ID Magazine - October 29, 1998

by Anya Wassenberg

There is a St. Catharines Police Department "General Occurrence Report" dated February 10, 1970, that begins, "I attended this residence... While I was there, I witnessed some phenomenal occurrences which I have attached to this report."

"My only solution to these occurrences that (name is stricken out) has been inhabited by a spirit or 'Poltergeist.' This is a spirit which inhabits the body of a young child about to enter the phase of puberty."

The Report is marked "This item not for press." The attached papers contain his statement, including observation like, "At this time the chair that (name stricken out) was sitting on lifted abruptly about six inches off the floor, then slammed down again."

There are statements by three police officers over a period of February 6 to 12, 1970 that detail visits to a Church Street apartment where chairs and beds lifted themselves from the ground, and pictures and other objects flew around the room. Five officers witnessed "occurrences" along with neighbors and friends of the family.

It's not that the police were particularly gullible. When the woman involved described what was going on , one of the reporting officers writes, "Thinking she and her husband were mental, I was considering what action to take." The following day, he records "For no apparent reason a small picture fell from the wall and landed on the oldest child's head. A minute or so later, a table lamp in the bedroom fell over and a large heavy chest of drawers moved from the wall and back again and a chair in the opposite corner was heaved up in the air and slammed forcefully to the floor. These things were witnessed by all present."

The family involved didn't want the publicity, and there was no formal press release at the time. (Now, such documents are available under the Freedom of Information Act, although words and passages may be blacked out.) It's an experience the reporting officers will never forget.

"I interviewed the police (officers) 25 years later," says Rob McConnell, host and executive producer of 610 CKTB AM's The 'X' Zone Radio Show. "You could still hear the fear, the disbelief."

The 'X' Zone is a paranormal radio show, and airs throughout Southern Ontario to Ottawa, and New York State. CKTB's home is the Merritt House at Yates and St. Paul Street in St. Catharines. The old white mansion is known to be inhabited by three or more ghosts, as verified by visiting psychics. The ghosts are common knowledge among staff of CKTB and its sister station 97.7 FM. Overnight staff are said to hear footsteps and doors closing; lights will go on and off for no apparent reason. One of the ghosts is Mary, a cleaning lady who lived on the third floor of the mansion.

"They say at night, if you stand at the bottom of the stairs, you can see her outline at the top," says Administrative Assistant Michelle Jane.

The Olde Angel Inn in Niagara-on-the-Lake is said to be haunted by the ghost of Captain Colin Swayze, and has been seen by staff in recent years. The legend goes that the Canadian militiaman snuck away for one final rendez-vous with his girlfriend, a barmaid at the Inn, before going into battle. He was accidentally killed in the cellar by the invading American troops, as he hid behind a barrel. His spirit is said to be harmless as long as it's the Union Jack flying over the Inn - but strange things are known to go on if a "foreign" flag goes up.

McConnell describes an incident that happened when he and one other person were behind the main group on a recent "ghost" tour of Fort George. "When we were passing the barracks, we heard a woman singing and we knew no one was there."

Why does it appear that the Niagara Peninsula has more than its fair share of ghosts and other paranormal phenomena? Although it seems far from living memory now, the upheaval of the American Revolution brought an influx of refugees. The bloody battles of the War of 1812 made the border area turbulent and unstable. American soldiers occupied Niagara-on-the-Lake for six months in1813, burning most of it down during their retreat.

"There's a lot of grief, a lot of pain and suffering in this area," McConnell says. "It's been imprinted in time."

Listeners bring him stories of monsters in Lake Erie and Ontario, and alleged alien encounters by the dozens. McConnell says the show averages 300 - 400 e-mail per day. "We put people in touch with experts, or some one who can help," he explains.

Counted among the experts are those like American Dr. Roger Leir, who is purported to have extracted eight alleged alien implants from people claiming to have been abducted. McConnell lists doctorates among his sources.

With the wild success of '"alien positive" shows like the X-Files and a current crop of witch-themed movies and TV series, it's no secret that interest in the paranormal subjects has burgeoned in recent years.

"Society is opening up more," McConnell acknowledges, and cites the popularity of alternative medicines as evidence. "Seventy percent of Americans believe in UFOs. Of the 70 percent, 40 percent believe they have been abducted."

Once a week, the show is simulcast with DJ Clyde Lewis out of Salt Lake City, Utah. Rob McConnell himself is recognized as an authority on the paranormal. The 'X' Zone, along with the owner of The Flying Saucer Restaurant in Niagara Falls, is offering $1 million to anyone with proof of an extraterrestrial vehicle. McConnell says many entries have been received. The evidence provided is sent to both a private and federal government lab for testing, and the results will have to convince 15 people on the show's Board of Directors. "We figure it will take about two years to compile all the evidence," he says.

Clearly, Rob McConnell is a believer. "Are aliens here?" he asks. "Yes, they always have been. Do I believe in ghosts? Absolutely."

Still, he doesn't give the impression of being particularly naive or gullible. He debunks many of the alleged paranormal phenomena made popular in the media.

"We know that the Amityville Horror never happened," he states. "It was a real estate deal gone bad. It was a way of getting rid of the property."

In recent years, many UFO sightings can be attributed to testing of the then Top Secret F-117 (or Stealth) Bomber. "Roswell never happened," he states flatly. "Fifty years later (there's) not one shred of proof."

He does believe that all the false reporting has a darker and more damaging side. "It hurts the person who has the real encounter," he says. "To the people who are having these experiences, it's very real."

The BBC sent a film crew to tape a special on The 'X' Zone in 1998. It's hard to say just exactly how many people listen in. But, there are indications. "We announce free psychic readings on the air and the lines are jammed - and they stay jammed."

For a man as obviously fascinated by the paranormal as McConnell, the Niagara Region seems just the right place.

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