Legendary haunted house ready to be explored in Oakville

There wasn’t even a moment of hesitation when Wendy Belcher was asked, What’s the most haunted house in Oakville?

“The Erchless Estate, easily.”

Belcher is an expert on Oakville haunted houses, and local history, as a guide on the popular downtown Ghost Walks run by the Oakville Historical Society.

Now a museum, the Erchless Estate was the long-time home of the Chisholm family in Oakville.

“Rebecca Chisholm is still there, along with her dedicated butler,” said Belcher. “People who work there swear they can hear two little girls whispering ‘they’re coming’ whenever one of the tours stop by.

“When people first start working there, they don’t believe it’s haunted. After a couple of months, most change their minds.”

Belcher so enjoyed her first Ghost Walk as a visitor that she decided to volunteer. The following year, she was a full-fledged guide. And she’s had a couple of close encounters of her own.

“I’ve never actually seen a ghost, but I believe in them. One time when we stopped with a tour group there was a flash from inside the house, like someone was taking a picture. But there was no one in the place at the time.”

Another time, every light in the place came on. When she contacted the Town of Oakville, they said, “maybe the cleaners came early.”

“But there were no cars in the parking lot.”

Belcher is one of a half-dozen or so guides who lead the popular walking tours of about 20 places in the downtown area.

They’ve become so popular that even some of the people who live near where the tour stops help by lending some ambience, flicking lights or dressing as ghosts and moving past second-storey windows.

The goal of the family-friendly walks isn’t to scare people, of course, at least not too much, but to educate them about the history of the town and give a sense of what it was like to live there around the 1850s.

Hour-long tours begin on Oct. 15 and run twice daily, at 6:30 and 8 p.m. It goes every day except Sundays and the final day is Wednesday, Oct. 30. Actually conducting them on Halloween might just be tempting fate a little too much.

The cost is $15 for adults and $8 for kids 12 and under. Groups are capped at 15 people and you have to book a spot in advance. All walks will begin and end at the Oakville Historical Society, located at 110 King St.

“The tours have become so popular that special arrangements can be made for daytime bus tours. There’s even a travelling presentation that makes visits to retirement homes and long-term care facilities.”

The Erchless Estate, Oakville’s most haunted place.