about for decades. Tracey Turner, curator and manager of Seven Oaks House Museum, said the site has a vast history that has permeated the land and the walls of the home. The paranormal history of Seven Oaks House has been shared via stories and experienced for decades, if not longer.
The Inkster Family's Red River History
The Inkster family was an influential Scottish Métis family that was part of the Red River settlement. Mary was originally from Oxford House in northern Manitoba, while John was born in the Orkney Islands of Scotland. The couple married in 1826 and built their first home on the land in 1831, a small log farmhouse.
The farmhouse was eventually converted into a store after the family moved into the nearby Seven Oaks House, a Georgian style mansion built between 1851 and 1853. Turner said the Inksters were a powerful family who operated a windmill on their land, and John eventually became president of the steam mill company. They were very prominent in the Red River settlement, Turner said.
Their first house later became a store, the first store in Kildonan, providing access to trade goods and mail, postal services and more. Economically, they were a very important, powerful family. Matthew Komus, author of Haunted Winnipeg and Haunted Manitoba, is running the tours at Seven Oaks House. He said there are so many stories about the home and surrounding area that can be told because of how long it has existed in the province.
Deaths and the Battle of Seven Oaks
We know at least 12 people have died in the house, Komus said. It was not like there were any murders or anything like that, it was just the reality of an old house when people got sick. When people were older, they stayed at home, so it was far more likely to pass away at home. If an accident happened, there were no emergency services like today.
Even before the Inksters took over the property, the Battle of Seven Oaks happened not far from where the family eventually built their home, Komus said. He noted it was the largest armed battle in the province's history, with 21 people losing their lives in the fight. So right there, some pretty good reasons for paranormal stories. While these tours focus on the haunted aspect of the area, Komus said there is something for everyone.
For those who are more skeptical about ghost stories, he noted the history of the area still pulls people in and they learn aspects of the neighbourhood and city they did not previously know. For those who prefer hearing about what goes bump in the night, the tour can enthrall visitors in a way that is different than visiting during the day. The shadows are different, the lighting is different.
Inside Winnipeg Paranormal Investigations
When inside the house, it is all with candlelight, a very different effect than a typical visit to the museum or park. Kelly Smith and Ashley Barnes know firsthand some of the haunting experiences that can happen at Seven Oaks House. The pair are co-owners of the Winnipeg Paranormal Group, an organization that performs public and private paranormal investigations. We do have events where we show people our equipment and they get to use it, said Smith.
We show them how to use it and we go attend a place that is known to be haunted. Our main thing when we started out is still private investigations. If you have ever watched Ghost Hunters, that is more like what we do. We go into homes, we interview the people and we see if it warrants an investigation.
We are trying to find concrete evidence and we are also trying to give them peace of mind so that they can sleep at night in their home. Smith and Barnes said Seven Oaks House holds a special place in their hearts, as it was the location of their first public investigation. They have learned so much about the house during each investigation they have carried out. We always say history goes hand in hand with hauntings.
You cannot have one without the other, said Barnes. I have had my shirt pulled on by what I can only assume is a little child, just based off of where I was pulled. I have experienced headaches in Mary's room upstairs. We have a picture of what looks like an owl in the kitchen, but it is see-through, so you know, it is obviously not really there.
Manitoba's Hauntings and Historic Buildings
While Seven Oaks House is a focal point in Winnipeg for its paranormal atmosphere, Komus said the entire city and province of Manitoba offer so many opportunities to explore the otherworldly compared to other areas around Canada. The reason for this is twofold, according to Komus. Change happened quickly, going from only Indigenous people calling this part of the country home to settlers coming in and morphing Winnipeg into a major hub.
Winnipeg was the gateway to the west, he said. It goes from an area with a few fur trading forts to the third largest city in Canada in a very short amount of time. So that led to thousands of people coming and many of those people got sometimes caught up in scandals and crime and murder.
The other reason is many of the historic buildings that built Winnipeg up so quickly are still standing and in use, giving the paranormal world a place to thrive. The tours at Seven Oaks House Museum offer a unique way to experience this history and the paranormal stories that come with it.
CTVNews
CTVToronto:This story was compiled and edited by the HeadTopics newsroom and HT AI from the reports above.
Seven Oaks House Museum Haunted Tours Winnipeg Paranormal Inkster Family Candlelight Tours
Canada Latest News, Canada Headlines
Similar News: You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Winnipeg Jets consolidate team history with NHLThe Winnipeg Jets have consolidated their franchise history, including their first stint in Winnipeg from 1979-1996, their current era since returning in 2011, and their history as the Atlanta Thrashers.
Read more »
Winnipeg basketball referee’s sexual assault charges stayed, peace bond enteredA Winnipeg basketball referee accused of sexual offences involving three people has had the criminal charges against him stayed, on the condition that he stay away from them and refrain from officiating or coaching for one year.
Read more »
Winnipeg police reveal believed cause of 2024 house explosionPolice believe flammable gas was behind the 2024 explosion that levelled a home and significantly damaged others in Transcona.
Read more »