Podcasts about Banff Springs Hotel

Got some scary places to tell you about. Fort French Cove, Isle of Demons, Banff Springs Hotel. ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

On this episode, Tony Brueski digs into the enigmatic history of the Banff Springs Hotel, famously dubbed the "Castle in the Rockies." We'll explore its architectural evolution from its 1888 inception to the grand structure it is today. Delving into the legends that shroud this historic hotel, we'll uncover tales of the tragic Ghost Bride, the ever-helpful spirit of Sam the Bellman, and the mysteries surrounding the sealed Room 873.  Join us as we navigate through eyewitness accounts, historical records, and expert insights to separate fact from folklore.  Whether you're a skeptic or a believer, this episode promises to challenge your perceptions and perhaps make you reconsider what goes bump in the night at the Banff Springs Hotel.

On this episode, Tony Brueski digs into the enigmatic history of the Banff Springs Hotel, famously dubbed the "Castle in the Rockies." We'll explore its architectural evolution from its 1888 inception to the grand structure it is today. Delving into the legends that shroud this historic hotel, we'll uncover tales of the tragic Ghost Bride, the ever-helpful spirit of Sam the Bellman, and the mysteries surrounding the sealed Room 873.  Join us as we navigate through eyewitness accounts, historical records, and expert insights to separate fact from folklore.  Whether you're a skeptic or a believer, this episode promises to challenge your perceptions and perhaps make you reconsider what goes bump in the night at the Banff Springs Hotel.

After the infamous Kansas City Massacre, reports of Frank Nash's ghost haunting Union Station keep the memory of his violent end alive.Darkness Syndicate members get the ad-free version. https://weirddarkness.com/syndicateInfo on the next LIVE SCREAM event. https://weirddarkness.com/LiveScreamInfo on the next WEIRDO WATCH PARTY event. https://weirddarkness.com/TVIN THIS EPISODE: One of paranormal history's most bizarre, worldwide, phenomena, the Men In Black, traces its origin directly back to one man, and his name was Albert. (The Albert K. Bender Story) *** Daryl Collins' encounters demonstrate the sheer level of weirdness that surrounds the UFO phenomenon. (Alien Abductions and High Strangeness) *** A young girl sees an odd cube shape floating in her back yard among the trees. Was it extraterrestrial, paranormal, or just the wild imagination of a child? (Floating Multi-Color Box) *** What began as a joke to tease his sister, became all too real for the boy. (Ouija) *** Legend has it that a man murdered his wife and young daughter, before committing suicide. Has this caused the Banff Springs Hotel to become haunted? (Room 873) *** Frank Nash was not only an infamous outlaw, but he could escape just about any prison – even the prison of his own coffin after being dead and buried. (The Kansas City Massacre) *** Due to a murderous plot, 11-year old Terry Jo Duperrault spent 84 grueling hours alone at sea until she was rescued. (Orphaned At Sea) *** Moving into your own place alone for the first time is often an exciting moment in a young adult's life – but it can also be a bit nerve-racking. But then, it probably doesn't help if you move into a place that is haunted. (My Closet Door) *** The true story of Rasputin is full of both truths and lies. Was he a controversial mystic with healing powers, or an evil or misunderstood man? Maybe he was a little of both. (Rasputin) *** The Lake Club in Springfield, Illinois had its heyday in 1940s and 50s – and not even a lingering ghost could stop the parties. (The Lake Club Ghost)CHAPTERS & TIME STAMPS (All Times Approximate)…00:00:00.000 = Disclaimer and Cold Open00:02:35.992 = Show Intro00:05:36.106 = The Kansas City Massacre00:28:37.930 = The Ghosts of Room 87300:33:10.837 = Alien Abductions and High Strangeness00:38:32.364 = Albert K. Bender and The Men In Black00:54:49.573 = Floating Multi-Colored Box00:56:39.298 = Ouija (from a Weird Darkness listener)00:58:23.977 = The Lake Club Ghost (prelude)00:59:43.091 = The Lake Club Ghost (story)01:17:25.081 = Rasputin01:27:14.406 = My Closet Door01:33:09.733 = Orphaned at Sea01:38:27.845 = Show CloseSOURCES AND REFERENCES FROM THE EPISODE…“Alien Abductions and High Strangeness” by Nick Redfern for Mysterious Universe: http://bit.ly/2LlDcZZ“Albert K. Bender and the Men In Black” by Michael J. Bielawa from Bridgeport Library: http://bit.ly/33Q3VEl“Floating Multi-Color Box” by Keileigh Mather for PhantomsAndMonsters.com: http://bit.ly/2DKQJ9r“Ouija” by Juan Guzzman.. submitted directly to Weird Darkness“The Ghosts of Room 873” by Jessica Ferri for The Line Up: http://bit.ly/33IH1ih“The Kansas City Massacre” by Troy Taylor for American Hauntings Ink: http://bit.ly/34P0hfn“The Lake Club Ghost” by Troy Taylor for American Hauntings Ink: http://bit.ly/2rOEG8q“Orphaned at Sea” by Gabe Paoletti for All That's Interesting: http://bit.ly/33LIhBd“My Closet Door” posted at YourGhostStories.com: http://bit.ly/2DMt884“Rasputin” by Ellen Lloyd for Ancient Pages: http://bit.ly/2rW5eUZWeird Darkness theme by Alibi Music Library. = = = = =(Over time links seen above may become invalid, disappear, or have different content. I always make sure to give authors credit for the material I use whenever possible. If I somehow overlooked doing so for a story, or if a credit is incorrect, please let me know and I will rectify it in these show notes immediately. Some links included above may benefit me financially through qualifying purchases.)= = = = ="I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness." — John 12:46= = = = =WeirdDarkness® is a registered trademark. Copyright ©2025, Weird Darkness.= = = = =Originally aired: August 13, 2018SOURCES PAGE: https://weirddarkness.com/KCFrankNashTRANSCRIPT: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/2p85aeva

This week we get into the holiday spirit! Savannah dives into the history of Christmas ghost stories and Taylor talks about the ghosts at the haunted Banff Springs Hotel. Email us your stories!!! or if you want to sponsor us ;)  Email - ⁠⁠⁠mysteriesmythslegends@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠  ESTY: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.etsy.com/shop/LuxieandLuna?ref=simple-shop-header-name&listing_id=826447453⁠⁠⁠  We post pictures of our stories every week on instagram!!!! FOLLOW US ON SOCIALS:  Tiktok: @myths_podcast  Instagram: @myths_podcast  Twitter: @myths_podcast  Taylor's Instagram: @teeelive  Taylor's Twitter: @teeelive  Savannah's Instagram: @kavannahaha  Savannah's Twitter: @sanna_sunshine  --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mysteriesmythsandlegends/support

This week, I talk with Susan Walter about her new skiing related thriller Running Cold.  We dive into how the Banff Springs Hotel felt like it deserved a murder mystery, Susan's own love for skiing, and how she manages so many POVs.Running Cold SynopsisJulie Adler's perfect facade is shattered by grief when her husband commits suicide. His death reveals that their luxurious California life was a house of cards, and his secret business dealings have left Julie penniless.As she strikes out on her own, Julie feels drawn to her old stomping grounds in Banff, a charming and isolated ski town where she once trained for the Olympics. She finds work as a housekeeper at a luxury resort, but just as she starts to piece together a new life, an eccentric guest turns up dead. And Julie, the last person seen in her hotel room, is the prime suspect.The evidence is stacked against her, but even in the encroaching blizzard, Julie knows her way around these mountains. She just needs to evade the police long enough to find the truth behind the murder…and before the real killer finds her first.

The Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel in Alberta, Canada has a rich history that has developed since it first opened to the public in 1888. In its 136 years of operations, it has been a vacation spot for millions of people, including celebrities and royalty, but it has also seen tragedy that has led to paranormal experiences for many today. This is the story of the Banff Springs Hotel Hauntings. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hey Boos, join us today as we discuss the ghosts of Banff Springs Hotel in Alberta, Canada! Before we get into that, Brooke and Bobby discuss the new movie The First Omen. Then we get into the history of the hotel, the ghost stories, and a Reddit post we found that possibly debunks all claims. For our Boo Crew Moment of the Week, Bobby shares a story about a spooky neighbor. We would love to interact with you, shoot us an email or DM us on Instagram or Facebook. Follow us on Instagram - boo.busters.podcast Follow us on Facebook - Boo Busters Podcast Follow us on TikTok - Boo Busters Email us - boo.busters.podcast@gmail.com --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/boo-busters/support

Jerry & Tracy discuss the very haunted Banff Springs Hotel in Alberta, Canada. Hear about the infamous Ghost Bride, Sam the Bellman and of course the missing room 873.

In this episode Beaker and Ghosty talk about this haunted hotel in Alberta Canada. There are known ghosts and new stories from former employees.  Have an interesting story to share? Please tell us about it, email: evp.pod@gmail.com Follow us on social media (@evp.pod) and check out all the ways to listen and watch the podcast:  https://linktr.ee/evp.pod Looking for the best shop to find paranormal investigating equipment, check out Ghost Stop:  https://ghoststop.com/?rfsn=6873776.882712

IN THIS EPISODE: One of paranormal history's most bizarre, worldwide, phenomena, the Men In Black, traces its origin directly back to one man, and his name was Albert. (The Albert K. Bender Story) *** Daryl Collins' encounters demonstrate the sheer level of weirdness that surrounds the UFO phenomenon. (Alien Abductions and High Strangeness) *** A young girl sees an odd cube shape floating in her back yard among the trees. Was it extraterrestrial, paranormal, or just the wild imagination of a child? (Floating Multi-Color Box) *** What began as a joke to tease his sister, became all too real for the boy. (Ouija) *** Legend has it that a man murdered his wife and young daughter, before committing suicide. Has this caused the Banff Springs Hotel to become haunted? (Room 873) *** Frank Nash was not only an infamous outlaw, but he could escape just about any prison – even the prison of his own coffin after being dead and buried. (The Kansas City Massacre) *** Due to a murderous plot, 11-year old Terry Jo Duperrault spent 84 grueling hours alone at sea until she was rescued. (Orphaned At Sea) *** Moving into your own place alone for the first time is often an exciting moment in a young adult's life – but it can also be a bit nerve-racking. But then, it probably doesn't help if you move into a place that is haunted. (My Closet Door) *** The true story of Rasputin is full of both truths and lies. Was he a controversial mystic with healing powers, or an evil or misunderstood man? Maybe he was a little of both. (Rasputin) *** The Lake Club in Springfield, Illinois had its heyday in 1940s and 50s – and not even a lingering ghost could stop the parties. (The Lake Club Ghost)SOURCES AND REFERENCES FROM THE EPISODE…“Alien Abductions and High Strangeness” by Nick Redfern for Mysterious Universe: http://bit.ly/2LlDcZZ“The Albert K. Bender Story” by Michael J. Bielawa from Bridgeport Library: http://bit.ly/33Q3VEl“Floating Multi-Color Box” by Keileigh Mather for PhantomsAndMonsters.com: http://bit.ly/2DKQJ9r“Ouija” by Juan Guzzman.. submitted directly to Weird Darkness“Room 873” by Jessica Ferri for The Line Up: http://bit.ly/33IH1ih“The Kansas City Massacre” by Troy Taylor for American Hauntings Ink: http://bit.ly/34P0hfn“The Lake Club Ghost” by Troy Taylor for American Hauntings Ink: http://bit.ly/2rOEG8q“Orphaned at Sea” by Gabe Paoletti for All That's Interesting: http://bit.ly/33LIhBd“My Closet Door” posted at YourGhostStories.com: http://bit.ly/2DMt884“Rasputin” by Ellen Lloyd for Ancient Pages: http://bit.ly/2rW5eUZWeird Darkness theme by Alibi Music Library. = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =Check out all of my podcasts - “Auditory Anthology”, “Retro Radio: Old Time Radio In The Dark”, “Church of the Undead”, “Micro Terrors”, “Weird Darkness”, and more by clicking on “EPISODES” at https://WeirdDarkness.com!= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =(Over time links seen above may become invalid, disappear, or have different content. I always make sure to give authors credit for the material I use whenever possible. If I somehow overlooked doing so for a story, or if a credit is incorrect, please let me know and I will rectify it in these show notes immediately. Some links included above may benefit me financially through qualifying purchases.)= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = ="I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness." — John 12:46= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =WeirdDarkness® is a registered trademark. Copyright ©2024, Weird Darkness.= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =Originally aired: August 13, 2018CUSTOM WEBPAGE: https://weirddarkness.com/albert-bender-and-the-men-in-black/

Hey! We're back in the groove of weekly episodes! This week we are discussing Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel in Alberta, Canada. We have a eternally helpful bellhop, burning bride, and a mysterious room in the hotels lore. But what about the history? Jennifer will set us straight and maybe Reddit will help too.We'd appreciate it if you took a moment to help our podcast by rating and reviewing on apple and NOW on Spotify! Don't forget to check our show notes for our social links! Definitely check out our Instagram (@hauntedorhoaxpod). We post all photos and videos talked about in the show there!Haunted or Hoax Social Medias:WebsiteInstagramTwitterFacebookSources for this Episode:TELEVISION & MEDIA: WEBSITES:https://www.historichotels.org/hotels-resorts/fairmont-banff-springs/ghoststories.phphttps://www.reddit.com/r/Banff/comments/lfv0yl/is_the_fairmont_banff_springs_hotel_actually/https://thelittlehouseofhorrors.com/the-fairmont-banff-springs-hotel/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banff_Springs_Hotel  

The Banff Springs Hotel - Located in Alberta, Canada, this majestic hotel nestled in the Canadian Rockies has over 100 years of ghostly history. Discover more TERRIFYING podcasts at http://eeriecast.com/ Follow Carman Carrion!  https://www.facebook.com/carman.carrion.9/ https://www.instagram.com/carmancarrion/?hl=en https://twitter.com/CarmanCarrion Subscribe to Spotify! https://open.spotify.com/show/0uiX155WEJnN7QVRfo3aQY Please Review Us on iTunes! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/freaky-folklore/id1550361184 Music and sound effects used in the Destination Terror Podcast have or may have been provided/created by:  CO.AG: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcavSftXHgxLBWwLDm_bNvA Myuu: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCiSKnkKCKAQVxMUWpZQobuQ Jinglepunks: https://jinglepunks.com/ Epidemic Sound: https://www.epidemicsound.com/ Kevin MacLeod: http://incompetech.com/ Dark Music: https://soundcloud.com/darknessprevailspodcast Soundstripe: https://app.so Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The infamous ghosts of one of the most haunted hotels in the world!  Two resident ghosts, one featured on a stamp… all shadowed by a supposed disappearing room.  This is quite the haunt.  And, the lesser known, but historically amazing Marr Residence of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.  How it connects to a Metis resistance, and the death of famed Leader, Louis Riel. --- Comment and read articles at www.ghostwalks.com CONTACT FORM

Join Lisa Morton as she explores yet another fascinating location this week's Ghost Report. This week's feature is the historic Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel in Canada. Learn about the different ghosts that haunt the hotel, including the helpful bellhop Sam Macaulay, the tragic bride who met her demise on the grand staircase, and the chilling tale of a murder-suicide in room 873. This old hotel, often compared to the Overlook and Stanley hotels, is chock-full of ghostly lore and spectral inhabitants. It's one of the most exciting ghost stories from the Great North of Canada. Tune in next week for more paranormal tales!

Welcome back to the Avery After Dark Podcast! I am excited to share that the show just hit 1 MILLION LISTENS! I want to say thank you to all who tune in every week & support the podcast! For this very special episode — I have a little bit of everything for you. 4 different stories, 1 episode First up, a chilling Halloween disappearance that has baffled investigators for over 20 years. Next, a mysterious fire, a missing daughter & a remarkable case of mothers intuition. After that, we are talking about the haunting of the Biltmore Estate in North Carolina. And lastly, the ghosts of the beautiful Banff Springs Hotel in Canada Watch this podcast episode! Click HERE to check it out & subscribe to the Avery After Dark Youtube Channel, friends! Business Inquires | averyannross@gmail.com Want this episode EARLY & AD FREE? Join the PATREON for only $3 dollars a month! Make sure you are following along for all the latest! TIKTOK INSTAGRAM FACEBOOK

On this episode of MITM, Laura and Aaron jump into telling stories of several haunted places around the world.  The hauntings range from spooky, tragic and lighthearted.   Aaron covers St. Augustine Lighthouse, Bonaventure Cemetery and Larnach Castle.   Laura covers Aokigahara Suicide Forest, Banff Springs Hotel and Xunantunich Belize. *Trigger* warning for this episode, the subject of suicide is discussed at time stamp 10:40 until 20:10* skip ahead if you need to! Dial 988 to reach the national suicide and crisis lifeline.    Email us your true paranormal story! midnight_inthemountains@yahoo.com Please Like, Share, Rate & Review the podcast. Thank you for listening! https://www.instagram.com/midnight_inthemountains/ https://www.midnightinthemountains.com/

Venture deep into the heart of the Canadian Rockies as Jethro explores the legendary haunted halls of the Banff Springs Hotel. Nestled amidst the breathtaking beauty of Banff National Park, this majestic hotel hides a dark secret. With its ghostly apparitions, unexplained phenomena, and history steeped in mystery, the Banff Springs Hotel has earned its reputation as one of the most haunted places in North America. JG takes a chilling tour of its eerie history, sharing spine-tingling stories of ghostly encounters that will send shivers down your spine. Then, brace yourself for a hair-raising encounter with one of nature's most formidable and bizarre creatures, the Tarantula Hawk Wasp. Kat reveals the fascinating world of this nightmarish insect, known for its paralyzing sting and gruesome reproductive habits. Discover why this insect has earned its place in the annals of natural oddities and hear tales of real-life encounters with this creature that make the Banff Springs Hotel's hauntings seem almost mundane. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Venture deep into the heart of the Canadian Rockies as Jethro explores the legendary haunted halls of the Banff Springs Hotel. Nestled amidst the breathtaking beauty of Banff National Park, this majestic hotel hides a dark secret. With its ghostly apparitions, unexplained phenomena, and history steeped in mystery, the Banff Springs Hotel has earned its reputation as one of the most haunted places in North America. JG takes a chilling tour of its eerie history, sharing spine-tingling stories of ghostly encounters that will send shivers down your spine.Then, brace yourself for a hair-raising encounter with one of nature's most formidable and bizarre creatures, the Tarantula Hawk Wasp. Kat reveals the fascinating world of this nightmarish insect, known for its paralyzing sting and gruesome reproductive habits. Discover why this insect has earned its place in the annals of natural oddities and hear tales of real-life encounters with this creature that make the Banff Springs Hotel's hauntings seem almost mundane.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Banff Hotel in Alberta holds a lot of history, and where there's history, there's probably ghosts. But this hotel's activity isn't what you'd think, as most of the spirits that lie within this hotel do no harm, further proving the reputation of Canadians being nice people to be true.    https://linktr.ee/uninvitedcompanypodcast Intro & Exit Music: Danny Corbo

Growing up, celebrated chef and entrepreneur Vikram Vij wanted to be an actor, but his business-minded father had other ideas. At nineteen, Vij left India for Austria, where he studied hotel management, and landed his first restaurant job at the famed Michelin-starred Post-Stuben restaurant. It was there that a chance encounter with the head of CP Hotels led to a job offer at the Banff Springs Hotel. And so began Vikram Vij's life in his adopted country of Canada. “I fell in love with Canada. I fell in love with Banff. And I always tell people I come from one of the largest democracies in the world called India, but I actually live in the best democracy in the world called Canada,” Vij says. From Banff, it was on to Vancouver, where Vij would build a network of restaurants with his former wife and business partner Meeru Dhalwala, and satisfy the entertainer in his soul with appearances on shows like Dragons' Den, Top Chef Canada and Recipe to Riches. Countless Journeys is brought to you by the Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21, located at the Halifax Seaport.

Grab your passports TUSOP we are heading to Alberta, Canada. Join JW as she talks about The Fairmount Banff Springs Hotel and all the spooky that lies inside!    www.theunitedstatesofparanormal.com   Do you have a haunting, cryptid, or other unexplained you would like us to look into? Do you have your own strange story you'd like us to read in an episode? Email us at TheUnitedStatesOfParanormal@gmail.com or message us on any of our social media platforms.    Follow us on social media to stay up-to-date on episodes and see photos from each episode.    Social media:  - Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/The-United-States-of-Paranormal-101722675824225/ - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theunitedstatesofparanormal/ - Twitter: http://twitter.com/TUSOPPod   Available wherever you enjoy listening to podcasts:  - Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-united-states-of-paranormal/id1618133392 - Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/67NokfUTrxoCvPuPWsvsDn?si=xQ4MpDJ-TlqBcanpMnTamA Podcast Addict: https://podcastaddict.com/podcast/3905807 - iHeart: https://iheart.com/podcast/95207701   Merch available: https://my-store-ca0ae8.creator-spring.com/    and also at www.theunitedstatesofparanormal.com     Check out other podcasts within our network: Golden Image Podcast: https://linktr.ee/GoldenImagePodcast The Call Guys: https://linktr.ee/thecallguyspodcast MurdNerds: https://linktr.ee/murdnerds Indiana Chiefs Fans:  https://linktr.ee/indianachiefsfans A Court of Books and Booze: https://linktr.ee/acobab   Art by Esteban Gomez Reyes https://instagram.com/esteban.gomezr?utm_medium=copy_link Music by Boze Theme voice over by Matthew Frisby Produced by Jeremy Golden and Boze Edited by Jeremy Golden and Boze Hosted by Jeremy Golden,Jennifer Williams and Bobbi Golden   #tusop #theunitedstatesofparanormal #paranormal #paranormalpodcast #ghosts #haunted #scary #spooky #podcast #applepodcast #spotifypodcast #AlbertaCanada #FairmountBanffSpringsHotel #hauntedhotel 

This is your episode if you are planning a romantic weekend in Banff. Take it from the cheesiest and romantic people around to help you with your romantic weekend planning. We spend most of our time in the Banff Springs hotel, but there are several other surprises in store, plus two wonderful hikes. Check out this romantic episode. 

Find Weird Darkness in your favorite podcast app at https://weirddarkness.com/listen. PLEASE SHARE Weird Darkness with someone who loves paranormal stories, true crime, monsters, or unsolved mysteries like you do! RecommendingWeird Darkness to others helps make it possible for me to keep doing the show!IN THIS EPISODE: 
One of paranormal history's most bizarre, worldwide, phenomena, the Men In Black, traces its origin directly back to one man, and his name was Albert. (The Albert K. Bender Story) *** Daryl Collins' encounters demonstrate the sheer level of weirdness that surrounds the UFO phenomenon. (Alien Abductions and High Strangeness) *** A young girl sees an odd cube shape floating in her back yard among the trees. Was it extraterrestrial, paranormal, or just the wild imagination of a child? (Floating Multi-Color Box) *** What began as a joke to tease his sister, became all too real for the boy. (Ouija) *** Legend has it that a man murdered his wife and young daughter, before committing suicide. Has this caused the Banff Springs Hotel to become haunted? (Room 873) *** Frank Nash was not only an infamous outlaw, but he could escape just about any prison – even the prison of his own coffin after being dead and buried. (The Kansas City Massacre) *** Due to a murderous plot, 11-year old Terry Jo Duperrault spent 84 grueling hours alone at sea until she was rescued. (Orphaned At Sea) *** Moving into your own place alone for the first time is often an exciting moment in a young adult's life – but it can also be a bit nerve-racking. But then, it probably doesn't help if you move into a place that is haunted. (My Closet Door) *** The true story of Rasputin is full of both truths and lies. Was he a controversial mystic with healing powers, or an evil or misunderstood man? Maybe he was a little of both. (Rasputin) *** The Lake Club in Springfield, Illinois had its heyday in 1940s and 50s – and not even a lingering ghost could stop the parties. (The Lake Club Ghost)SOURCES AND ESSENTIAL WEB LINKS…“Alien Abductions and High Strangeness” by Nick Redfern for Mysterious Universe: http://bit.ly/2LlDcZZ “The Albert K. Bender Story” by Michael J. Bielawa from Bridgeport Library: http://bit.ly/33Q3VEl “Floating Multi-Color Box” by Keileigh Mather for PhantomsAndMonsters.com: http://bit.ly/2DKQJ9r “Ouija” by Juan Guzzman.. submitted directly to Weird Darkness“Room 873” by Jessica Ferri for The Line Up: http://bit.ly/33IH1ih “The Kansas City Massacre” by Troy Taylor for American Hauntings Ink: http://bit.ly/34P0hfn “The Lake Club Ghost” by Troy Taylor for American Hauntings Ink: http://bit.ly/2rOEG8q “Orphaned at Sea” by Gabe Paoletti for All That's Interesting: http://bit.ly/33LIhBd “My Closet Door” posted at YourGhostStories.com: http://bit.ly/2DMt884 “Rasputin” by Ellen Lloyd for Ancient Pages: http://bit.ly/2rW5eUZ = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =Weird Darkness theme by Alibi Music Library. Background music provided by Alibi Music Library, EpidemicSound and/or StoryBlocks with paid license. Music from Shadows Symphony (https://tinyurl.com/yyrv987t), Midnight Syndicate (http://amzn.to/2BYCoXZ), Kevin MacLeod (https://tinyurl.com/y2v7fgbu), Tony Longworth (https://tinyurl.com/y2nhnbt7), and Nicolas Gasparini (https://tinyurl.com/lnqpfs8) is used with permission of the artists.= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =(Over time links seen above may become invalid, disappear, or have different content. I always make sure to give authors credit for the material I use whenever possible. If I somehow overlooked doing so for a story, or if a credit is incorrect, please let me know and I will rectify it in these show notes immediately. Some links included above may benefit me financially through qualifying purchases.)= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = ="I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness." — John 12:46Weird Darkness®, Weird Darkness© 2023

This week my mains tory is a chilling tale of a haunted hotel in Canada and a young girls experience with multiple spirits who still exist in a hotel, even after death!! Instead of a listener story this week, I am again joined by the girls over at is this place haunted podcast! Go and check them out as they are amazing a great couple of space ghetto's!! This week it is also halloween so remember to follow me on instagram at spooky island radio...stay spooky!Over and out.

In Banff National Park, in Alberta, Canada, lies a majestic haunted hotel that has become famous for the ghost of a bride, among other scary occurrences.Find me on social media @edwincov and my other shows at https://edwin.fmScary Plus over on https://ScaryPlus.com

Tucked away in the Rocky Mountains we hear a few ghost stories from the town of Banff, the most impactful one for Ian is the one that happened to him. The other story involves the iconic Banff Springs Hotel which could certainly be the inspiration for far more than one ghost story. Which version do you think is the real one? We also welcome Chris Cunes on this episode, a long time Patron and supporter who was kind enough to not only take us to Banff and tell us stories, but also took us all over Calgary so that we could get pictures for the upcoming Calgary's Most Haunted book. ​Join us for this very intriguing episode on Banff, it's history and it's ghosts.

Episode 24 of What's the story, Ghost? Today, Annette and Steven discuss the ghosties that won't check out of the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel. Hope you enjoy todays episode of WTSG!!MusicMusic by Red_Skies from Pixabay - Intro and outro Music by ComaStudio from Pixabay - Storieshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banff_Springs_Hotel#Historyhttps://www.avenuecalgary.com/City-Life/The-Ghosts-of-Fairmont-Banff-Springs/https://www.hauntedrooms.com/canada/haunted-places/haunted-hotels/banff-springs-hotel-albertahttps://www.freshdaily.ca/history/2020/10/fairmont-banff-springs-hotel/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to the Two Scaredy Cats Podcast!  On this weeks episode we are talking about the historical Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel located in the beautiful Canadian Rockies.  This hotel is know for lots of paranormal activity including a secret room, a phantom bride, Sam the friendly ghost and Room 873! Kara tells about all the insane conspiracy theories surrounding the Denver Airport! Hang on tight its a doozy!  From strange art installations, underground tunnels, lizard people and so much more! ***You can find our podcast anywhere you like to listen to music or other podcast.....@Spotify,  @Applepodcast,  @Amazonmusic, and @GooglePodcast**Also don't forget to like and follow us on Instagram!**Remember curiosity didn't kill these two scaredy cats!Support the show

In today's episode we discuss the haunting history and ghosts of the Banff Springs hotel. Thank you for listening to our show, rating and reviewing on Apple podcasts and Spotify is the best waay to help out our show! Sources: https://www.hauntedrooms.com/canada/haunted-places/haunted-hotels/banff-springs-hotel-alberta https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banff_Springs_Hotel https://www.abenakiextreme.com/what-happened-in-banff-springs-hotel-room-873/ https://globaltourspecialists.com/2014/07/17/the-banff-springs-hotel-ghost-bride-story/ --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

This was a fun impromptu episode we were inspired to record at the iconic Rundle Bar in the Banff Springs Hotel in the heart of the beautiful rocky mountains in Alberta.  Chris and I discuss our own personal hotel experiences from bare-bones, entry-level hotels to ultimate luxury resorts. We have been blessed to be able to travel so much of the world together and have had the most incredible experiences together. I hope you enjoy this conversation as we recall some of our favorite and not so favorite memories of hospitality. 

Would you spend the night in a haunted location? That's the question we're asking on this episode of Baconsale. Our guest Beaker, a paranormal investigator, has chosen a list of 13 spooky (spoopy?) places from around the world, including the Banff Springs Hotel in Canada, the Castle of Good Hope in South Africa, Isla de las Muñecas in Mexico, Bhangarh Fort in India, Poveglia Island in Italy, the Winchester Mystery House in California, and the Tower of London in…London. We'll give the history of each haunt and then each decide if we would stay there alone. Feel free to play along!   We hope you enjoy your stay. Press play for your free hauntinential breakfast.

Conspiracy alert! What if the hotel ghosts all had a secret meeting room with no doors or windows? Kori and Ainsley have a theory that this may have been the case at the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel in Canada.

Join us this week as we head to one of the most beautiful places in all of Canada, Banff National Park. In the 1800's settlers realized that with the beauty of this area, money and tourism was a huge opportunity. They decided to build a beautiful hotel in the heart of Banff National Park. What they weren't expecting when it was built, was all the spirits that would never leave and the mystery that lives in room 873. We love our National Parks and we know you do too but when you're out there, remember to enjoy the view but watch your back. Please take a moment to rate and subscribe from wherever you're listening to NPAD! Become part of our Outsider family on Patreon to gain access to ad-free episode, bonus content and more. Follow our socials Instagram, Facebook , and Twitter. To share a Trail Tale, suggest a story, access merch and browse our book recommendations - head over to our website.   Thank you so much to our partners, check them out! BetterHelp: Get 10% off their your first month at betterhelp.com/NPAD Wicked Clothes: Get 10% off of any purchase when you use our discount code NPAD at check out or go to our link www.wickedclothes.com/NPAD Sources: Connection Canada. Haunted Placed.Paranorms. The Line Up.

“ALBERT BENDER AND THE MEN IN BLACK” and 9 More Terrifying True Paranormal Stories! #WeirdDarknessLike the podcast on Facebook – https://facebook.com/weirddarkness, join the Weirdos Facebook Group – https://facebook.com/groups/marlarhouse, and sign up for the fee email newsletter - https://weirddarkness.com/newsletter! Please SHARE Weird Darkness with someone who loves paranormal stories, true crime, monsters, or unsolved mysteries like you do! Recommending the show to others helps make it possible for me to keep doing the show!IN THIS EPISODE: (Dark Archives episode with previously released stories from August 13-14, 2018) *** 
One of paranormal history's most bizarre, worldwide, phenomena, the Men In Black, traces its origin directly back to one man, and his name was Albert. (The Albert K. Bender Story) *** Daryl Collins' encounters demonstrate the sheer level of weirdness that surrounds the UFO phenomenon. (Alien Abductions and High Strangeness) *** A young girl sees an odd cube shape floating in her back yard among the trees. Was it extraterrestrial, paranormal, or just the wild imagination of a child? (Floating Multi-Color Box) *** What began as a joke to tease his sister, became all too real for the boy. (Ouija) *** Legend has it that a man murdered his wife and young daughter, before committing suicide. Has this caused the Banff Springs Hotel to become haunted? (Room 873) *** Frank Nash was not only an infamous outlaw, but he could escape just about any prison – even the prison of his own coffin after being dead and buried. (The Kansas City Massacre) *** Due to a murderous plot, 11-year old Terry Jo Duperrault spent 84 grueling hours alone at sea until she was rescued. (Orphaned At Sea) *** Moving into your own place alone for the first time is often an exciting moment in a young adult's life – but it can also be a bit nerve-racking. But then, it probably doesn't help if you move into a place that is haunted. (My Closet Door) *** The true story of Rasputin is full of both truths and lies. Was he a controversial mystic with healing powers, or an evil or misunderstood man? Maybe he was a little of both. (Rasputin) *** The Lake Club in Springfield, Illinois had its heyday in 1940s and 50s – and not even a lingering ghost could stop the parties. (The Lake Club Ghost)SOURCES AND ESSENTIAL WEB LINKS…“Alien Abductions and High Strangeness” by Nick Redfern: http://bit.ly/2LlDcZZ “The Albert K. Bender Story” by Michael J. Bielawa: http://bit.ly/33Q3VEl “Floating Multi-Color Box” by Keileigh Mather: http://bit.ly/2DKQJ9r “Ouija” by Juan Guzzman.. submitted directly to WeirdDarkness.com. “Room 873” by Jessica Ferri: http://bit.ly/33IH1ih “The Kansas City Massacre” by Troy Taylor: http://bit.ly/34P0hfn “The Lake Club Ghost” by Troy Taylor: http://bit.ly/2rOEG8q “Orphaned at Sea” by Gabe Paoletti: http://bit.ly/33LIhBd “My Closet Door”: http://bit.ly/2DMt884 “Rasputin” by Ellen Lloyd: http://bit.ly/2rW5eUZ Weird Darkness theme by Alibi Music Library. Background music provided by Alibi Music, EpidemicSound and/or AudioBlocks with paid license. Music from Shadows Symphony (https://tinyurl.com/yyrv987t), Midnight Syndicate (http://amzn.to/2BYCoXZ), Kevin MacLeod (https://tinyurl.com/y2v7fgbu), Tony Longworth (https://tinyurl.com/y2nhnbt7), and/or Nicolas Gasparini/Myuu (https://tinyurl.com/lnqpfs8) is used with permission. 

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =(Over time links seen above may become invalid, disappear, or have different content. I always make sure to give authors credit for the material I use whenever possible. If I somehow overlooked doing so for a story, or if a credit is incorrect, please let me know and I will rectify it in these show notes immediately. Some links included above may benefit me financially through qualifying purchases.)= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =WANT TO ADVERTISE ON WEIRD DARKNESS?Weird Darkness has partnered with AdvertiseCast to handle our advertising/sponsorship requests. They're great to work with and will help you advertise on the show. Email sales@advertisecast.com or start the process now at https://weirddarkness.com/advertise = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = ="I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness." — John 12:46Find out how to escape eternal darkness at https://weirddarkness.com/eternaldarkness WeirdDarkness™ - is a production and trademark of Marlar House Productions. Copyright, 2021.= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =

Bonjour, weirdos! Welcome to another edition of HOMETOWN HAUNTS. This time we're heading North.  WAY North.  Ok, not THAT North. We're traveling to the land of Wayne Gretzky and poutine.  America's Hat.  Canuck central.  That's right, we're headed to CANADA-eh! Not only that, we also have a very special guest for today's episode.  You may have seen him on America's Got Talent or maybe you caught one of his appearances on CONAN-- joining us to talk about his home country is stand up comedian DJ DEMERS!  DJ shares with us the things he had to change about himself when he moved from Canada to the US, some of the weirdest adjustments he had to make in regards to slang, and shares some very funny insights on how many ghosts he may have ignored while sleeping without his hearing aids. Lauren teaches us about the most HAUNTED places in Canada including the Banff Springs Hotel, the Ottowa Jail Hostel and the Screaming Tunnel. Ashley finishes us off by telling the story of one of the most substantiated close encounters in history-- known as the Falcon Lake Incident. Make sure you check out DJ on instagram (@djdemers) and YouTube (www.youtube.com/djdemers) and listen to his podcasts Definitely DJ & DJ and Alex and DJ Watch a Doc on iTunes and Spotify! 

FULL SHOW NOTES[INTRO music]0:00:10.5 Aaron Weiche: Episode 29, Prioritize or Die.0:00:16.2 Intro: Welcome to the SaaS Venture Podcast, sharing the adventure of leading and growing a bootstrapped SaaS company. Hear the experiences, challenges, wins and losses shared in each episode from Aaron Weiche of Leadferno and Darren Shaw of Whitespark. Let's go.[music]0:00:42.5 AW: Welcome to the SaaS Venture Podcast. I'm Aaron.0:00:46.0 Darren Shaw: And I'm Darren.0:00:48.0 AW: Did you see what I did with that clickbait title of our episode today, Darren? 0:00:52.9 DS: I did actually. I wrote something different, but yours is way better, yeah, that's good. [chuckle]0:00:56.8 AW: I think I was mostly trying to avoid, right? You had wrote prioritization and I was like, that just sounds like a word that I will somehow mangle when we go to hit record, and then yeah, I just went all-out sensationalism and clickbait and...0:01:12.2 DS: And I actually think, not only is it clickbait-y, which is great, but it also was accurate. I think that it's really the theme of this episode.0:01:20.9 AW: Yeah, and it's not... As we get into it, it's not an instant death, it's just probably a slow death if...0:01:28.8 DS: Absolutely.0:01:29.8 AW: You don't adhere to it. And yeah, I'm super excited to get into that. But it's been five weeks since we've last recorded, and we caught up a little bit before hitting record. Sometimes I think we should just hit record the second we get on and let people hear all of our small talk, and then maybe wrap that into the after show. We usually have really big... We just had some really big ideas. We'll see if we can put those into play someday. But...0:01:57.2 DS: Yeah.0:02:01.7 AW: What has been consuming your time this last handful of weeks? 0:02:07.0 DS: I've been busy with the summit. Just, I've been on lots of calls with the team, planning our software, and lots of summit stuff. So just trying to get all work...0:02:19.3 AW: So you're talking about, for those that don't always listen to us, you put on a local search summit, virtual last year, it was your very first one.0:02:29.2 DS: Yeah.0:02:29.3 AW: Remind me again, how many speakers... I know the attendee number was super high. Like frame up how the very first one went.0:02:36.8 DS: So our Whitespark Local Search Summit, the first one we did last year, a virtual summit, it's free to attend, pay if you want the recordings, and we had 6,000 registered... People registered for the event. We...0:02:56.7 AW: That's so awesome.0:02:56.8 DS: It was huge, yeah. So I was a little bit shocked with how well we did. We had 32 speakers, I think, a three-day event. And so it's a lot of work to put it together. So this year, I'm really excited about how things are shaping up. Our line-up is phenomenal. We've got incredible speakers like Aaron Weiche speaking. [laughter] So it's gonna be fantastic. I can't wait for it. We really put a lot of polish on it this year. I gotta give a shoutout to Jesse Lowe on our marketing team, she is our marketing team, and she...0:03:29.8 AW: Go Jesse.0:03:33.2 DS: She's done such an incredible job with the design, and we're building our website now and our sponsor deck, and just everything is just getting really nicely tweaked and polished, and it's gonna be an incredible event, and I think that we're shooting for 8,000 registrations this year, but it really feels like that level of conference quality that you might see at a Moss Con, I feel like we're hitting our stride with it this year and really kinda taken it to that next level. So been really busy with that, trying to get that stuff working out.0:04:03.5 AW: That's just so incredible, like when you say those numbers. I remember that attendees were in the thousands, but again, first-time event, you pull it off during a pandemic.0:04:15.1 DS: Yeah. [chuckle]0:04:16.1 AW: Some of it probably helpful 'cause people were just so hungry for good information, good interaction. I remember, I super enjoyed... So many of the speakers are like friends and people that we see on the conference circuit that you get to see in person and have a beer with or grab dinner with, and it was just like... It was just great to hear David Mihm present. It was just great to hear people that you're used to that are smart and have something different in your day than Zoom calls with your internal team. [chuckle] So...0:04:50.1 DS: Yeah.0:04:51.3 AW: Those are some lofty goals, man. 8,000, that's awesome. I can't wait.0:04:54.3 DS: I'm a little bit worried that instead of increasing our registration count, we might drop, and one of the concerns I have is just virtual conference burnout. It's like we kinda hit it and at a sweet spot last time around, whereas it's been a full year, and I don't know, my inbox is blowing up with virtual conference invites all the time, and so I just wonder if people are a little bit burnt out from it, but we'll see.0:05:20.4 AW: Yeah, could be, but I would say in the local space, other than local you, nothing else comes close to the level of content that you put into that event. So I think no matter what, even if you stay the same, even if you're a little bit lower, like you've put something great in motion that I can't wait for it to be like an in-person, just imagine like... Imagine if you're able to pull off a 1000-person in-person conference event in local, that would be nuts.0:05:54.7 DS: While we plan to do it, I actually have already looked into doing the conference at the Banff Springs Hotel in Banff, Alberta, and so one day we're gonna go to... It's like castle in the mountains, in the rocky mountains, it's so beautiful. I wanna do it there. I've looked into pricing. I would have done it if I felt confident that by 2022, we wouldn't have weird COVID variants locking us down again, but their cancellation policy is like, "You gotta sign that contract, and if you back out, you lose 75 grand." So it was like, "Okay, I can't commit." But 2023, I feel like we're gonna do it. We're gonna do it in the mountains, it's gonna be great.0:06:35.1 AW: Oh my gosh, that sounds epic to say the least.0:06:39.1 DS: Yeah. I want that to happen.0:06:45.3 AW: On my side of things, you and I talked during this as friends, and then professionally on a couple of things, but I had a hard two, three weeks of being able to focus on work, which is really strange for me because I'm definitely a workaholic, work is a hobby, I just love being immersed, but the short of it is, my mom has Lewy body dementia, and it's gotten to the point where she can't live on her own, and so we had to transition her into assisted living, and the combination of visiting facilities and finding the right one for her and organizing everything that goes into a transfer like that and to some of the medical things and records and application and process, and then she was living in a town home that we owned, so cleaning that out, and then my wife and I decided to sell the town home as well, with my mom moving out of it, we just felt like the timing was right, and real estate market's great.0:07:46.3 AW: So it was really hard. I'm normally like a lot of hours, 50, 60 hours easily of high-output work, I was probably more in the 30-hour range and having a hard time focusing 'cause of these bigger things, and it was really hard on me for a little bit because I'm just so not used to it. It was just jarring off of my normal schedule and what I usually put myself into and everything else. So it's nice to be on the other side of that now and feel Mom has moved and settling in and that's a really... That's a good situation for her and everything else, and the town home was sold and closed and that's wrapped up, and so we're not spending nights and weekends over there getting it ready to sell and that whole process. So it's definitely threw me for a loop that when I was in it, I definitely felt like I was just like kind of treading water, if not drowning and looking around, like, "What direction do I go here? This feels awful weird."0:08:49.4 DS: Oh man, I'm so sorry. It's gotta be... It must have been really tough, must continue to be really tough for you with your mom, so I'm really sorry to hear that.0:09:00.0 AW: Yeah, no, I appreciate it. You and I, we had some personal conversations that were helpful, easy outlet for me to talk through some of those things. But yeah, it's just... The reverse parenting and the things that go along with that is you enter the next stage of life. It's definitely interesting, and yeah, it can be overwhelming and... I don't know. I guess I just wanted to share that for those of you running a company, starting something, all those things are hard enough, and that's not even throwing in what real life throws at you [chuckle] sometimes, and when you're an entrepreneur, you just live so much of your life in the business, and it can get hectic. So know if it's getting hectic for you, you're not alone, and hopefully you find the right people to talk to and the right ways to sort through it, and you get to the other side of that moment.0:09:51.9 DS: Yeah, for sure. We all have the things that come up that we... We try to run a business, but life interrupts often. Yeah.0:10:00.9 AW: On the plus side of life, I'm fully vaxxed, that says of like three and a half, four weeks ago, so I've had weeks now to live as a vaccinated person. I booked a flight just two days ago. I felt like such a noob going into my Delta app and like, "Oh, how do you book a flight?" I had completely forgotten. And booking a hotel, all of it just felt... I felt like I was making these huge purchases on something literally... I used to probably do 30 to 40 flights a year, something that I used to do a lot. I probably illegally was booking flights while driving somewhere. It was just that common of a repeated process. And then I actually bought tickets to SaaStr. They're doing in-person in September. They said you have to be vaccinated. I think almost the entire conference is outdoors. They're using a big outdoor facility out in California  ____.0:11:00.6 DS: Oh wow.0:11:01.0 AW: So I'm really interested to check that out and see that and looking forward to it. I think my wife Marcy is... I saw the glee in her eyes when I said I was booking travel. She was like, "Yes, I could use some alone time in the house. This sounds great." [chuckle] Yeah, she's very encouraging. She's like, "That sounds wonderful. Is it tomorrow?" "No, babe. You gotta wait a couple of weeks."0:11:28.7 DS: Wow, that's a huge move. Booking travel. We're a couple of months behind you in Canada with our vaccination rollout, and so this is beyond my comprehension at this point. But yeah, I look forward to one day booking travel [chuckle] hopefully in the not too distant future.0:11:46.5 AW: You will get there soon. When it happens, if you just need a field trip, come on down to Minneapolis and let's hang out for a couple of days.0:11:53.3 DS: Oh my... I should just make that... I should book it right now, yeah.0:11:57.6 AW: Done. Sounds like a plan.0:12:00.1 DS: Yeah, I would love to, would love to.0:12:00.8 AW: Yeah.0:12:02.1 DS: What's happening with... I remember last time we talked, you had your Flutter main developer leaving. How's that sorting out? 0:12:09.9 AW: Oh man, that has been a struggle. So we engaged both our initial recruiter that's helped us build our team, and then we went through Toptal.0:12:23.4 DS: Oh yeah.0:12:24.7 AW: And I would just say that really the biggest challenge is Flutter is really two to three-year-old as far as being still not mainstream, but just on the map. So the pool of candidates is just super small. So my experience with Toptal, to cut to the chase, we did hire someone, it wasn't through Toptal, we probably had four or five interviews through Toptal, one we interviewed and felt like they weren't the right fit for our project, the next candidate, we interviewed literally an hour after we interview them, we found out they took another job, another project to work on, then they sent us one that was like twice the hourly rate that was in our budget, so that was a non-starter, then we interviewed another one, liked him. Toptal does... They basically put them with you on the project for five days as like a free trial, and then after day one, he backed off the project. He didn't like the... He basically said, "I should've asked a few more questions." He didn't like the state management that we were using with it and felt like he wasn't gonna be a good fit for that, which was great that he didn't waste any more time, but it totally felt like a back-to-the-drawing-board.0:13:50.2 AW: And so we also had a couple of interviews with our original company that was recruiting for us, and we ended up, one of the two candidates they sourced for us, got to move forward with him, and he just started part-time this week. So that process took us five to six weeks to completely reset, which where we're at in timing right now and trying to get to launch, that feels like we lost an eternity, losing two to three sprints.0:14:20.8 DS: Sure.0:14:21.2 AW: But all you can do is be happy now. The one little plus is he does have some Node JS, which is our backend, so he might be a little bit full stack for us, which is interesting. So far we kinda have two frontend, two backend.0:14:35.8 DS: Yeah.0:14:38.3 AW: So that wild card might be nice with it. So it's taken a while. It wasn't ideal. Some of it's no fault of anyone, it's just kind of a... I think Flutter is starting to grow, so those that have talent and experience there are in high demand, especially when we are looking for someone that had at least a year experience within Flutter, not looking to learn it with us.0:15:05.6 DS: Do you... Okay, now that you've been through this process, do you have any regrets about choosing Flutter as a less mature language that maybe doesn't have the same pool of candidates that other languages have? 0:15:19.2 AW: No, because the whole reason we selected it is because we knew we were gonna do mobile apps as well. And so really my only regret will be, is if that process isn't as smooth for us to kick out our mobile apps. We're gonna launch with just our web app, and then fast follow with the mobile apps. So I just look at it... We knew that there would be some pieces of immaturity in libraries with Flutter and things like that, and we've kind of crossed a few of those bridges, but I'm still really hopeful that the main reason we decided why was to only work on one code base, per se, to deliver the frontend in web and native app experiences. So from that side, I still feel good. If that falls flat, then I'll be super frustrated that we should have used React and React Native, something more tried and true.0:16:13.8 DS: Yeah, yeah. Well we'll see. I guess we'll talk about in a future podcast, how your mobile app development is proceeding.[chuckle]0:16:22.7 AW: There you go. Hopefully, it'll probably be a couple of episodes from now, but yeah, I can't wait. I'm excited to get to that part of things.0:16:30.2 DS: Yeah for sure. Yeah. Alright. What else is going on? How are things at Leadferno, I guess, now that you've got your development back on track? 0:16:40.7 AW: Yeah, progressing well, it's just with anything, never fast enough.0:16:47.6 DS: Yeah.0:16:50.5 AW: But... And I think this probably serves as a good crossover with us to start talking because, prioritization, because that's really where we're at right now, is like we kinda internally set four months ago, like end of June, we're recording this right now on June 11th, it'll come out next week, but we said end of June is when we wanted to go live, and I can see from where we're at right now, it's gonna take us another sprint or two, just testing, clean up some of those things. But even when we launch then, it's still not gonna be perfect. So there's definitely like, launch is our priority right now, but then there's a couple of priorities that I have to answer to inside of that launch, that, which one's most important? Is it time? Or is it features? And I have some conundrum within that, on which one to place first, and I think I've arrived somewhere, which is good, 'cause you do need to make some decisions on these things [chuckle] and not waffle on them. But that's been hard.0:18:00.5 DS: It's exactly what I'm dealing with too, with our stuff that we're working on at Whitespark. I could build my grand vision over the course of the next year or build it into phases, so we have multiple launches. And so our goal is definitely to get to these multiple launches. So we have our phase one, phase two, phase three, and then once we get phase six wrapped up, then that's the grand vision of what I wanna build. So that prioritization, what goes into phase one, what... Do you move to phase two? Is what we had planned for phase three more important to put for phase two? That's all the stuff that I'm debating right now.0:18:46.0 AW: Yeah well and, as you and I have discussed off-recording, I think you were wrangling for a long time with how do you fit this in or how do you prioritize this next thing with what you're doing, right? And you have tools and services that you sell right now, and how do you balance not only supporting those, but do you continue to improve and mature those. At the same time, what I heard from you is just like the next thing that you're building being so important to you, right? Like no matter what we were talking about, your answer would turn to platform really being the answer to other things that we were trying to solve or discuss or whatever else, and it became apparent to me, and then I think apparent to you, platform needs to be the prioritization, right? 0:19:43.4 DS: It really does, and one of the things it's like, your title Prioritize or Die, and you mentioned it's a slow process, and it is. It's really like death of a company by 1,000 cuts. It's one little thing after another, and we've been up against that for, I don't know, five, 10 years. We're just constantly... Before we can progress on this, we gotta finish that one last thing, or we gotta do this little thing, or we have to update our crawling architecture, or we gotta change our mailing application.0:20:17.7 DS: It's just like... Because we're already a mature company with a customer base to support and software to keep running, it's really hard to build that next generation of our product, and it's something that, it's really become clear that if I don't turn everything off, we won't ever get there. Or it'll just take us another three years to get there, and so this prioritization has really hit home with me, and it's like we're putting everything on ice. If it's not mission critical, we don't do it.0:21:00.0 DS: So if it... We're putting all resources towards building platform, which is the next generation of Whitespark products, and so I have to do it, otherwise, it won't happen, and so... And if it doesn't happen, we will continue to be a profitable successful company, but we won't have that growth. That thing that... That catapult into the two times, three times, five times growth that I wanna see happen for Whitespark. The potential is there, and it's like, I'm always looking at it. It's this sort of future thing. It needs to stop being a future thing, and it needs to be a now thing and that we're building it right now.0:21:40.3 AW: Yeah. No... One, I fully support that, and I totally agree with your statement. You won't reach your potential, right? You have these ideas, you know these things, you have so much experience in the space. You know what needs to be delivered, and if you keep hopping around with the other things that you have right now and trying to forward those at the same time of creating this ultimate idea, like you just can't... You can't split pairs that many ways and still have something yet left to do something with.0:22:19.1 AW: I think you put it... You put it perfectly in our pre-show notes when you just wrote, "It's okay to put other things on hold."0:22:28.9 DS: Right, yeah.0:22:29.0 AW: But we had some conversations, but I'd love to hear or maybe you sharing a little bit, like what happened in between some of our conversations where you're thinking about this internally and going through the... How uncomfortable at first, and how did you get yourself more comfortable with, it's okay to put things on hold and pursue this big idea that feels... This feels like what I need to do, but then it's much different to say you're going to do it and then put that in action to just do it.0:23:02.8 DS: Yeah. So I would say there was two things that happened. One, you and I talked about this platform stuff and you had pushed for... You'd be like, "Man, Darren you should really... You really... You need to start putting other things on hold and focus on platform." and so that seed was planted, and then... So I've always been faced with well, we'll get to that when we finish this thing. We'll get to platform when we finished this next thing, and the thing that was lined up was something that I think I've mentioned on the podcast before, but we have a new feature that we're integrating into our local citation finder that does a deep audit and a stand-alone tool, which we're calling Scanarator.0:23:46.4 DS: So this thing was built by one of our developers who we brought in-house, but he was a freelancer working on the side, and I wanted to do the side project, but I didn't wanna distract my team from... So he built this thing. And it's great, it works really well, but now that we're at this phase where we're actually integrating it into our stack, it became clear that we couldn't do it because he built it in his own weird framework-y thing, and so it's like, "Well, we're getting close to launching this thing, it's all functional, but when it comes to integrating it, we're gonna have to re-write it in our stack." and I was like, "What?" This is gonna take us like another month, maybe two, and then it was Click! 0:24:30.4 DS: This light bulb went off. I'd be like, what is that gonna give us? Is it gonna increase our MRR by a $1,000 a month? Maybe. Maybe it's not gonna give us that much more. It's like I keep pushing on all of these things that will definitely improve our software, but that's not gonna two times our company. It's just gonna keep us floating along. It's going to keep us staying the course. If I put that on ice, it doesn't hurt us. We've already raised our prices for the local citation finder.0:25:04.0 AW: So great, we're putting it on ice. We're not integrating that functionality until we can integrate it into platform, and so that was like... You planted the seed. I saw that exact situation occurring again, where I'm like, "My God, I'm not gonna delay platform by another two months." Forget it. We're putting everything on ice, we're focusing on platform, and that absolutely... I feel so good about that decision, and I know that that's gonna get us to where we need to go. And it's like... I don't know why it took me so long to have that shift of perception, 'cause it's really easy to just keep building on what you already have rather than going after the big prize.0:25:44.5 AW: Yeah. Well, it's probably a couple things. One, we all have different levels of risk aversion, and especially the larger you grow your company, you're responsible for more people, you're responsible for more customers. I think part of your success, Darren, is what I see in you is, you are so wired to not only please but exceed what people get from you. It's in all of the content you share, the presentations you give. You just give so much, and so I think when you look at this, I think it's been hard for you to wrangle with something, be like, "I'm just gonna let it be good enough for a while, instead of constantly pushing on it to be great, even though its ceiling just isn't the ultimate ceiling, right? 0:26:30.5 AW: And that's where getting this transfer of energy put into something that has a very high ceiling, but it's also gonna be hard. There's risk involved in it, and it's risky when you take yourself away from the same track that you've been on on trying to deliver greatness with what you do have out there and just being okay with it being the same for a while, while you put all your focus into one thing.0:26:58.1 DS: Yeah. The to-do list don't stop. Like all of our existing software products, they each have a list of 100 things that I wanna do for them, and then what ends up happening is I end up on all these client calls. So I'm on a sales call, or a customer support thing comes up, and so there's all these polls happening, like a customer... A lead wants this thing, and then your brain goes to like, "Well, if we built that thing, it would serve all of our customers and we could sell more and it would be great." But those are actually distractions, in my personal case, from the bigger prize, and I realize that I have to focus our attention on a bigger price and say, "Well, that's a cool feature, let's do it when we have the main thing that we wanna build it into done."0:27:49.3 AW: One of the things that I've done at multiple past companies, just because the same things you're talking about, like that happens everywhere in business for all of us, and I think the truly great leaders are the ones that find the time and find the ways to separate themselves from the business of doing in the constant motion, and boil it down to what is my one most important thing right now, and am I doing enough for that? Because if that doesn't happen, all of the other things usually pale in comparison, right? 0:28:22.0 AW: And I would try to do this from time to time, whether it was monthly or bi-monthly or even quarterly with my management team and just have a meeting in one of our normal exec team cycles or whatever, but say like, what's the one thing you need to get done right now and does it have a blocker, do you need support, do you need resources? And really make them think on that. 'Cause it was real easy for every run to report on, here's my laundry list of things that I need to do, that all need attention, meetings, calls, whatever. We all have that, but the truly great ones find a way to like... That's fine. That's still all gonna be there if I step away from it or put it on ice or delegate or whatever else. But if I don't do this thing... At some point, the business will pay a price in one way or another. If it truly is important enough to be prioritized, it's something that will cost you if you don't take action on it.0:29:21.2 DS: Right. Basically, it's the exact same concept of that book, Eat That Frog. I think it's called Eat that Frog, and so it's like, you start your day, what is the absolute... You just... I know you've got a list of 100 things, but what's the one thing? Eat that thing in the morning. Do that thing first thing before you do anything else, and It'll set you up for success for the whole day. That same concept can be applied with a greater scale at your company level. What is the frog? What is the one thing that you must focus on to move your company forward? 0:29:54.8 AW: I don't think I'm gonna remember right now 'cause I consume way too many SaaS and leader type podcasts, but one of the ones this past week I was listening to, the guy was talking... He literally puts his most important thing on a post-it note and it's on his bathroom mirror. So he sees it like every morning. So even if it's the most important thing for weeks at a time, he comes face-to-face with it every morning. There's no way he sees it in writing, and I just... So basic, but yet, just this gentle reminder in your mindset that, "Hey, it's great whatever I do today, but if I don't contribute to this one thing, I'm not putting my valuable time into the most valuable thing on my docket at the moment." That was really, really interesting.0:30:41.3 DS: Although it's hard because if you ask me right now, what is my personal one thing, whoa! I got three of them. I don't know. I got three of them. I got the summit, I got my videos I gotta make, and I got platform, right? So I have to move all of those things forward.0:31:01.6 AW: Yeah. And that's not to say that doesn't happen, but at the end of the day, if someone made you strip down to one, it wouldn't be the summit and it wouldn't be your videos.0:31:08.9 DS: No. But I... That... You know what happens though, I would let down a lot of people by having prioritized, and I think that's where the struggle is. It's like I got all these different pulls for my attention and my input, and my input has... Everyone wants it, and so it's really tough when, as your company grows. 'Cause if I didn't do my videos and I didn't do the summit stuff then that would just fall apart.0:31:37.9 AW: Yeah. Saying no is hard.0:31:39.4 DS: Saying no is hard.0:31:39.5 AW: Saying no is really, really hard. It took me a long time to... Especially... I've spent so much of my career on the sales and marketing side of running companies, and it used to be like saying no to bad deals when you're young and hungry and trying to grow, and you just take anything on, even though there's something in your gut that's like, "Oh! This... The communication doesn't feel right, the expectations don't feel right, but I just wanna get this deal. The money is good." whatever else, and then you get into it and you're like, "Oh, I would pay money not to have this deal right now." It is so the wrong the deal.0:32:15.9 DS: Yeah. I got a few of those in my closet, for sure.0:32:18.6 AW: Yeah. I actually... I think more than ever at GatherUp, I got really good at being able to say no to those. Where I was just like, that's not who we need to help us grow. Like that... One way or another, and it was really agency life is where I learned how hard... Having a bad client in SaaS Life isn't great, but it's not... Agency life, that bad client could just put your entire company on fire for no good reason and...0:32:51.1 DS: Sure yeah.0:32:51.5 AW: I don't miss that at all...0:32:51.9 DS: So much time. Yeah.0:32:54.5 AW: 'Cause it's just all service delivery, and when service delivery things go wrong, your only option is to throw more people at it, and that just... There isn't always bandwidth to throw more people at it, and then that upsets the other things you're working on. Like, "Oh, man... "0:33:07.5 DS: Yeah. Yeah. It's tough.0:33:09.8 AW: It totally is. Well, I applaud the moves you're making, and I just flat out think prioritization is the hardest thing in running a business. I think it is the most challenging thing that's there, and something that... I just always have so much work to do, sometimes I feel like I see things really clearly, and other times I fight all of those same battles with what's exciting and what's new and getting distracted, and I don't know. I've just... I've tried over time to just figure out as many things as I can to... How do I boil it down to answer to one thing instead of so many the buts and the what ifs and all of that.0:33:55.8 AW: That's always there in every conversation that you can have with yourself, but a lot of times when I analyze, I just have to look at... And that's where I'm at right now. My priority is launch.0:34:09.6 DS: That is obvious.0:34:10.5 AW: Yeah, I have 30 to 45 days at most, and I'm putting this on recording, I cannot go a day outside of July without launching. It's not gonna happen. The hard part, my what-ifs and buts are... There's one bigger differentiating feature that might get cut off and not delivered at launch, and that super pains me as someone who's a product... I don't wanna use the word perfectionist, but I demand and expect a lot out of our tool, and I know things I wanna build for years, and if I'm launching without something that has always been in my V1 and something that I feel like is a differentiator and I'm gonna have to wait another sprint or two sprints after launching, that just feels like such a like... I've almost said to others on the team, I don't know if this is a great way to do, but I'm just like... It's almost like parenting. I'm just like, don't make me have to decide this. Somehow pull this off, save the day. Let's get this feature included in what we're doing up until this time frame, but I don't wanna launch without the... And if it's super apparent to me that we're not even gonna be able to get it, then I'm gonna launch even earlier because I'd rather launch in early July, knowing I'm gonna be without this no matter what, then holding it even further.0:35:43.2 DS: I think one thing you should try to keep in mind is that you're gonna have a significant potential customer base that doesn't care about that feature. They want the core functionality, they're gonna get that out of the gate, and then by putting all of these things into additional sprints, every time you launch a nice new feature, that's another marketing push, it's another chance to reach out to your existing customers, provide more value to them and do a broader marketing push saying, "Hey, we now do this thing, we now do this thing" and so I actually came that realization with our rank tracker product. We were building the whole thing from the ground up, and then my dev team lead pulled me back and says like, "No, those features... Yes, we want them for launch, it'd be great if they were there for launch, but it actually can be a benefit to launch them after 'cause you get that additional marketing engine running for every new cool thing that you're putting up.0:36:40.1 AW: Yeah, I think the biggest thing that I struggle with is just first impressions, and especially when you launch, you do get the love when you launch, right? It's like... At least for me at this point, I have a good network of colleagues and friends and professional contacts, like I'll be able to get social posts that get some good sharing to them and figure out some other distribution things and I just fear. It was the same in running GatherUp for six years, there's so many times where I'd talk to somebody, it's like, "Oh well, I looked at you guys early on, and it was just immature and missing so many things and whatever else," and then they don't pay attention to all the incremental steps you're making all the time and then you're just waiting, you need something to grab them to bring them back to get them to say, "Oh, I should take another look because they probably have a lot more understanding." They have a lot more or whatever else, but whatever turned me off to begin with, they almost hold that to you forever, their first impression was, say... And this won't be the case with Leadferno, I've gotten enough feedback that the interface is beautiful and easy to use and everything, so I'm not worried about that.0:37:54.5 AW: But say that was the case and he was like, "Oh," it just looks Junkie. It felt wrong. I couldn't figure out where to go. It wasn't intuitive at all. That person might never, ever consider you again because they just look at like, that company is not gonna fix that, or why would they fix that, right? 0:38:11.3 DS: Sure. Yeah.0:38:12.5 AW: And those are the things that I stress about, and this feature that I have to decide against is like... It is a differentiator, and it's just one of those things too, you might be like, Aaron, why do you have a differentiator that's on the line at the end, but it's like there's just so many things to build in the product, like something... For one reason, another... And in some of the steps we had to build, it just had to be in that place, and so it's like I'm just worried where... It's not gonna make or break us. But if I could get 20 or 30 people or 40 people to sign up those first few weeks as paying customers, and that's the reason why, or that's what keeps them as opposed to it doesn't, the guarantee on getting them to come take a look again when I message them two weeks or four weeks or six weeks later and be like, "Don't worry, it's here." I might not even know who they were. You know what I mean? It just won't...0:39:08.3 DS: I hear what you're saying with a brand new product launch, you're coming out of gates, no one really knows you, that first impression is kind of important, there is an MVP, that's just two minimum. You shouldn't be so minimum, that attention you get with the launch is wasted, right? I hear your perspective there, and now it does raise the question, what is... Let's say you decide, okay, we can't do it, we can't launch without this feature, is it worth pushing back the launch by another three weeks like this is what you're grappling with, right? 0:39:44.2 AW: Yeah, and I already feel like I'm right. Our internal goal was end of June, and so I've already come to grips with, it's gonna take another sprint and possibly two sprints, but that's where I say... Then I start hitting the point of like, "What's not to keep allowing yourself to keep saying like, Oh, just another sprint and another," right? And next thing it's October and I still don't have a damn product out and it's like... So I've drawn in the line of sand, no matter what, if we hit mid-June and we were hopeful we could get it in whatever, then I'll just say "No, all we're doing is prep in the next five days to launch." That's just what we're doing because I don't wanna work...0:40:24.1 AW: We have enough of the product there. I don't wanna work any further in the dark without people's opinion with money on the line, it's like pilot customers and doing demos and people wanting to learn it, all of that's great. But it's not the same as when they're saying yes or no with $150 or $200 a month behind their name. That's a much different piece of feedback, and I wanna get to that 'cause I want people to either be like, "Yes, and here's what I'd like to see next" or "Here's what I'm already learning in my usage", or "This is a no for me, and here's why. Here's what you're missing. Here's why I'm not willing to plug into this or wait for you to bring this along or anything else." We need to hit that at this point because we've been coding long enough... I don't wanna go further. Yeah.0:41:18.1 DS: It does make me wonder a little bit, and I'm sure you've thought of, This is your communication to that first batch of customers and being really... Lots of reminders about what's coming. You're getting in early, and we're gonna grandfather you in, and this is all the stuff that we're building, and it's gonna just keep getting better and trying to keep that excitement brewing for them.0:41:39.9 AW: Yep. Yeah. I know how important that is. I feel like that's something that we settled into and did really well at GatherUp, like we would be teasing features two or three months out. The minute we had a visual on what the future was gonna look like, we were telling people like, "Hey, this is coming and here's why we're building it." right? And helping them understand strategically how we're looking at things, and it was helpful in so many ways.0:42:10.9 AW: The hard part for me with this is like, I know two things that are really big fast follow. The minute we launch, literally, we will celebrate for an hour and then be like, and now we gotta get to these two things. Our mobile apps being one of them, and so I'll be able to promote those two things like, "Hey, we're heads down working on these." As they take shape, I wanna get it to a point where I can give a good firm date that we'll be able to hit for people so that they're not disappointed, but I also know who knows what the priorities will have to be reset when I have...0:42:50.7 AW: The hopeful is we have 20, 50, 100 users within weeks, and then they're telling us what's missing or what would make their life really easy, and then we have to figure how much do we work on those things versus on these big pieces that will open up more so, Oh, it's about to get interesting.0:43:06.7 DS: It's gonna be good. We have lots to talk about on the podcast.0:43:10.8 AW: But that's just all the reason more why... You just can't go any further, and I think every founder Pride has this. I definitely have this struggle. A minimal viable product is just so hard for me. So hard for me.0:43:30.2 DS: Yeah, me too. And that's actually, it's one of the things I realize has held us back because you could keep perfecting something for a really long time before you ever launch it. That's... Back to our topic, that's prioritizing. What is the priority? What needs to get done that's gonna create revenue growth in your company. That's really what it all comes down to you.0:43:52.8 AW: Yep, absolutely. So I'm gonna keep focusing on my priority of launching, and hopefully the dev team can prioritize my feature and get it in there. If not, we're gonna... The priority is gonna be time and we're just... We're not gonna stretch any further without getting... I don't know what term to use, credible feedback, just real feedback instead of... Like I said, pilot customers and testers and friends are nice, but they're just... They don't look at as critical as those paying for it and using it within their business process. That's who you need to be listening to.0:44:30.3 DS: That makes sense. I liked your comment about drawing a line in the sand. It's like, "We would love to have this feature, but here's the line, if we're not gonna have it, then we're not gonna have it."0:44:43.1 AW: And in a perfect world, your team gets that and understands it, right? If you communicate that far enough up front, what you would hope for out of your team is they're planning and preparing, and knowing that there's a deadline that's far enough out where they can make decisions, do their own prioritizing and figure out those things. Also, even having pride of the work like, "Hey, we don't wanna launch without this." So I think there's some smart things that can be done when you're transparent with your team with that and helping them understand prioritization and why you're prioritizing things that way. Again, that's an area where I really grew at GatherUp in just being very intentional in communicating with the team and letting them know, "Here's the order we're gonna build the features in, and here's why. Here's why it matters to our business or fits in with our vision." and allow them to support it and then make their prioritization and their decisions against it, and I think that's a really freeing thing for your team.0:45:41.7 DS: Yeah. I think it's an area of personal growth for me. That's something I can get a bit better at 'cause I don't really have deadlines defined, and I have been notorious for not defining them, but that also comes back to scoping out our projects really well, so having them really well-scoped, defining these sprints, defining these timelines, that's something that I gotta get better at.0:46:03.9 AW: No. Always something to get better at.0:46:04.0 DS: Yeah, definitely. Whatever.0:46:06.5 AW: Alright. Should we wrap it up? 0:46:09.1 DS: We should wrap it up. We did it in 45 minutes.0:46:12.6 AW: Hey, that's a win. We always discuss if we can go shorter, we try not to get longer, but as I told you, no one's ever complained, no one's ever written us and said, "Hey, this is too long, I just... I can't handle it." 0:46:26.7 DS: Sure. Alright, well, any listeners, if you have any complaints, let us know.0:46:30.1 AW: Yes, or if you have praise, let us know too. It's just always nice to know, it's just not Darren talking or topic ideas we get every now and then, questions you want answered, we'd love to hear from listeners so...0:46:42.9 AW: Alright, Darren. Well, I hope you have a fabulous time enjoying some summer and...0:46:52.4 DS: Yeah. Thanks. Same to you.0:46:54.4 AW: Hopefully. I know you have your second vaccination shot up and coming, and that helps return a few more spices of life and socialization and those things that have been hard to come by.0:47:06.9 DS: For sure. Yeah, I look forward to that. That lifestyle that you're getting into now. Go for a trip.0:47:11.6 AW: It feels kind of good.0:47:15.0 DS: I know. It sounds good.0:47:17.0 AW: Oh, to be normal.0:47:18.4 DS: Yeah. Totally.0:47:19.0 AW: Alright. Well, have a good one, Darren, and thanks everybody. And we'll see you on the next episode.0:47:23.8 DS: Thank you, everybody.[OUTRO music]

This 133-year-old hotel has more than a few residents who’ve checked in but never checked out. The Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel has allegedly set the scene for horrific murders, suicides, and terrible accidents. Rooms have been boarded up, brides set on fire, and some staff are still helpful even in death. So join Eliza and together let’s get our spook on as we take a look into Canada’s famous haunted hotel. For more visit lightsonpod.com and be sure to subscribe, rate, and review the show. New episodes every Sunday. Resources: taximike.com | hauntedrooms.com

Banff Springs Hotel by Spooky, Scary, Fun Times

Join me on my one month podcast-a-versary as I bring you a special double episode! Banff Springs in Alberta, Canada is a world-class destination with amazing amenities, activities, and ghosts. The Crescent Hotel of Eureka Springs, Arkansas was once a Cancer center run by what I like to call a snake oil salesman - could the spirits still wandering the halls be those of his tortured patients? --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/creepycases-spookyspaces/message

This week we look into the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel in Alberta, Canada! This place is awesome!!   Sponsors Quip – GetQuip.com/GRAVEYARD Hello Fresh – hellofresh.com/graveyard12 (Code: graveyard12) Best Fiends – Apple app store or Google Play   Thank you, Jeff Wampler, for helping with the research!! Check out our sources below for more info and to continue learning! Please Rate & Review us wherever you get your Podcasts!  Mail us something:  GYT Podcast PO Box 542762 Grand Prairie, TX 75054 Leave us a Voicemail! 430-558-1304 Our Website WWW.GraveYardPodcast.com Patreon https://www.patreon.com/GraveYardTales Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCc20nfy1wzhlb8jeJoYXa4w Do you want GraveYard Merch?!?! Go to https://www.teepublic.com/stores/graveyard-tales?ref_id=22286 to get you some!  Visit Podbelly.comto find more shows like us and to get information you might need if you’re starting your own podcast. Thank You Darron for our Logo!! You can get in touch with Darron for artwork by searching Darron DuBose on Facebook or Emailing him at art_injector@yahoo.com Thank you to Brandon Adams for our music tracks!! If you want to hear more from Brandon check him out at: Soundcloud.com/brandonadamsj Youtube.com/brandonadams93 Or to get in touch with him for compositions email him at Brandon_adams@earthlink.net   Our Contacts WWW.GraveYardPodcast.com Email us at: GraveYardTalesPodcast@gmail.com Find us on social media: Twitter: @GrveYrdPodcast Facebook: @GraveYardTalesPodcast Instagram: @GraveYardTalesPodcast Sources https://www.historichotels.org/hotels-resorts/fairmont-banff-springs/history.php https://www.fairmont.com/banff-springs/ https://curiocity.com/calgary/entertainment/the-haunted-history-of-the-world-famous-fairmont-banff-springs-hotel/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banff,_Alberta https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/banff https://www.banff.ca/ https://www.hauntedrooms.com/canada/haunted-places/haunted-hotels/ba nff-springs-hotel-alberta  https://www.avenuecalgary.com/city-life/the-ghosts-of-fairmont-banff-spring s/  https://the-line-up.com/banff-springs-hotel-ghosts  http://www.taximike.com/ghosts.html https://www.projectengineer.net/is-room-873-of-the-banff-springs-hotel-hau nted/

The Fairmont Banff Springs hotel, known as the Castle of the Rockies, is a 130+ year old resort and spa in a large castle located in Banff, Alberta, Canada. Because of a vision to bring the beauty of the Canadian Rocky Mountains to the rest of the world, William Cornelius Van Horne began construction in 1887 and officially opened on June 1, 1888. This location wasn’t just chosen for its scenic beauty, it was also by a railway and served as one of Canada’s grand railway hotels. William knew that he couldn't export the scenery, so why not import the tourists. The hotel has a few residents who've checked in throughout the years, but a few who’ve never checked out! One of the most famous entities at the hotel is the ghost bride who fell down the grand marble staircase after her wedding and broke her neck. Since then, many have seen the figure of a woman in a wedding dress walking up and down the stairs. There is also Sam the bellman that is still performing his job by helping hotel guests when they are in need. One of the more terrifying paranormal experiences occur in room 873. Legend says that a mother and child were murdered in room 873 by the father and husband, and since then people have been woken in the middle of the night in the room by screaming. Once the lights come on, there are bloody handprints on the mirror that can't be wiped off by the cleaning staff until they just disappear. Due to all the complaints, the room has been bricked up and closed off from guests. What haunts this beautiful castle in Banff? Join us on episode 110 to hear more!Sources: Avenuecalgary.com, fairmont.com, hauntedrooms.com, curiocity.com, the-line-up.com, banfftours.com, taximike.com, spookythingsonline.com ###Follow Us:https://www.paranormalpunchers.comhttps://twitter.com/ppunchershttps://instagram.com/paranormalpunchershttps://www.facebook.com/paranormalpunchersSupport the Show:https://www.teepublic.com/stores/paranormal-punchershttps://www.patreon.com/paranormalpunchers

The shining example of Canadian hospitality might also be the shining example of spirits with unfinished business. What happened in room 873? Well, pull up a chair and join the Ghost Boys around The Haunting Table as they take a virtual trip across the boarder to our northern friends in Banff, Alberta Canada.

This 1888 hotel hosted many guest that would check out and perhaps stay longer of those who met their death too soon --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

In dieser Folge entführen wir euch nach Kanada zu einer verlassenen Tuberkulose Klinik und einem 4 Sterne Hotel. Quellen Tranquille Sanatorium https://random-times.com/2019/04/20/tranquille-sanatorium-in-british-columbia-a-haunted-place/ https://www.vancouverisawesome.com/travel/tranquille-sanatorium-abandoned-bc-1943289 https://drunkinagraveyard.com/2017/10/06/haunted-places-tranquille-sanatorium-in-british-columbia/ http://www.hauntedhovel.com/tranquillesanatorium.html Banff Springs Hotel https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banff_Springs_Hotel https://curiocity.com/calgary/entertainment/the-haunted-history-of-the-world-famous-fairmont-banff-springs-hotel/ https://www.fairmont.de/banff-springs/

Anna and Anni cover the beautiful yet famously haunted Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel, located in Banff, Canada and home to numerous apparitions and paranormal encounters.Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/nightmarenation)

This week, we're dreaming about when we'll be able to travel again. Until then, we'll travel through the podcast to two wonderfully spooky locations: the Banff Springs Hotel in Canada and Whitby Abbey in England. Kaytlyn talks about the doomed bride who never saw her wedding at Banff and Celeste covers a phantom hearse that plummets over the dramatic cliffs of Whitby. These ghosts are extra AF, but then again so are we.  To get your Ghoul Friends gear, head over to ghoulfriendspod.redbubble.com Got a spooky tale? Send it to us at ghoulfriendspodcast@gmail.com You can find us on Instagram (ghoulfriendspodcast), on Facebook (Ghoul Friends Podcast) or send us a message at ghoulfriendspodcast@gmail.com

"Canadians have an abiding interest in surprising those Americans who have historically made little effort to learn about their neighbour to the North."Peter Jennings      It is these words that define today's episode! We are all going to be surprised and learn about some of the creepiest, craziest, weirdest things our neighbors to the North have to offer. If you're not from the U.S. the Canadians may not be your neighbors to the North but they'll offer you some Tim Hortons and be extremely polite to you anyways! Most people only know a few things about Canada: they are polite, they love hockey, it's cold as fuck, and they say eh. But we're going to learn you all a few more things, and we're gonna do it the Midnight Train way, by telling you about the creepy side of Canada! So without further ado jump on your moose, grab your hockey stick, throw on your toque, and let's ride!  Off to our first stop! With one hand in our pockets, we head to the home of Alanis Morissette, Ottawa! We're taking a quick trip to the Ottawa Jail Hostel. This hostel has a bit of a history. As the name implies this was one a jail!  The jail was built next to the courthouse in 1862 and was the main jail in Ottawa for over a century! There's a tunnel that connects the jail to the courthouse. Only three official executions took place in the jail. The most famous being that of Patrick J. Whalen. Whalen assassinated a man by the name of Thomas D'Arcy Etienne Grace Hughes McGee, wow. McGee was an Irish-Canadian politician, Catholic spokesman, journalist, poet, and a Father of Canadian Confederation. The young McGee was a Catholic Irishman who opposed British rule of Ireland, and worked for a peasant revolution to overthrow British rule and secure Irish independence. He escaped arrest and fled to the United States in 1848, where he reversed his political beliefs. He became disgusted with American republicanism and democracy, and became intensely conservative in his politics and in his religious support for the Pope. Over 5,000 people witnessed Whelan's hanging, which was a large number considering the size of Ottawa at the time. The third (official) and final execution at the jail took place on March 27, 1946, when Eugène Larment, who had killed an Ottawa police detective, was hanged. The building remained in use as a jail until 1972 when the outdated facility was closed. The original gallows, however, are intact and remain fully functional. There’s also what appears to be an ‘unofficial’ gallows over a back staircase, so it’s hard to say how many prisoners were executed at the jail. So you know… Don't piss off the people in the next room. While the jail was in use, prisoners were held under very inhumane conditions. Up to 150 prisoners, consisting of men, women, and children, would be forced to share 60 small cells (1x3 meters) and 30 larger cells (2x3 meters); as well as six solitary confinement units. The windows were open to the elements early on and offered no protection from the freezing Ottawa winters and got summers. Inmates included murderers, the mentally ill, or those incarcerated for minor infractions such as drunk and disorderly conduct. Modern excavations have unearthed numerous unmarked graves. It's no wonder this hostel is considered a haunted creepy place. Most guests convey a heavy creepy feeling while staying there. Here's a few of the things people report about the place! The Ghost of Patrick Whelan: Arguably the hostel’s most famous spook, you’ll see Patrick Whelan walking the halls toward the gallows where he was hanged. His restless spirit is said to be caused by an undignified burial after his execution.The Hole: Also known as solitary confinement, this area of the jail is filled with an ominous, negative energy. Visitors report overwhelming feelings of despair in this cramped, lightless space.The Gallows: The jail’s preferred method of execution is still standing and functional. Hotel guests have heard footsteps, disembodied voices and other baffling sounds coming from the execution chamber.The Lounge: The hostel’s lounge was once used to house women and children prisoners, echoes of whom can still be heard today. Visitors claim to hear sounds of children crying and screaming, as well as knocking on doors and footsteps in the empty room. Assistant Manager Jeff Delgado recounts a particularly memorable experience when a woman had checked herself into the old Warden’s office for the night. They became suspicious when she didn’t check out on time the following day, and when he went to check on the woman, she was still in bed. Jeff says: “The front desk agent shook the woman and she woke up very frightened and hysterical. According to her, there was a small girl that appeared to her in her sleep in the office surroundings, and wrapped her arms around her so that she would not be able to wake up. The girl was also supposedly trying to whisper something in her ear, from which the guest could only make out the word ‘help’. “Although the story might seem outlandish, the guest was unaware that the particular room she was staying in was indeed the old Warden’s office. She was also able to describe in detail the surroundings of an office and the physical description of the little girl.” On the plus side of you make it through the night without getting scared off… There's a free continental breakfast… So there's that. Next up we are going to play "informer" in the land of "Snow". Heading to Shag Harbor, Nova Scotia. We're not talking about ghosts or cryptids, we're talking about aliens! Shag Harbor was the sight of a supposed UFO crash in 1967. Oh hell… We are gonna say it was definitely a ufo crash! In the AirAt approximately 7:15pm, Air Canada Flight 305 pilots Captain Pierre Charbonneau and First Officer Robert Ralph were flying above Quebec, about 180 miles west of Nova Scotia. Everything was perfectly routine until they noticed something trailing their plane. They witnessed a massive, rectangular-shaped object, orange in color, gliding through the skies. Trailing the rectangle were small, orange orbs that seemed almost like a tail to this main object.The pilots watched with growing concern for several minutes when, suddenly, there was some sort of explosion near the rectangle. A large white cloud was left behind, sporadically changing colors from red to blue. Two minutes later, another explosion occurred leaving behind a similar cloud of colors. The pilots watched in amazement as the small orbs swarmed around the rectangle and, along with it, descended in to a thick cloud cover and disappeared out of sight. Both pilots, visibly shaken, reported the incident when they finally landed. Meanwhile, back on the ground, residents of Shag Harbour would report seeing four orange lights in tight formation flashing in rapid sequence across the night sky. A group of teens that were out fishing noticed that the lights were making a brisk descent towards the water. But instead of disappearing into the murky depths, the lights seemed to float effortlessly on the surface before disappearing into the water. Because of this, the teens believed it to be an airplane that had crashed a half mile from the shore. Another young man who had been fishing quickly phoned the RCMP (Royal Canadian Mounted Police) to report the crash of an aircraft. The police dispatcher brushed off the young man, believing him to have been inebriated, but soon, over a dozen other calls flooded the station. Police immediately went out to investigate. Unbeknownst to the RCMP, Constable Ron Pound was patrolling an area near the alleged incident. He witnessed the four orange lights moving at tremendous speed. As he sped up his vehicle, he believed the four lights to all be connected to a single aircraft and estimated it to be about sixty feet in length. He reached the shoreline where he was soon joined by fellow officers, Police Corporal Victor Werbieki, and Constable Ron O’Brien. Along with over thirty other witnesses, they all watched as the orange lights slowly changed to a yellowish tint, and it moved eerily slow across the surface of the water, leaving a similar yellowish colored foam in its wake. Some witnesses claimed to have seen the actual structure of the object, reporting it as “dome-shaped.” Due to the exhaustive dedication by investigators, Chris Styles and Don Ledger, they were able to compile a list of first-hand witnesses, and individuals involved with the search and recovery efforts.When the object was reported to crash-land in the water, and it began to sink into the ice-cold waters, a loud “whooshing” sound could be heard by several witnesses. The Canadian Coast Guard was called to the scene, but before they could arrive, two RCMP officers had already secured local fishermen’s boats and headed towards the area for a possible search and rescue mission.The lights were no longer visible, but the yellow foam remained. The officers and fisherman who assisted, all said that the foam was like no sea foam they had ever seen, much thicker than anything that could be caused naturally. They had to cut their way through it just to look for survivors of the supposed crash.After several hours of searching, nothing could be found. The RCMP, along with The Coast Guard, contacted their local NORAD station and the Rescue Coordination Center, asking if there had been any reports that evening of a missing aircraft either civilian or military. They had nothing.The following morning of October 5th, the Canadian Forces Headquarters sent out specially trained divers from the Navy and RCMP to systematically search the seabed in the alleged area where the crash had occurred. They searched for several days and found absolutely nothing.Local newspapers began to circulate speculative theories of a Russian spacecraft, submarine, or spy satellite being the enigmatic culprit. There were also rumors that the United States had launched their own investigation into the incident. Slowly, the headlines made their way to the back of the newspapers and soon faded into obscurity as most UFO cases often do. In 2018, it was announced that Celine Cousteau and Fabian Cousteau, grandchildren of Jacques Cousteau, were heading to Nova Scotia to investigate the incident. As part of their visit, their investigative team would carry out an underwater search to try to locate the craft that could possibly still sit at the bottom of water.While their deep sea investigation did not yield a craft or materials, anomalous activity was recorded between their radio transmissions while underwater when in proximity to where the craft was said to have submerged. Perhaps the most compelling developments in the Shag Harbour incident are its striking resemblance to the now famous “Tic Tac UFO” incident. But we can find similarities with actions taken by the Tic Tac UFO and the object witnessed in Shag Harbour in 1967.In fact, the event in Nova Scotia meets at least one of the traits laid out by the former director of the once secret Pentagon UFO program, Luis Elizondo. Under AATIP (Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program), Elizondo compiled a list of incredible capabilities commonly associated with UFO sightings. He called these traits the “Five Observables.” As stated on the TTSA website, they include:-Sudden and instantaneous acceleration-Hypersonic velocities without signatures-Low observability-Trans-medium travel-Positive liftIf we are to observe the actions of the Shag Harbour object(s), it most certainly hits #4, Trans-Medium Travel. According to the AATIP criteria, this involves:Objects that have the ability to travel easily in various environments and conditions seemingly without any change in performance capabilities. Our current understanding of physics requires vehicles to be designed specifically according to their application. For this reason, there are stark differences between those vehicles that orbit in space, fly in the atmosphere, and travel in the sea. Objects that can travel in all three mediums using the same design and without compromising performance or degrading lift remains an enigma.This, and several other observables, make the Shag Harbour object most certainly an enigma. And while its performance may have in fact been compromised that day in the skies and eventually, in the waters of Nova Scotia, it begs for continued investigation. The extraordinary testimonies given to Styles and Ledger, were said to be highly credible individuals. However, their names remained confidential to protect them from possible threat or security oaths.Therefore, the aforementioned information, just like most witness testimony by military and authority figures, was given “off the record.”No matter the case, something extremely strange occurred in Shag Harbor on that dark, cold night, and even stretched southward towards the United States.It remains one of the most compelling UFO cases of all-time, only bringing forth more questions than answers. It’s left even the most skeptical minds scratching their heads.It could be best summarized with a quote from an October 14th editorial from The Chronicle-Herald :“Imagination and/or natural phenomena seem to be the weakest of explanations. It has been a tough week for skeptics.” Next up we head to the birthplace of one of the worlds most beloved musicians. A man who will the ladies love and every man want to be. A man who helped write the greatest musical anthems of all time. That's right… Chad Kroeger of Nickelback! We're heading to Alberta! And may we be the first to say… Fuck you Alberta for that whole fiasco. Any rate that's not what we're talking about here… That dude is way scarier than our next creepy Canadian tale! We're heading more specifically to Fort Kent, Alberta. We're going from aliens to evil spirits… But not ghosts, we're talking  Wendigo! The tale of the fort Kent Wendigo is pretty crazy. The Wendigo is a mythological creature part of Algonquin legend that speaks of an evil spirit that could possess the minds of men mad with grief and despair, driving them to commit gruesome acts of murder and cannibalism. Such a creature is alleged to exist somewhere around Fort Kent, with a chilling legend that goes back nearly 100 years ago. Thomas Burton was a young doctor that arrived in Fort Kent from England in 1921 when it was but a humble colony. Burton came to Fort Kent with his wife to treat an outbreak of small pox that had befallen the small community, allegedly on the backs of rats.Burton also hoped that by leaving England, he would leave behind the horrible memories he had of World War I. Initially the young doctor was successful in fighting the disease, and the townsfolk embraced him and his wife as miracle workers, but the disease’s spread suddenly became uncontrollable, and Burton became overwhelmed with the sick and dying. It wasn’t long before his wife too fell ill, and when she succumbed to the sickness, Burton locked himself in his house with her dead body. In the following days, Burton went mad with grief, and according to legend was possessed by the Wendigo. Under the evil spirit’s influence, he ate his wife’s flesh. When he was done with her, Burton turned his attention to the residents of Fort Kent, and allegedly went on a killing spree for the next three days with few spared, said to be some of the grisliest murders in Canadian history. At the end of the third day, it is said Burton disappeared into the woods around Fort Kent, and was never seen or heard from again. When he and his wife had arrived, there were 150 people in Fort Kent — 11 were all that remained, at least according to the legend. Burton’s was not the first high-profile case of Wendigo possession in Western Canada — the first official hanging to take place in the region was also attributed to a man possessed by the evil spirit. Swift Runner, a Plains Cree trapper, was arrested after he admitted to killing and eating his wife and children during the winter of 1878, 25 miles from a Hudson’s Bay Company outpost stocked with emergency supplies. Because he committed such a heinous crime while help was so close by, he was believed to be possessed by the Wendigo After he confessed to the crime, Swift Runner was hung in Fort Saskatchewan. Today the community we know as Fort Kent no longer sits at the location Burton’s terrible murders were committed, but residents sometimes report strange cries resembling that of a coyote coming from the tree line, and children are warned not to be in the fields too long past dark, lest they be taken by the Wendigo. Sounds like a pleasant place! As you all know Tom Cochran once told us all via song that life is a highway and we're gonna ride it all night long to where he's from… Manitoba Canada! Now if you follow your cryptids, like you should you have probably heard of Ogopogo, a lake monster in british columbia but some people are not aware of another pretty famous lake monster in Manitoba. This one is somewhat named after Ogopogo, it's called Manipogo, get it… Cus Manitoba...Mani...pogo… well whatever. In Canadian folklore, the Manipogo is a lake monster said to live in Lake Manitoba, Manitoba, Canada. There is also a Lake Winnipegosis sea monster called Winnepogo, thought possibly to be the same creature as the lakes are connected. Not very creative with the names but… You know… Canada? The monster is described as being from 4 to 15 meters long. It is described as "A long muddy-brown body with humps that show above the water, and a sheep-like head." People have claimed to have seen the lake monster since the 1800s. The name was created by Tom Locke, a land inspector in charge of planning the provincial government's program for public playgrounds and recreational parks. On Aug. 10, 1960, he and 16 others said they saw three creatures swimming near the area of Toutes Aides, a community 245 kilometres northwest of Winnipeg, on the shore of Lake Manitoba. First Nations stories of Manipogo go back centuries, while the first documented sighting by a white settler came in 1909, when Hudson's Bay Company fur trader Valentine McKay claimed to see a huge creature in Cedar Lake. Timber inspector C.F. Ross and a friend were next, saying they saw a single-horned creature that looked like a dinosaur in 1935. And in 1948, C.P. Alric claimed to see something rise up from Lake Manitoba and let out a "prehistoric type of dinosaur cry." Here are some of the stories of sightings:1957: Louis Belcher and Eddie Nipanik say they saw a giant serpent-like creature in the lake.Aug. 12, 1962: Two fishermen, Richard Vincent and John Konefall, claim to have seen a large creature, like a serpent or giant snake from their boat on Lake Manitoba near the mouth of the Waterhen River.1960s: A couple say they saw a "reptile-like beast" surfacing about 10 metres from their boat.1989: Sean Smith and family, visiting from Minneapolis on a camping trip, stayed at Shallow Point Campground, off Highway 6 on Lake Manitoba. He described seeing "many humps" in the lake, about 25 metres offshore.1997: Several reports by cross-country campers from Quebec staying at the Lundar Beach Campground describe what appeared to be a large reptile head rising and falling in the water, more than 100 metres offshore. Swimmers were asked to leave the water, but the "head" only appeared one time. It was dismissed as a floating log, but no log was seen afterward.2004: Commercial fisherman Keith Haden, originally from Newfoundland and Labrador, reported that several of his fishing nets on Lake Manitoba near the narrows were torn up by what seemed like an ocean shark or killer whale. The fish that were in the nets were not nibbled on, but actually torn in half, he said, by what seemed like huge bites.2009: Several residents at Twin Lakes Beach reported seeing several humps a few hundred metres from their lakefront cottages. No photos were taken.2011: Many sightings of several humps emerging and then submerging, seen from offshore, were reported at locations like Marshy Point, Scotch Bay, and Laurentia Beach by security personal patrolling flooded cottage and home areas.Aug. 9, 2012: A report claimed that just offshore of the outlet at Twin Beach Road, something surfaced twice, showing a scaled/sawtooth jagged back, like that of a giant sturgeon. Sounds like a good time to me! Let's roll! Where are we rolling too? Well hopefully we'll run into Rain Maida of Our Lady Peace cus we're heading to a town near St. Catherine's Ontario. We're actually heading to Thorold Ontario and we're gonna check out the Blue Ghost Tunnel! The Merritton Tunnel, also known as the Blue Ghost Tunnel and the Grand Trunk Railway Tunnel, is an abandoned railway tunnel in Thorold, Ontario. The decision to build the tunnel came from the need for a more durable and less interrupted way to cross the new canal situated directly above it via vehicles. Constructed in 1875, Completed in 1876, and Opened in 1887. The tunnel is located between locks 18 and 19 of the former third Welland Canal and was built using Queenston limestone, spanning a total length of 713 feet when including the winged stone work at either end. Hundreds of men armed with picks and shovels, as well as several horses were used in the excavation of the tunnel. The tunnel was used periodically until 1915, when Harry Eastwood was the last official engineer to pilot a train through the tunnel. Following that, the tunnel was used only occasionally by farmers to transport cattle or as a safe passage from the weather. Several fatal accidents occurred during the construction and use of the tunnel and the railway running through it. In 1875, a 14-year-old was killed when he was crushed under a large rock. On January 3, 1903 at 7:03 AM, Engine Number 4 and Engine Number 975 met in a head-on collision approximately a third of a mile from the western entrance of the tunnel. The trains were moving at approximately 22 miles per hour when they crashed, and the firemen of both trains, Charles Horning of Engine Number 4 and Abraham Desult from Engine Number 975, died as a result of their injuries. Charles Horning, the fireman on the express train was gruesomely pinned between the flaming hot boiler and the tentler. During his attempted rescue, the engineers and post-guards tried to pull his mangled body free, which resulted in his arms and legs being messily severed from his body.   One train worker even reported that Horning’s watch still ticked on his severed arm. His body would never be fully recovered from the remains of the train.   The fireman for the Mogul train, Abraham Desult, was flung into the boiler resulting in burns over 90 percent of his body. He was rushed to the hospital and died five hours later.  For the Blue Ghost Tunnel, stories include people seeing blue wisps that are said to be the spirits of the Firemen. Alternate versions claim a blue mist haunts the tunnel and a ghost dog prowls the area at night.  Some say the wisps do not belong to the Firemen, but to the souls of those whose nearby graves were flooded in the 1920’s. At that time, St. Peter’s Cemetery was flooded over to make way for a canal reservoir. Some families removed their beloved’s bones from the Lutheran burial ground before the flooding occurred but many graves remained. In 2009, a man found human remains in the area after water levels sank to a low level.  Since people talk about feeling a shove, hearing footsteps and voices that don't belong to anyone. There are reports of blue balls of light to go asking with the most as well. There are many skeptics however and there have been a few paranormal investigators that have claimed they didn't find any proof of the tunnel being haunted. But hey… What do they know! Ok we already made a Nickelback joke about Alberta… But now we're turning it lose and working for the weekend in the home of fucking Loverboy! While they're not from our next location exactly, they are from Calgary which from what the internet says it's about an hour and a half away… Close fucking enough.  We're not headed to Calgary as I said… We're headed to Banff! Banff is a resort town and one of Canada's most popular tourist destinations. Known for its mountainous surroundings and hot springs, it is a destination for outdoor sports and features extensive hiking, biking, scrambling and skiing destinations within the area. Sunshine Village, Ski Norquay and Lake Louise Ski Resort are the three nearby ski resorts located within the national park. We're not here for a sight seeing visit though… At least not a ski weekend. We're here to check out the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel. Since it opened to the public in 1888, the Banff Springs Hotel has seen history, celebrity, and rebuilds, but it’s also seen tragedy. Millions of guests have checked in, but a few have never checked out. Some even believe that they still roam the halls of the iconic concrete castle in the Rockies, today. In 132 years, the popular Alberta vacation spot has allegedly set the scene for horrific murders, suicides, and terrible accidents. Rooms have been boarded up, and the paranormal are frequently recorded. Some are skeptical, but many claim to have seen it with their own eyes. The bride of the Banff Springs is perhaps the most ‘active’ shadow of the hotel, even appearing on collector’s stamps and coins. Like many ghost stories, retold hundreds of times, the details have become embellished and no one is quite sure who or what happened to the elusive women in white. The most popular theory, dating back to 1920, was that a bride had fallen down a flight of stairs after she tripped on the hem of her dress. She’s typically reported, veiled and dancing throughout the grand ballroom. Other unexplained apparitions and heavy activity have been recorded in room 873. Unfortunately, for adrenaline junkies or Shining fans looking to get a 5-star spook, the room doesn’t actually exist anymore. Apparently, after years of people claiming that they were terrorized in the suite, the hotel decided to permanently seal the room. Guests in the room have reported being awakened by screaming. When they turned on the lights, they would see bloody hand prints on the mirror. Depending on who tells the story, the hand prints either disappeared before hotel staff had a chance to clean them or wouldn’t come off at all. Although hotel staff claims that no such crime ever took place, the room is believed to be the place where a man killed his wife and daughter before taking his own life. Stories of Sam McCAuley, a genial old Scotsman who was head bellman during the sixties and seventies, have been circulating around the hotel since his passing in 1975. Supposedly, Sam is a helpful sort of spirit, and most stories involving him mention some service he’s provided to staff or guests. One incident involved two elderly women calling the bell desk for assistance after they found their key would not work. The regular bellman was occupied with other duties and didn’t respond for 15 minutes. By the time he arrived at their door, it was unlocked. One of the women said an older bellman in a plaid jacket, matching Sam’s description exactly, had helped them. Other stories including guests seeing Sam haunting his old office (now a guest room) on the mezzanine floor as well as seeing apparitions and feeling cold spots on the sixth, seventh or ninth floors of the hotel.  While they’d rather not mention room numbers, there are specific rooms that staff say are haunted aside from 873 Guests have reported having the pillows yanked out from under their heads while they slept or even being pushed off the bed by some unseen entity. Whatever spirits haunt this room, it’s safe to say that if they can’t rest in peace, they want to make sure you won’t either.  Next up we roll up like today's Tom sawyer and live in the limelight with rush in Toronto! We are gonna check out the gibraltar point lighthouse. The Gibraltar Point Lighthouse is a lighthouse located on the Toronto Islands in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Begun in 1808, it is the oldest existing lighthouse on the Great Lakes, and one of Toronto's oldest buildings. The lighthouse is perhaps best known for the demise of its first keeper, German-born John Paul Radelmüller, whose 1815 murder forms the basis of Toronto's most enduring ghost story. Recent research has verified many aspects of the traditional tale of his death and identified the soldiers charged with but ultimately acquitted of the crime. A local legend is that the lighthouse is haunted by its first keeper John Paul Radelmüller. Rademuller disappeared under mysterious circumstances on January 2, 1815. The story goes that he was murdered by two soldiers who had been enjoying his home-brewed beer. Versions of the story differ slightly (one version told in the mid-2000s was that Rademuller was killed after the soldiers bought the beer, but saw it freeze on the cold winter night and assumed that the alcohol content was so low that the lighthouse keeper was trying to rip them off). But most agree that Rademuller was killed that night and dismembered by his killers, who buried his body in a few graves near the lighthouse. His ghost is said to still haunt the site.The story was recorded by John Ross Robertson in 1908 in Landmarks of Toronto and has become a staple of spooky local lore ever since. Even in his telling, Robertson raises skepticism that the murder ever occurred, but he writes that he heard the story from the current lighthouse keeper, George Durnan, who had apparently gone looking for a body and had dug up a coffin with a jawbone. The plaque at the lighthouse mentions the ghost story and the jawbone, although this was a somewhat controversial decision. People report seeing the apparition of a man wandering the grounds. Some say it is Radelmüller looking for his lost limbs! Since nights bring unexplained meaning sounds and an unexplained mist forming. Inside the tower there's unexplained thumping, banging, and echos. There's also reports of footsteps and what sounds like something being dragged. Creepy lighthouse… Fun stuff! You fuckers hungry? I'm sure Moody is. At any rate at our next stop maybe we'll hunt some orcs with 3 inches of blood or pet a skinny puppy, drink some beer with The Real McKenzies or get a shitty hair cut with Devin Townshend. Or maybe we can head down to the old spaghetti factory in Vancouver and go ghost hunting! The first Old Spaghetti Factory restaurant opened at this location in Gastown in 1970. Located in what was once the headquarters of W.H. Malkin Co. Ltd. (grocery wholesalers). The Old Spaghetti Factory has four ghosts in residence. The first and best known is the spirit of a tram conductor. He frequents the old trolley car that’s parked inside the restaurant and contains dining tables. The trolley, Number 53, was once a part of the British Columbia Electric Railway Company’s fleet of electric trams. Built in nearby New Westminster in 1904, it served as a public transit trolley in and around Vancouver for many years. In 1957, it and dozens of other trolley cars were decommissioned in favour of the electric and diesel buses that are commonplace in the city today. The trolley car was installed in the building in 1969, during the set-up of the restaurant. It’s up for debate whether the conductor’s ghost came with the trolley or not. Some say he died in a collision on an underground rail line below the restaurant. But this is unlikely because Vancouver’s trolley cars all ran at street level. And as the building has no historical connection with the B.C. Electric Railway Co., the ghost probably came with the tram car. Tram Car 53Regardless of his origin, various staff members have seen the ghost of the uniformed conductor. He always appears seated at the same dining table inside the streetcar late at night, after closing. Also, place settings are moved by unseen hands, and inexplicable cold spots are experienced inside the car. The second ghost at The Old Spaghetti Factory is a small, mischievous spirit with a ruddy face and bright red hair. Simply known as the Little Red Man or Looky-loo, he calls out to staff members by name and strolls through the kitchen. His favourite prank is to surprise female customers in the ladies’ washroom. On one particular occasion, two ladies saw the dwarfish man leave one of the cubicles, dressed in a red shirt and red long johns. After looking at them and laughing mischievously, he left through the washroom door. To their surprise, nobody else had seen the unmistakable man leave the washroom. It’s said that one of the women took a picture of the ghost. But when the film was developed, he appeared as a blur. Nobody knows who the little red man is or why he haunts the restaurant. One thing’s for certain, however — he’s a devilish little fellow. The restaurant’s third ghost is that of a young boy. In early 2012, this ghost gave a female server a terrible fright. She was in the back section of the restaurant, helping to close up for the night. While she was busy resetting some tables, a boy ran past her towards the very back. With it being so late and no customers left in the restaurant, she thought it was strange that a boy was running around. So she followed him. The boy ran under a table alongside the back wall, turned around and looked up at her. When she looked at his face, she saw that his eye sockets were empty. Terrified, she ran to the front of the restaurant to tell the manager about what she’d seen. She told him that she couldn’t work at the restaurant any longer and resigned on the spot. A psychic visited the restaurant and identified the ghost of the little boy as Edward. She also pointed out that there’s a vortex located at the back of the premises. (A vortex is a supposed portal to other dimensions that enables spirits to come into our world. Some also believe that vortexes are linked to the Earth’s electromagnetic field. This influences where and when these portals open and close.) She also claimed that several small artifacts that decorate the restaurant have spirits attached to them. The boy ghost is thought to be responsible for bending cutlery on tables in the back of the restaurant. One night during closing hours, a staff member walked through the back area to check that place settings had been properly laid out. He was stunned to see that each cutlery item was bent upwards on one of the tables. Other staff members saw the bent cutlery, too. But by the time they brought the restaurant manager over to see, it was all back to normal. In addition, the ghost sometimes places a dining chair on top of a table in the back section, which the staff find in the morning. In 2015, another server had an encounter with Edward. After closing, she saw the boy dressed in a flat cap, wool jacket and corduroy pants run towards the back of the restaurant. She chased him and, as he’s done before, he ducked under a table. She ran to the front of the restaurant to take the manager back with her to see the boy. But when they got there he was gone. And then they noticed that the place settings had been disturbed — the cutlery was all in a pile in the middle of the tabletop. On another occasion, a customer sat in a row of booths behind the entrance to the restaurant. She saw the boy reflected in a mirror on the back wall. He was using an arm to spin around a narrow column behind the front desk. When she turned around to look at the boy, he’d vanished. The fourth ghost in the Old Spaghetti Factory is of a little girl who appears at a table in the front window. She sits and holds a balloon. Nobody knows who she is. Once, a friend of the restaurant’s general manager had a conversation with her that lasted several minutes. The little girl explained to him that she was looking for her mother. When he returned to the table after telling the manager about her, she’d disappeared. Dinner and a ghost show sounds pretty awesome. Next up we're not going to hell but we'll still be in good company with The Dead With In Regina, Saskatchewan. And maybe we'll win some money and see a ghost or two! Casino Regina is a casino located on Saskatchewan Drive — (formerly South Railway Street) — in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada. It operates in the city's former union station, a Tyndall and ashlar stone structure completed in 1912. The Beaux-Arts style Union Station was constructed in 1911-12 and was actually Regina's third train station; the first is now a museum in Broadview, Saskatchewan. The station was completed the same year the deadly "Regina Cyclone" struck the city, tearing through Wascana Park and gutting part of the downtown area. The building underwent a major expansion in 1931, and the original façade was redone in a simpler Art Deco style with Tyndall stone. As well, terrazzo floors, marble support columns and plaster molded ceilings where added to the interior.[1] In the early 1990s, cutbacks to rail services throughout Canada lead to the closure of Regina's Union Station. The Station had been an important part of Regina's history and heritage since its opening in 1912. After the station's closure, its fate remained unknown for several years. Union Station was designated as an official heritage site in 1991. By 1995, a $37 million construction project began to convert the vacant station into the province's second casino. In 1996, Casino Regina opened. The first recorded supernatural encounter occurred in the 1930s, when a ghostly image of a woman was captured in a photograph, even though the room was empty. To this day the photo haha in the casino! Below the Casino the mystery continues in one of the former holding cells. Rumour has it that one prisoner was so determined to avoid jail time that he committed suicide by hanging himself. His ghost is felt so often that many staff members refuse to even go into his cell, even though it is now used for storage. Not to many places you can gamble and see ghosts at the same time! Next up we are heading to new brunswick… Look... apparently there is not one band or musician that most of you people would know from new brunswick so we got nothing here. The only one that any of us have heard of is Stompin Tom Connors, he sings a song called The Hockey Song which I guarantee you've heard of you've attended a hockey game.  Well with that dumb shit behind us let's head to the Dungarvon River. A young cook by the name of Ryan hired himself out to work in a lumber camp near the Dungarvon River.  When he arrived at camp, he brought all his worldly possessions with him.  Around his waist was fastened a money belt stuffed with coins and large bills.  Nobody knew where he got the money, but the young cook made no secret of the fact that there was plenty of it. Ryan was a handsome fellow, tall and strong with ruddy cheeks and black, curly hair.  He was well liked and could whoop and holler better than anyone in the camp; and a good strong shout was an accomplishment much valued among woodsmen. Every morning Ryan was the first one up so as to prepare breakfast and fill the lunch pails with bread and salt pork.  Then he would let out a tremendous ear-splitting whoop to get everyone up.  After breakfast the men would go off to work leaving young Ryan alone. It was an unlucky day for Ryan, for on this particular morning, the camp boss decided to remain with the young cook.  The boss was a stranger, but he was respected and his orders were obeyed. When the men returned late in the afternoon, they found young Ryan lying lifeless on the floor.  He was dead and his money belt was gone. When asked what had happened, the boss said the young cook had taken sick suddenly and died.  None dared question him further but the woodsmen were suspicious.  Where was the money belt? That night a raging storm swept upon the camp making it impossible to leave so the men had to bury the poor cook in a shallow grave in the forest.  As they trudged back to the camp they stopped dead in their tracks, for above the howling and moaning of the wind came the most dreadful whoops and screams anyone has ever heard.  It continued all that night and all the next day driving the men crazy with fear.  They left camp never to return. For years the haunting sounds continued until Father Murdock, a priest from Renous, was asked to put the poor spirit to rest. From over the wilderness grave Father Murdock read some holy words from the Bible and made a sign of the cross. Some say Father Murdock succeeded in quieting the ghost but others declare the fearful cries of Ryan can be heard to this very day.Next we are taking a long journey up to the Yukon Territory. There's a dude who's production and writing credits include Madonna, Nicki Minaj, Kendrick Lamar… Whatever… Fuck that guy… we are headed there to check it an old hotel and bar. The Caribou Hotel is one of the oldest buildings in the Southern Lakes Region and is one of the last two historic three-storey frame commercial buildings in Yukon dating from the early 20th century. This landmark structure stands in its original location and is one of the first properties recognized when entering Carcross. Its size, massing and historic character provide an anchor to Dawson Charlie Street, one of the last Yukon streets composed entirely of historic buildings relatively unchanged since 1910. The Caribou Hotel has housed one of Yukon's longest continuously operating food and lodging businesses. In Carcross, the hotel prospered under several owners including Dawson Charlie, who had made a fortune from his Klondike gold claims. But Dawson Charlie died on January 26, 1908, when he fell of the rail bridge at Carcross. Edwin and Bessie Gideon then rented the hotel from his estate. But the building burned to the ground on Christmas Eve in 1909. So the Gideons built a new hotel on the same spot, using wood from a building that had been torn down in nearby Conrad City. The Caribou’s interesting history continued when, in 1918, Polly the Parrot moved in. Captain James Alexander, owner of Engineer Mine, had asked the Gideons to take care of the Parrot while he went outside. Alexander drowned when the Princess Sophia sank in 1918. Polly stayed with the Gideons who continued to operate the hotel. When Edwin Gideon died in 1925, Bessie ran it until she died in the hotel on October 27, 1933. Since then, strange things have been seen at the Caribou. The hotel is said to be haunted by Bessie's ghost, considered a shy spirit. A story is told of the figure of a woman who often stands near a third floor window and bangs on the floorboards. She is thought to be the ghost of Bessie, described as a spirit that is neither friendly nor unfriendly. Though she was said to have been buried in Carcross, a cemetery survey has been unable to find Bessie Gideon’s grave, but Polly the Parrot, who died in the hotel in 1972, is buried in the cemetery. The Caribou Hotel is now a Yukon historic site, soon to reopen under new management and - legend has it - still haunted.  Well that's gonna do it for our first trip to creepy Canada. You politely mortified us and showed us a good time and we will definitely be back to run another train through creepy Canada! There's tons of crazy hotels and buildings with ghost stories. Hopefully you guys enjoyed the ones we picked and hopefully we did them some sort of justice. If there's some wrong info blame the fucking internet.The Midnight Train Podcast is sponsored by VOUDOUX VODKA.www.voudoux.com Ace’s Depothttp://www.aces-depot.com BECOME A PRODUCER!http://www.patreon.com/themidnighttrainpodcast Find The Midnight Train Podcast:www.themidnighttrainpodcast.comwww.facebook.com/themidnighttrainpodcastwww.twitter.com/themidnighttrainpcwww.instagram.com/themidnighttrainpodcastwww.discord.com/themidnighttrainpodcastwww.tiktok.com/themidnighttrainp And wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts. Subscribe to our official YouTube channel:OUR YOUTUBE

Welcome to episode 21! We bring you haunted Canadian hotels and the Loch Ness Monster! Stay spooky my friends.

If this manor wasn't haunted enough, condensing all the spirits into the manor will make it haunted enough. Featuring the worlds most helpful ghost bellman. But be careful! If you're too boring, he might ✌️ from your conversation.

How could such a breath taking place be so haunted?! For real this place is insanely gorgeous! Would You stay? It's Spooky Season! Join me every Tuesday for a new haunted place. We'll talk about the history of it and what makes it so haunted/spooky. Make sure you check out today's blog and Instagram post. Let's talk about it! Instagram - @caffeinecrimepodcast New true crime blog post every Tuesday about current episode over at https://caffeinecrimepodcast.blogspot.com/2020/10/the-fairmont-banff-springs-hotel-s4e5.html --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/ally673/support

In the latest episode of Trippin With Bondzee I talk about my horrendous experience of taking too many chocolate mushrooms and the madness that ensued. I also talk about my incredible experience of living and working at the Banff Springs Hotel. I also talk about my near death experience in Costa Rica. Buckle up and enjoy Trippin With Bondzee. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/greg-bond/message Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tonight J heads to Canada to tell us about the hauntings of a 1800s hotel. Meanwhile, Leslie heads to Central Texas to talk about the land known as the Devils Backbone and its ghostly stories. Are you getting ready for Halloween? We are! And we want to hear from you! If you have any stories, the creepier the better, send them our way to podcastlegends@gmail.com. So grab some coffee, tip the bellhop and listen to these Legends in the Dark!! Legendary Listener shout out this week goes to Perth-Kinross U.K. Thank you for listening!!!!

Deep within the Canadian Rockies just on the outskirts of the village Banff lies the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel. While locals say it is one of the most haunted buildings in the country; the staff there may not always agree.

In today's episode, Kristin meets with her best friend's mom Kathy- the reason why she is interested in the paranormal. Kathy shares the stories of the ghost bride and the bellboy at the Banff Springs Hotel, as well as her personal stories of visits from her late father.

**There was an upload issue, this is FULL EPISODE.** Bringing you Real Canadian Stories. The Real Scary Podcast brings you the story of the Infamous Ghost Bride of Banff Springs Hotel, also the spectral Bellman, Sam and a mysterious walled off Room. I also go south of the border to the U.S for a story that I first heard years ago and haven't been able to ever forget. This is the story of Linda Hazzard and Starvation Heights in Washington. Please be sure to check out the Episode 19 blog at realscarypodcast.ca!

Get ready for the first episode of Everything that Pops. Cass explains why she started this podcast and tell ghost stories from a hotel in Canada.

Get ready to not sleep tonight after you hear about the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel haunted stories and first-time guest J and their real-life haunted hotel stories! Get into some history about this infamous hotel in Alberta, Canada, with some what-if factors about haunted and conspiracy aspects of this "castle". It's freaky yall! Here's some sources. https://www.fairmont.com/banff-springs/https://www.fairmont.com/banff-springs/, https://www.hauntedrooms.com/canada/haunted-places/haunted-hotels/banff-springs-hotel-alberta, https://www.champchefs.com/retrospectives/a-majestic-presence-the-banff-springs-hotel.html. J's link for their brothers new 2ndHandThrift store, check it!https://3dprint2020.myshopify.com/Links for BLM and sources for news article.https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.cnn.com/cnn/2020/06/05/us/breonna-taylor-birthday-charges-arrests-case-trnd/index.htmlHow to financially help if you don't have any money (This is one of many):https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bCgLa25fDHM OR https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1tsIPnDF4CMHow to financially help if you do have money to spare (This is one of many, this is for the NAACP Legal Defense Fund) : https://org2.salsalabs.com/o/6857/p/salsa/donation/common/public/?donate_page_KEY=16304&track=DUXXX1G&utm_source=2020searchgoogle&utm_medium=search&utm_campaign=searchevergreen&gclid=Cj0KCQjwiYL3BRDVARIsAF9E4GfnZJlNW5YJYUFMN5knqsD2OfVDcSFl-rRTqviXQvjRI125fdjuW50aAi9YEALw_wcBHow to educate yourself (This is just one movie and one book, there are many other FREE or expensed ways to educate yourself): https://nymag.com/strategist/article/anti-racist-reading-list.htmlWatch Just Mercy Here: https://www.amazon.com/Just-Mercy-Michael-B-Jordan/dp/B082YJ8THXListen to Code Switch, where I got the list of Black Americans that have died at the hands of police: https://www.npr.org/2020/05/29/865261916/a-decade-of-watching-black-people-die

We interview Dr. David Aveline about his new project studying people who see or experience ghosts.  He's just getting started, but it's a really interesting conversation about how one puts together research into such a strange and complicated topic. Notes: An article about Dr. Aveline's research   The Thomas Theorem (1928) by William Isaac Thomas and Dorothy Swaine Thomas “If men define situations as real, they are real in their consequences.” The Banff Springs Hotel - allegedly haunted hotel discussed in the episode The Stanley Hotel - Colorado hotel, inspiration for The Overlook in The Shining

The Banff Springs Hotel has long stood as one of Canada's busiest Hotels. This week, the SPIRIT boys look into some of the reported spirits, and try to solve the mysteries of The Castle In the Rockies. But First....they're going to take a trip to the Dollar Store, that that might get them arrested. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/canadianspirit/message

How sparkling wine spice up your menu? What complementary taste rule can you use to pair your food with wine? Which wines should you never pair with Indian food? Which red wine should be at the top of your list for pairing with spicy food? Does ambiance affect your wine tasting experience? In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, Celebrity chef and author Vikram Vij and Head Sommelier Sean Nelson share their insider tips and tricks to help you pair wine with spicy, complex food like a pro. Highlights What should you know about the Indian wine industry? How should you approach food and wine pairing? Should you drink sparkling wine throughout a meal? Does Riesling pair well with spicy food? Why does the specific Gewurtztraminer have to be carefully chosen when pairing with spicy food? How can you keep your palate from feeling overwhelmed when tasting wine? What can you expect from the wine selection at Vij’s? Why should you have a glass of Krug at Vij’s? About Vikram Vij and Sean Nelson Vikram Vij was born in India in 1964 and lived in New Delhi and Bombay until the age of 20, when he went to study, live and work in Austria. While he was there he received his chef certificate from the Salzburg Hotel Management School. Vikram moved to Canada in 1989 to work at the Banff Springs Hotel in Alberta. Vikram became a certified sommelier from the International Sommelier Guild in 2000, and is passionate about pairing wines with his cuisine. Vikram is a serial restauranteur, author and television personality and he has appeared on hit shows such as Chopped, Top Chef, and Dragons’ Den. He’s also the first Indian chef to earn a sommelier degree. Sean was born in White Rock, BC and grew up in Greater Vancouver. He entered the Hospitality industry at age 16 and after becoming certified and spending time in wine regions around the world, in 2013, upon returning to Vancouver he took the job of Sommelier at Vij’s Restaurant. While at Vij’s, Sean passed his Advanced Sommelier Examination on the first attempt to become Western Canada's youngest Advanced Sommelier in 2016. Vij’s Restaurant has been awarded back to back Platinum Awards at the Vancouver Wine Festival Wine List Awards of Excellence in 2016 and 2017 and in 2017 was named one of Wine Enthusiast Magazine’s Top 10 Wine Restaurants in Canada.   To learn more about the resources mentioned in this episode, visit the https://www.nataliemaclean.com/68.

On this weeks episode Holly discusses the brutal murder of Travis Alexander. & after that Danyelle talks about some well kept secrets & some friendly spirits over at the Banff Springs Hotel.   Music: https://www.purple-planet.com

If you’re already a fan of Weird Darkness, please share a link to this episode on your social media, and tell your friends and family about the podcast!Tired of commercials interrupting your listening experience? For just $5 per month you can listen to all past, present, and future #WeirdDarkness episodes commercial-free – plus BONUS AUDIO and news about the podcast! Learn more at: http://www.WeirdDarkness.com/WEIRDO.IN THIS EPISODE: (Dark Archives Double Trouble Episode with previously released stories from August 13-14, 2018) *** 
One of paranormal history’s most bizarre, worldwide, phenomena, the Men In Black, traces its origin directly back to one man, and his name was Albert. (The Albert K. Bender Story) *** Daryl Collins’ encounters demonstrate the sheer level of weirdness that surrounds the UFO phenomenon. (Alien Abductions and High Strangeness) *** A young girl sees an odd cube shape floating in her back yard among the trees. Was it extraterrestrial, paranormal, or just the wild imagination of a child? (Floating Multi-Color Box) *** What began as a joke to tease his sister, became all too real for the boy. (Ouija) *** Legend has it that a man murdered his wife and young daughter, before committing suicide. Has this caused the Banff Springs Hotel to become haunted? (Room 873) *** Frank Nash was not only an infamous outlaw, but he could escape just about any prison – even the prison of his own coffin after being dead and buried. (The Kansas City Massacre) *** Due to a murderous plot, 11-year old Terry Jo Duperrault spent 84 grueling hours alone at sea until she was rescued. (Orphaned At Sea) *** Moving into your own place alone for the first time is often an exciting moment in a young adult’s life – but it can also be a bit nerve-racking. But then, it probably doesn’t help if you move into a place that is haunted. (My Closet Door) *** The true story of Rasputin is full of both truths and lies. Was he a controversial mystic with healing powers, or an evil or misunderstood man? Maybe he was a little of both. (Rasputin) *** The Lake Club in Springfield, Illinois had its heyday in 1940s and 50s – and not even a lingering ghost could stop the parties. (The Lake Club Ghost)STORY AND MUSIC CREDITS/SOURCES…“Alien Abductions and High Strangeness” by Nick Redfern: http://bit.ly/2LlDcZZ “The Albert K. Bender Story” by Michael J. Bielawa: http://bit.ly/33Q3VEl “Floating Multi-Color Box” by Keileigh Mather: http://bit.ly/2DKQJ9r “Ouija” by Juan Guzzman.. submitted directly to WeirdDarkness.com. “Room 873” by Jessica Ferri: http://bit.ly/33IH1ih “The Kansas City Massacre” by Troy Taylor: http://bit.ly/34P0hfn “The Lake Club Ghost” by Troy Taylor: http://bit.ly/2rOEG8q “Orphaned at Sea” by Gabe Paoletti: http://bit.ly/33LIhBd “My Closet Door”: http://bit.ly/2DMt884 “Rasputin” by Ellen Lloyd: http://bit.ly/2rW5eUZ Background music provided by EpidemicSound and AudioBlocks with paid license. Music by Shadows Symphony (http://bit.ly/2W6N1xJ) and Midnight Syndicate (http://amzn.to/2BYCoXZ) is also sometimes used with permission. SUPPORT THE PODCAST…Become a PATRON (Official Weirdo): http://www.WeirdDarkness.com/WEIRDO Visit my sponsors: http://www.WeirdDarkness.com/sponsors MY RECORDING TOOLS…* MICROPHONE (Neumann TLM103): http://amzn.to/2if01CL* POP FILTER (AW-BM700): http://amzn.to/2zRIIyK* XLR CABLE (Mogami Gold Studio): http://amzn.to/2yZXJeD * MICROPHONE PRE-AMP (Icicle): http://amzn.to/2vLqLzg * SOFTWARE (Adobe Audition): http://amzn.to/2vLqI6E * HARDWARE (MacBook Pro): http://amzn.to/2vQzD5g I always make sure to give authors credit for the material I use. If I somehow overlooked doing that for a story, or if a credit is incorrect, please let me know and I’ll rectify it the show notes as quickly as possible.***WeirdDarkness™ - is a registered trademark of Marlar House Productions. Copyright © Marlar House Productions, 2019."I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness." — John 12:46 *** How to escape eternal darkness: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2IYmodFKDaM

Surgeon talks about the event with brand Ambassador Mike Brisebois for launch of Tobermory 12 and Ledaig 10. Fireside whisky cocktails at the Banff Springs Hotel. Cocktails smoked on Spirits with Smoke Hickory, Cherry, Maple, Oak and Walnut. Jiunn talks about returning to Scotch whisky from drinking exclusively American whisky and the impact on his palate. Libation News:Red Bison brewery in Calgary closes. Ardbeg SuperNova returns. Scotch whisky references as early as 1505 found. KBS announces Espresso Variant. TWSC Details new ‘Japanese Whisky’ requirements

This backwards hotel was struck with tragedy and misfortune --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Helpful links from the episode: Zoom Pipedrive Copper Typeform FULL SHOW NOTES:[intro music]00:02 Aaron Weiche: Episode 13: Running a Great Sales Demo.00:06 INTRO: Welcome to the SaaS Venture podcast, sharing the adventure of leading and growing a bootstrap SaaS company. Hear the experiences, challenges, wins and losses shared in each episode. From Aaron Weiche of GatherUp and Darren Shaw of Whitespark. Let's go.[music]00:32 AW: Welcome to the SaaS Venture podcast. I'm Aaron.00:36 Darren Shaw: And I'm Darren.00:37 AW: And this week, we are gonna dive into what goes in to running a great sales demo. How do you demo your SaaS product and break down a number of aspects regarding that. A very important piece really, I view it as kind of the absolute cornerstone and the biggest value prop within the sales process. And we'll break that down but first, Darren, let's play a little bit of catchup. What have you been up to lately? 01:08 DS: What have I been up to? Well, lately, I've done a couple auto dealer conferences, I had one in beautiful Banff, Alberta so right in the Rocky Mountains there. That was fantastic.01:19 AW: That place, I have not physically been there but every time I have a friend go there, and they post their photos to Facebook, I'm like, "That place cannot be real."01:27 DS: It's insane, it's so beautiful and it is like... The conference was held at the Banff Springs Hotel, which is basically this amazing castle in the middle of the Rocky Mountains. It's so beautiful. So yeah, it was wonderful, I brought the family, we drove down and spent a few days there, the conference was easy, I spoke to a bunch of auto dealers about getting the most out of Google My Business, and it's been nice 'cause I have this run. So I did the one in Banff and I just got back from Montreal, also a fantastic Canadian city. I did another auto dealer conference in Montreal for a brand called Kijiji. They have this thing, Kijiji Autos. And then I go tomorrow to fly to Vegas for DrivingSales Executive Summit, which is another auto dealer conference. I'm now officially the new Greg Gifford of local search.[laughter]02:25 AW: And Vegas, Vegas baby! 02:27 DS: Yeah, that's right. All I'm doing is auto dealer conferences, it's just been like this string of three in a row, but it's nice 'cause then you can use the same deck, right? So that's fantastic.02:36 AW: Yeah. Well, when we go to promote this podcast, I'm definitely gonna put out a tweet that says there's a new Greg Gifford of the auto industry, and that will quickly catch his attention. That's awesome.02:45 DS: Definitely. Yeah. So I've been dealing with that and that's over and I'll have a lot of free time not doing any more conference speaking probably until January, February, so that'll be nice to have this really good break where I can just be in the office focused on the business. We're building an API for our rank tracking software so a lot of people wanna just pull that data into their own systems or into Google Data Studio, so we're working on that. That should be done right away here, where we're putting the finishing touches. We are also working on a revision of our Local Citation Finder software, it hasn't been updated in a long time. We've had new designs, actually a whole new system built on staging. It's been sitting for months while the team has been distracted with other things. And so once this API is out the door, we're shifting to get that thing done. So I'm excited about launching that.03:41 DS: Another thing that we've been really working on is some customer service things. We've been reviewing our template reports. So if someone asks about this or that, we have these like, "Oh, well, here's some information on that," and then we often end it with like, "Well, please let us know if you have any more questions." And it's like, we really need to do a better job of being like, "When can I set up a demo?" That's a good question. "Can we jump on a call next week?" Being more proactive with encouraging that next step with a customer 'cause so many of our customer support requests that are coming in are actually sales leads, these are people that are like, "I'm interested in that service or product you have, I want some more information on pricing, or whatever." They give them the information, they're like, "High five. Good luck to you. Hopefully one day you become our customer." Rather than hoping for it, we're working on our language and especially how we're closing all those emails to move it to the next stage of the sales process. So I'm excited about that, too.04:46 AW: Yeah, that singular question is actually just a buying signal that you need to capitalize on that like, "Yeah, here's the answer for that, but let's jump on a demo and take a look at things as a whole, as well as dive into your specific question."05:00 DS: Exactly, exactly. Yeah. How about you? What's up? 05:02 AW: Oh, man, I have been wearing out runways around the country. I'm on the end of seven different conferences in six weeks. So yeah, between all those. I just got home yesterday from Philly. I was at a client's conference where I gave three talks in one day there, that was at least nice and concise, and I was only gone from home three days this week. Next week, I'm gone all week, Monday through Friday with three more talks. It's one of those, it's like when I said yes to these, it's like one asked me in January, so I said yes to it in September, and then one asked me in March and so I said yes to it, and then a couple other things, a client travel sprinkles in and then a new conference pops in, it's like, "Oh, that'd be really great exposure." I have over-committed massively and I'm not gonna do this again, I've survived it and there's been a number of great things that come out of it, but when you are spending so much time creating different decks and customizing them and all those things, just way too much at once, I really made it hard on myself.06:13 DS: Yeah, wow, that's a busy schedule. Packed it on. And then it's tough to manage all of the other stuff that's coming up in the business when you're traveling so much. I was like...06:22 AW: Yep.06:22 DS: I was feeling stressed for the last week just because like, "Ahh." You wanna be at the conference and talking to people, but your emails are piling up at the same time. You got all these employees that have questions for you and customers that have questions, so yeah, there's just a lot to deal with.06:37 AW: Well, and the life balance with it, too. It's like, I have four kids, and so, I'm gone Monday through Friday. My wife, that's the real CEO in my house. She's getting everyone to their sports, all kinds of other things, whatever else. And then, when I'm getting home on the weekend, I'm so behind that I'm going into the office for full days on Saturday and Sunday, if not more. And so, I'm not getting quality times with the kids, I'm not helping my wife out. Yeah, so it's just one of those... Luckily, we have a couple of family getaways that I've promised I will be offline, I will be trying to make up... Let my kids remember they have a dad, and get caught up in that side of life. But it's a lot to balance, and I really... I gotta learn to say no. It's great to have those opportunities and to take advantage of them, but I do need to balance it out.07:28 DS: So, are you working from home at all? Or are you mostly are in the office? 07:32 AW: I have an office that's all of 5 miles from my house. I need to have a focused space because with four kids, ... I have one in high school, one in junior high, one in elementary, and one not even in school yet, they're spread out everywhere. But my elementary aged daughter will come home... She gets home at 2:30 in the afternoon, and it's like, I still have three hours of work to put in. So yeah, I have to have a focused space, for sure.08:01 DS: I have that, too. I work from home 100% of the time, I love working from home. And when my daughter gets home from school, I always love to take that... I try to time my coffee break, when I go downstairs and make myself a cup of coffee around when she gets home so I can hang out and just see her. And then I go to back to work. And she does a really good job of respecting my office. When Daddy's working, you gotta leave him alone. It works pretty good.08:27 AW: Yeah, that's good. And good for you. One thing... I admire a ton of things about you professionally, and us being friends over the years, but you are such a good dad. I'm around you when we're on the road and I watch how you communicate with her and that you make time for calls with her. So, you could do a dad best practices podcast and completely...[overlapping conversation]08:48 DS: We should do that together 'cause honestly, I think the same thing about you. I'm always like, "You're my dad inspiration." I'm always ____ you're such a great dad, too.08:58 AW: I have quantity going for me. [chuckle]09:00 DS: Yeah. Well, maybe we'll just switch the SaaS Venture to be the Dad Venture. [chuckle] New podcast.09:06 AW: Yeah. There you go. Well, maybe let's just do an episode sometimes that has to do with being a dad when you're trying to lead and grow a company. Both are very demanding jobs. Right? 09:16 DS: Yeah, being a parent while trying to run a company. That's a great, great episode, yeah. Alright, well...09:22 AW: Alright, coming up.09:23 DS: What else is going on? [chuckle]09:26 AW: Yeah, well, one of the things in the middle of all this is, just two weeks ago, we had our company summit.09:31 DS: Oh, yeah.09:32 AW: All of our North American employees, which totals 13... Actually, would be... We just hired another customer success team member yesterday, we got our signed agreement, so excited about that. We had 14 of our team all together. This is the second year where we've brought them all into... They all fly into Minneapolis, and then we go about three hours north to a resort. Everybody is in two giant cabins. We eat every meal together, we do a lot of... 9:00 to 4:00, we do work stuff, but it's a lot more collaborative, exercises, ideas, things like that. And then, just getting to know each other when you fully work remote.10:19 DS: Wow.10:19 AW: It's one of my favorite weeks of the year. We have a great time, so many laughs, so many... The normal inside office jokes and banter that most people build on a daily basis, we jam all that into a week. We came out of it, we have a new currency in our office now, our product manager did an exercise where you had to buy features that are on our roadmap, and he made these... His name's Mark, and so he made these Mark bucks. Now, everything in our world... Our devs wanna turn Mark bucks into cryptocurrency. Yeah, we're trying to buy people off on things with Mark bucks. Somebody's going to Vegas with friends and we told them not to spend all their Mark bucks on the craps tables.11:04 DS: That's smart.11:05 AW: It's fun.11:06 DS: For example, sales and customer support, they're always pushing for features. And so now, they have to spend their Mark bucks in order to move features up the priority list? Is that the concept? 11:17 AW: Yeah, that exercise is just really looking at, like, "Here's everything we have on our roadmap," and it was tied into year-end, like, "What can we get done in the year-end?" And he basically assigned like, "Here's what this item would cost." And then, the currency was limited, so you actually had to pool together with other people to get enough money to "buy that feature" get it done.11:37 DS: That is so clever. I love that idea.11:39 AW: Yes. It was a really great exercise. And that's just one example. Product had one of those, customer success had one of those, sales... We just had all these different things and just more interactive and fun ways to look at things, get everyone on the same page. Yeah, it's so good. I love our team, and to have that week together and to do so much together both professionally and personally, I have a ton of gratitude for it. It was a great time.12:09 DS: Yeah, I wanna do that stuff. Alright, and what else? Anything else to report on the news when we talk about demos? 12:18 AW: Yeah, one last thing to put out there that I'm sure anyone building a SaaS product, especially when you're hooking into other platform services, things like that, we are waiting on such a small update with Facebook right now. We have the feature and we've had it in their hands to be able to reply to Facebook recommendations right out of GatherUp. We already have a Facebook authorization for monitoring recommendations when they switched and they put recommendations behind a wall, which they have now sub-sequentially pulled out behind the wall. But then, when they added to their API the ability to reply to Facebook review/recommendations, we've added that in. And you have to update your apps with them and we have both our direct app and then the white label app. And it literally has been horrible back and forth. And so, this feature is done waiting in their approval process, and it's just sat there for weeks. And that's super frustrating when you do the work, you get it done and then you're just dependent on this outside party to be able to push it across.13:28 DS: Totally, and it's such an important future for your business. All of your clients that wanna be able to reply to Facebook right within the customer activity feed, that, that's so valuable. Instead of that jumping off to Facebook every time, so yeah, I can see that that is frustrating.13:44 AW: Yeah, it reminds me of what used to be really frustrating to me when I ran agencies is when we would build iOS apps and when you'd submit them to Apple, and then it could be four or five days, which would be a dream world when they approved it and it could go into the App Store, but depending upon their backlog and whatever else, you could totally end up with an app that you were done with, but three weeks later, it would finally hit the App Store, and that was just so frustrating.14:10 DS: Yeah, totally. You're so excited, you're like, "Yeah, launch day. Oh, wait. Launch day in three weeks." Yeah.14:15 AW: Yeah. Hold your bet. And that's what it is right now. Everyday, I'm asking my product manager, "Has Mark Zuckerberg emailed us yet?"[chuckle]14:24 AW: And he's like, "No."14:24 DS: Maybe you should try...14:25 AW: And I'm like, "Can you... "14:26 DS: To spend your Mark bucks. Send them over to...14:27 AW: Exactly! I was gonna say, "Can you buy him off with Mark bucks? I wanna get this out."14:32 DS: Yeah, definitely.14:34 AW: Oh, anyway. Alright, well, let's talk about things that we have more control over, and that's our focus topic today in looking at demos and breaking down a number of things. For us, it's most prevalent in our sales process and as we do a demo with the customer, but let's dive in. Where do you wanna start with demos, Darren? 14:57 DS: Well, I've got a lot of questions for you, basically. It's something I've been thinking about a lot as we look at this customer service stuff and as we're trying to encourage more demos. Demos have really been on my mind lately, and I think about how we do them and how we can improve them. And so, I thought you might have some ideas. Where do I wanna start? I wanna start with software. What do you use, first of all, to record your demos? Have you tried other things? I know what we use. Let's hear it, what do you guys use? 15:25 AW: Yeah, we have migrated through a few different things. Started originally with just one or two users or just maybe a company account with GoTo, when the team could be counted on one hand. Then, when we had to expand to at least five licenses or so, we used Join.me. And I'm pretty sure Join.me now has been purchased by GoTo. But it was easy and straightforward, but we definitely... We had a few people that had a few performance issues with it here and there.15:57 DS: Really? 15:57 AW: Yeah. And then, just like cutting out, audio quality, things like that, weren't always awesome with it.16:03 DS: Right, interesting.16:05 AW: And then a year ago, then we switched to Zoom. We had just expanded into, I think we're around 15 licenses now: Sales, customer success, exec team, everything else. And for the most part, on the meeting side, it's great, it does everything it should. The one thing we've had trouble adapting is when we switched for our monthly customer webinars or agency webinars. Zoom's webinar product is not killer. It's got a lot of finicky, little nuances that we were learning on the fly 'cause we just thought, "Oh, it'll be similar. We're using GoTo webinar." And yeah, not as polished there, and you gotta ride that bike a few times, otherwise, you kinda crash on it a little bit. That part's been hard, but the regular, just conference calls and those pieces, Zoom has worked for us pretty well.16:56 DS: That's interesting. It's also very interesting to me that you have 15 licenses. At Whitespark, we have one, two people that really do demos, and we just share the one account, so it's like... We certainly aren't at that level. And so that makes me wonder, you must be banging out demos all over the place. You have a number of people doing it. We're currently using Join.me and it seems to work pretty good. One of the things that we like is, we will record the demo and then we send the client a link to it after. If they wanted to review something in the software, they have a recording of it. Do you do that with Zoom? Do you have a follow-up and a recording, right? 17:37 AW: Yep, absolutely. Yep, absolutely, we record it. And then, I've also found it, too, when we were training salespeople, I sent them a bunch of my sales recordings.17:45 DS: Yeah, totally.17:46 AW: It lets them hear the history of things that we've been doing. And then, vice versa, I'd have them record their early sales calls and then send them to me. So then, when I had time, I could listen back and offer some talking points and some feedback on those. So yeah, super valuable to be able to record those calls.18:05 DS: Yeah. How many demos are you doing per week, would you estimate? 18:11 AW: Yeah, so we have things bucketed into few different ways. It's like, if you look at... And it falls in line with our segment, our customer segments. On one side is our small businesses; single-location, small business comes to our website and we have call to actions all over our website on request a demo, so they sign up and yeah, we basically have... I don't... This is sad, I don't even know the exact 'cause it doesn't fall directly under my wing, but I'm gonna guess we have somewhere around two to four set demo times every week. We reply to them and say, "Hey, great, you're interested. Here's the upcoming demo times this week." And so, we're trying to do a one-to-many demo with those. We used to do personal one-on-ones, but it got to the point where we were doing so many that it's like, "Alright, we need to have five, 10, 15 of these businesses in this demo, and we're just gonna do them every... Two on Tuesday, one on Thursday, and let's get as many people to those within that time frame."19:16 DS: That's interesting, yeah. So, that's smart. You've mentioned that on a previous episode, where for the SMBs, you'll do them all at the same time. In that case, you're not really trying to address specific pain points by showing specific features, you're kinda just walking through the script of, "This is the tool, this is what you can do, and here are the features." Is that right? Yeah.19:40 AW: Yep, yep. A lot of just education on the product, acknowledging what the landscape looks like, and addressing these are probably some of the problems you're having, and it's why you're looking at us. Here's the benefits, and then here's the features that make those benefits happen. And then allowing some Q&A and follow-up at the end for 'em, but that was one of our hard things, 'cause when you're doing one-to-one, you could be like, "Alright, what type of business are you? Oh, you're a plumber. Well, great, let's talk about some things specifically that I know are helpful in your industry." You lose that a little bit, but once you start hitting certain things, you're like, "Okay, based on price point and scaling this, and what we need to be putting our time on... " Those are just some of the things that you figure out what are we prioritizing to make this happen.20:28 DS: Right, that's really interesting. I think that's a key takeaway from this podcast episode for listeners is that concept of pooling your individual clients. Obviously, like any large multi-location deal, you're gonna wanna do a customized demo, but pooling them is really smart.20:46 AW: Yeah, so after the small business one... And those are done by our customer success team. There's two members of our customer success team that rotate or help each other out with those, but they're the ones that are doing that, they're incredibly well-equipped to do it. And for how we run things, that process for us isn't a high sales process. We follow up with, "Here's what we reviewed, here's the link to go and sign up, let us know if there's anything else you need." But it's much more of a low-touch format with what's there with them. And we've even talked about the next step for us to automate more if we felt like we couldn't get to it, is just to go to an on-demand recorded webinar, where from our side, we'd still want them to say, "Hey, here's who I am, here's my name and email address and my business," so that we can follow up with them and understand who they are. But then that would give them access to like, "Alright, great, here's a 30-minute pre-recorded demo that you can watch."21:46 DS: Is the demo when you have it with let's say 10 to 15 SMBs participating in this Tuesday or Thursday demo, is it interactive in any way? Can they ask questions? Or...21:57 AW: Yep. Yeah, they can totally use the question or the chat feature to ask questions when they're on it. Yep, still able to answer those questions, and that's where a recording wouldn't even allow you to be able to do that, and we just... It was the right step for us not to go all the way to a recorded. I know there's plenty of SaaS tools that do it. Depending upon what type of product you're selling, that might work for you, but in our case, we just know they have questions, we need to dive deeper on certain things and it works best for us.22:28 DS: Sure. And so you will address the questions interactively on the demo as they pop up? 22:33 AW: Yep.22:34 DS: Okay. 'Cause you could still have the recording, but have a chat open where someone's just sitting there answering the questions. [chuckle]22:40 AW: Yeah, yeah, totally, that could be done but then they'd be not paying attention to what the next section is 'cause they're interacting with the chatroom. But who knows? Someday we might be busy enough where we get to that, where it's like, "Alright, that's really what we need to do." Then the next segment with agencies, here we do one-to-one demo, so our agency sales rep, Chris, between demo requests and pricing requests, he's trying to move them to get them into a demo. He does a one-on-one demo with them, he answers a lot of questions. If anything, as we continue to grow, we look at with him, that he probably goes too far in the demo, and it becomes more of a customer success session than a sales. Our customers love it, but when you start looking at certain volume things, that's where it gets really tricky. How much time is too much time? And how do you cut that off? 23:37 AW: And I would say on average what we like to see on Chris' plate is closer to 10 to 15 demos a week for him based on what our inbound is and numbers that we'd like to hit. Some could be slower, some could be even faster with that. I know he's had some good marathon days where he's doing five, six, seven, eight demos within a day. But that's where it's even more important to have discipline on, these need to be 45-minute demos, and you're not trying to boil the ocean with it, as compared to somebody... Somebody can easily drag you into a two or three-hour demo just by wanting every question answered. I think that's something important for people to think about when you're early and starting off, yeah, invest all the time you can, but as you grow and hit some maturity, you do have to be conscious with, we need to have this be concise, still incredibly valuable, but have it be concise and try to move them to the next step in the sales process.24:38 DS: For sure. Is that the number, 45? Is that what you try to keep your demos to? Or the half hour, what is it usually? 24:44 AW: Yeah, so me personally, the ones that I'm doing with multi-locations, we schedule an hour call. And I really wanna have... And this one, since I'm the one doing it, I can speak to it a lot more accurately, but what we do with our multi-location calls is, we have a deck of about 30 slides that takes you about 30 minutes to run through. Then I'll have a browser set up with a bunch of tabs all related to the back end of the product, "Here's review widgets on sites, you can see it, here's a number of other features." And I really let that second section based on what they ask questions in the slides, that's where I go to like, "Alright, here's where you have these questions, now let's look at how this works either in the product or how this surfaces on your website, or in the search results, or whatever that might be."25:33 DS: That's interesting, I did not realize you did that. When someone books a demo with Whitespark, it's like, we get on a call, I have some questions for them, and then I show them the software, and we talk about their pain points and hear how we can solve those. You have a deck? Like you actually present a slide deck? 25:50 AW: Yes, yep, so what we hit upon is kind of... And I should back up, 'cause you just touched upon something that we just evolved to, it's really important. When it was just me doing these sales, I had a set routine of questions I knew I wanted to ask. And when I went to formalize our sales process more and build more structure for our sales new hires, we actually created a pre-demo questionnaire. We send them a 10-question form that hits upon things like, "Why are you coming to us? How many locations do you have? Have you used a reputation management solution before? What CRMs do you have?" We're asking the 10 most important questions that really help us understand how we might customize our pitch and what we spend time on, what are their pain points, how familiar are they with what we do, that kind of stuff, and that really helps. Yeah, that really helps inform that, and make sure that we capture those things. 'Cause even in my demos, in winging it sometimes, I'll forget to ask that question and it's like, "Ah, now I have to follow up in an email to find that," and it's just getting even further to delivering our price or a proposal, or whatever that could be.27:03 DS: For sure. Interesting. Alright, cool, I wanna see that deck. Actually, I think I might sign up for your regular SMB demo. I wanna get on that...27:14 AW: There you go.27:14 DS: And watch your demo and see how you do it, 'cause it's something that we're trying to work on here at Whitespark, improve our demos, and so I think...27:21 AW: Well, I would say for any business, sign up and be sold to. And it gives you a lot of ideas on what you do and don't like. Funny enough, we have sat in on a couple of competitors' demos, only from the standpoint that they buy lists and they end up emailing us when they bought the list to say like, "Hey, you should... "27:42 DS: "Hey, want a demo?" [chuckle]27:43 AW: Yeah. Yeah, whatever, we're like, "Yeah, sure, you emailed us about it. It's not us sneakily creating our John Smith account."27:51 DS: Yeah, totally.27:53 AW: Yeah, but it shows, especially for bigger ones, just how blind they are to what they're putting out there. It's a total shotgun spray approach. Put as much out there as possible and see what bites.28:04 DS: Who the heck buys lists? It's actually the worst marketing strategy.28:09 AW: I get emails weekly on, "Here's your competitors, buy their list." And then when they're really bad at it, and they say like, "We have all these competitors." When they're really bad at it they have you on it as well.[laughter]28:21 DS: Yeah, totally.28:22 AW: It's like, yeah...28:22 DS: You know you can segment the list.28:25 AW: Yeah. That's us, so good job.28:26 DS: Yeah, totally. [chuckle]28:28 AW: Or we re-branded over a year ago now and they'll still... It'll be a GetFiveStars email address are sent to us instead of GatherUp and the opening is there, "I've been following your company closely... "[chuckle]28:43 AW: It's like, "Really? Well, you seem to be about a year behind."28:48 DS: That's right. Yeah.28:49 AW: Yeah. So, yeah, and then, like I said, the slide deck is pretty static, answer questions in it, but it allows us to get our main talking points across, how we see the space, what's unique about us, here's the features that are there. And it's pretty much the same deck that our SMB delivers, but we just talk about it differently. The talk track and the story to it is a lot different. And then after that, like I said, the browser stuff, then I wanna jump into the product where they hag questions or interest. And I really wanna drive home with them, like, "Hey, you're interested in how you request reviews? Great, let's go in and look at how the email is basically a drip campaign and there's automations, and you control the settings and things like that with it," reporting, things like that that just translate much better visually. I wanna show that living, breathing in them.29:37 DS: Yeah, and I think the review feed, I think that's a huge thing. Whenever I demo Reputation Builder, which is GatherUp, I've always really drill into that customer activity feed. So you can say, "Here's all your reviews for all your locations. It's so nice, you can manage this all in one place," and that is what I find, I [29:57] ____ up there, their eyes light up.29:58 AW: Totally. I use that... Yeah, I'm like, this is a working screen for you, right? You have 6000 customers in here, but let's look at your ones that gave you one or two stars and that you haven't replied to them.30:12 DS: Yeah. All that culture.30:12 AW: And then they're like, "Oh, wow. Yeah, this makes it a working scenario for me so that I can make sure we're doing the right things."30:18 DS: Yeah, totally.30:19 AW: Yeah, so once the demo's done, then our process for me at multi-locations is, I'm gonna follow up, I'm gonna give them a PDF of the deck we reviewed, I'm gonna send them the recording. If there's any specific questions that I needed to get back that we weren't able to answer, send those. I'll usually try to send a case study. So I really make that reach back email super valuable to them and just kind of pepper them with like, "Alright, wow, all my bases are covered, I have all this." And then try to deliver them pricing and say, "Great, can we put in a statement of work together for you based on everything that we've shown you?" And it seems like we're...30:56 DS: Do you have a system? So, okay, you send this great email at the end that has all of the... Everything they would need so all their questions are answered, that's smart, and then do you set something up where it's like, okay, in four days an automatic follow-up needs to get sent out? Or do you put something on a calendar, in your CRM, like, "Okay, make sure we follow up with them in four days"? 31:18 AW: Yeah, we don't, but we should. At least, I can't speak for myself, but, yeah, we absolutely have the availability to do that in Pipedrive. Sometimes, I will set those, but I'm definitely not consistent with it. I've always said, like, "Man, I am the biggest failure of a CRM ever, and I just try to train my employees...31:40 DS: To do it better. Yeah.31:41 AW: And our teams to be way better than what we do. So I'm like, "Don't be me." I definitely get the deal info in there, but as far as every last detail and the back and forth, I could totally do a better job, and I could use built-in features like the reminders and next item and tasks.32:00 DS: I feel the exact same. It's like, I go through these waves where I'm really good at being on top of sales. And in my CRM, we use a system called Copper. And I'm really on top of it for a good couple of weeks and then I just get busy. It's like, these conference things will come up, and then things just start falling off and I'm not doing as good a job as I was before. What can you do? Can't do it all.32:22 AW: Yeah, no, it becomes hard. And I think if anything there... And you'll see, as you grow and you expand past just you doing it, that's where you see the real big value. It's like, "Oh, this gives me so much visibility," I can look at the team and say, "Here's what's in each of their... " We have five sales stages, and so I can see what deals are in what stage, so I can forecast better, it allows me to help, like, "Alright, why don't we have enough within this segment, within this phase of the sales process?" That visibility is a really good thing, and it's accountability for each person too, right? 32:54 DS: Definitely. Yep.32:56 AW: They see what they have in there, and then I can say like, "Hey, here's someone else's pipeline, do you see the massive difference here? And let's talk about how do we get this... Where are we missing the mark with getting in or progressing people to the next stage?"33:10 DS: Yeah, definitely. Cool. Alright, I got more questions here. Let's say, questions are coming in on support, they didn't explicitly request a demo. How heavily are you pushing demos in those customer support questions? Like new leads that come in, they have questions. Do you then proactively try to suggest demos on a regular basis? Are you pushing demos as your primary thing? Or do you suggest you get on a call? Or is a call always a demo? 33:40 AW: Yeah. We offer a lot of leeway, especially to our CS team, if those are coming in through those general channels, but we usually see a pretty... For those that are pre-sales, we are gonna try to funnel them to a demo. We basically tell them like, "This is the best way to get to know the product and really understand the concepts," because even if somebody comes in and says they have this one or two very specific questions, it's great to answer those, but you also have to realize they might be asking this specific question with a complete misnomer on the high level strategy to it. Right? 34:18 DS: Right.34:19 AW: So we always wanna route them back into... If they're not a customer with us, we absolutely wanna get them to a demo, and if we understand they're a small business or a multi-location or agency, we wanna get them to the right person to get them into the right demo. So yeah, we definitely wanna route 'em that way. When it's an existing customer, then we wanna do exactly what we can to answer those questions for them, that gets more into customer success support stuff and things like that. But being helpful, giving them the help guide article that they might need, jumping on a call if that's what they need to resolve it, all of those different pieces, whatever it is to satisfy that direct ask.35:02 DS: Yeah. How many demos are you personally doing for larger enterprise-y type client? 35:09 AW: Yeah, on average, I would probably say two to four a week.35:16 DS: That's a lot.35:17 AW: It is a lot, it's a good thing. I'm starting to... Now with having the sales team, I'm probably closer to the two, so it's gonna be very large ones that I also know will be very sophisticated. As we continue to ramp our team, the more experience our sales team has between our two outbound reps in multi-locations, that's made it a lot easier on me, but I still... The ones that are in the hundreds or possibly even thousands of locations, I'm handling those directly. Sometimes, I will have them... They still will ride along with those based on what's here. It's been harder to do lately because man, working these in amongst how crazy my travel schedule is and whatever else, that has been a nightmare and been really hard. And even with some of those, it's allowed me to pass off. It just makes it easier for me to delegate and be like, "Alright, sweet, I'm CC-ing this person on our sales team." And the minute you reply, "Yeah, let's schedule this demo," they're jumping in to be like, "Great," and they handle it from there.36:23 DS: Nice. Yeah, that's good. Yeah, because what are you gonna do? Are you gonna go to a Starbucks and do a demo? 36:31 AW: Yeah, totally. Plenty from my hotel rooms as of recently.36:33 DS: Sure, yeah. That works. That works fine.36:36 AW: Yeah. But yeah, I wanna get to the point where I'm really only involved in extremely high level pitches or the sales team is asking me to come to a super key demo, because they know it will help bring the customer on. I wanna be a tool for them as success instead of part of the process to get that customer.36:54 DS: Yeah, I like your pre-demo questionnaire. That's a great idea, we're gonna hook that up. Definitely get that.37:00 AW: It's such an easy thing to do, right? 37:01 DS: Yeah, exactly.37:01 AW: We use Typeform for it and when we're scheduling the demo, we're like, "Great, we're all set, I'm gonna send you a Zoom invite for the meeting on your calendar, and here's a quick 10-question survey to fill up before the demo so we can best customize it to your needs." And yeah, it gets filled out and it's also great 'cause our entire sales team can see all the results that come in so you can see what other customers are citing as their background, their big goals, what CRMs they're using, things like that. It's actually building up a good repository of pre-sales data for us.37:34 DS: Cool. What kind of post-sale demos do you do? Any at all? A customer just came through, signed up, they've been using the tool for a few days and they have a bunch of questions. Do you ever say, "Hey, well, let's jump on a demo and I can show you that stuff"? Is that... Or you wouldn't even call that a demo, you would just call that...37:56 AW: Yeah, we wouldn't really call it a demo. Customer success will totally do that and, "Hey, let's just jump on a call real quick, share our screen and be able to walk you through so you can see exactly how this works." On the sales side, sometimes, we'll have some secondary demos so it might be the person who's required to go do the leg work and identify possible solutions. And then the next time will be like, "Okay, now my boss and my boss's boss, these are the people involved, and now we need to do a demo for them." That, on the sales side, that's more likely in multi-locations, where we get into that. And now, the decision makers are at the table, which it's much better when they're all there day one. I usually try an early email communication to be like, who's gonna be there and things like that, and try to get all those people to the table.38:52 AW: But sometimes in bigger orgs like that, that will have to happen and then I should throw out there, for certain ones, too, I just tell them after a demo sometimes if there's gonna be more, like, "Can I get on a plane?" and "Do you guys wanna have a meeting?" If it's the right kind of deal and I know it'll go a long way, let's do this demo in person. I'm more than willing to like, let's build a relationship, let's build trust, the size of the account warrants it. Yeah, we're selling software but let's get a relationship going." And I find that that's a great secret weapon, 'cause there's so many companies not willing to invest into that or do that. And when you do that, then they're just like, "Wow, you were really eager to work with us, and I trust you, and I feel good, and you answered all of our questions while we're sitting there face-to-face. We're gonna go with you."39:42 DS: That is nice. You're lucky to be in Minneapolis, it's a good hub for getting anywhere.39:47 AW: It does make going anywhere a little bit easier, for sure. I would have never thought... Once upon a time, I would have loved to be able to live anywhere I want, and now, running a remote company, I actually could, but yeah, I cannot live an hour away from a direct main airport because that would just drive me crazy.40:10 DS: Totally. And Minneapolis is so beautifully situated in the center of the country, kind of.40:16 AW: Yes.40:16 DS: You can easily... You can pretty much have a flight anywhere where you can fly in the morning, you're working on the plane the whole time anyways, you go and have a two-hour meeting and then you're home in the afternoon.40:28 AW: Yup, it does make it a lot easier.40:30 DS: Yeah, that's great.40:32 AW: Darren, what do you think... I wanna ask you a question. What do you feel like in your process that you haven't... What has it been that has kept you from getting more of a like, how do we get what our customers are asking about and get in front of a living, breathing environment like a demo for them? What's kept you from doing it? 40:49 DS: Well, it's not like we don't do it, we definitely do it. It's just opportunities to improve our process there, things like the pre-demo questionnaire is really clever. We gotta do that. And I think another big one is this slide deck idea, so the flow of your demo is very interesting to me, and so I think we can improve process there. We do a lot of demos, so we have a lot of customers that come in and they ask for a demo, we schedule them, we do them, but we just haven't put in the time to build a good process around it. And so I know that this episode is very valuable for me from that perspective so I hope that a lot of listeners are picking up some ideas here, too, 'cause there's lots of opportunities to optimize that process. And so that's what I wanna do, I wanna improve all of these things.41:45 DS: Maybe Zoom, it might be better. So we might even change our software, we'll build a deck, and then we'll have a post-demo follow-up process. You know what? It really speaks to our last podcast episode around process. We don't have a good demo process, we're just winging it, it's like, "Oh, someone wants a demo? Sure. Yeah, we get on a call with them and we show them the tool." It's like, everything that you're describing is a very structured process on how you can optimize and improve your demos. And so that's what we need to do, that's what you have to do to take to the next level. And it's funny to think about that, right? You just think about demos as this one thing you do but you can put a process on everything to make it so much better. And I think it sounds to me like you've done a really good job of doing that.42:33 AW: Yeah, well, as always noted, there's always room for improvement. Some of the things we're doing, we literally just put some of the... The pre-demo questionnaire, that just came about 60 days ago as we grew and needed more process on the sales side. It is never ending, but yeah, I look at that structure and I look at that, the deck has always allowed us to make sure the demo is about the customer. You wanna personalize it, you wanna have to be about them, but it is about how do you communicate your value proposition, how you're different, and how you wanna help them, what's important to you, how do you do that in a consistent and concise way. And I found out early on before we had that, we didn't have that, where it's just jumping into the product that, then you really allowed the customer to completely control all of it within some ways. And while that is great, a lot of times, you would miss out on a number of things because of time constraint and where they took the conversation that you never had a chance to set the table on, "Here's what this looks like, here is what is important, here's what we wanna deliver in business value, here's how you're gonna benefit, here's the features that make it happen." And so we weren't getting that flow in a consistent basis, that was really important to be able to nail.43:57 DS: Absolutely. I think that's a really good comment, is being able to set the table. It's like you wanna make sure that all of these really valuable features and benefits get conveyed on the demo and it can completely get derailed if you don't have a structure in place. They'll have a question and then you could spend the next like half hour talking about schema markup rather than actually demoing the product.44:22 AW: Yes, and those things can still happen.44:25 DS: Yeah, definitely. Definitely, yeah.44:28 AW: What do you find? What's one thing that you have found surprising or consistent that you didn't think would be in the demos you do? What's something that you're like, "I would have never bet on this, but this is something that I continually see or a takeaway from, when I interact with customers in pre-sales demos"? 44:49 DS: Oh, man, you ask me this question 'cause I think you probably have an answer for it, but I can't think of anything. Our demo process is, I try to really focus the demo on their specific pain points. Whenever they get on a call with me, I wanna ask them like, "What are the things you're having a problem with? Are you currently using a vendor for this? What are the struggles you're having? What are the challenges?" And then from there, I'll show them all of the features. As you just mentioned, I probably miss out on showing them other really great stuff because I'm too focused on that one thing, but that is why they came to us, so I think there was a benefit there. I don't have a good answer.45:31 AW: Yeah. Maybe I can ask the question better. How well do you feel that they understand what you deliver? 45:38 DS: Yeah, so I think I would rate it... It's a C. On a letter grade scale, I would grade us a C. And I think we could get to an A with a better process because I think they understand pieces of it but not the whole picture, and that's just a really great way to look at it. If someone comes in, they want a demo, that's an opportunity for you to show them how great your solution could be, and if you don't use that time properly, you could only be showing them 60% of what the potential is. And then if you only show them 60%, someone else shows them 100%, then they're gonna get the sale and not you. So yeah, it's a really interesting way to look at it.46:24 AW: Yeah, no. And that's I guess what it's [46:27] ____, it's like, alright, they know the terms to be able to ask the questions around a citation or around a review and things like that, but what we found is a lot of times, they're missing the strategical part, and we see that so key, as like, "Let us help you think about this because the tactical decisions are endless and you have a lot of options," but unless you're rooted into, "Here is why these things matter, here's how we approach them." To me, that's the biggest sale you're trying to get, is them to buy into how you view what takes place, not so much the tactical. "What mode? Are you gonna request reviews via SMS or email?" I look at... If that's the only things they're making their decision off of, then there's a million solutions that can help them. But if you're able to convey, "This is why we've built these tactical things 'cause they weave into this strategical outlook," those are the ones that will sign up, will stay with us, become loyal repeat customers, and refer us to other people, because in the easy way to put it, like they're drinking the Kool-Aid.47:34 DS: Yeah, totally. And it's not actually Kool-Aid, it's the real stuff. You are subject matter experts and it's helpful to educate the customers on that and you establish yourself as people that they can trust to help answer that. You're not just going through the motions of like, "We have this feature. Look, you can toggle that on or off." That's not that exciting to people. What's exciting to people is, "I have this bigger problem which is much bigger than sending feedback request via SMS or email, it's like, how do we improve our business?" And so you're really tackling it at the high level, which I think is valuable in the demo, and it could be a piece of our demos that we're currently missing.48:19 AW: Yeah. Well, I think you made a great point in there of an overall, no matter what you're doing in a demo or a sales call, keep your customer engaged. If you are boring them to death, [chuckle] if you're not delivering value, teaching them, giving them insight, yeah, you're likely going to lose them or they're gonna be typing emails while your demo's playing. So yeah, that's definitely an important piece. And in that same line, boy, we as always, we're getting close to a pretty long time on here. We should probably cut ourselves off once again so that our podcast listeners stay engaged. We might have to revisit this one. There's still plenty to talk about.49:00 DS: There is, yeah. For sure. Alright.49:02 AW: Alright. Well, awesome. Thanks everyone. We appreciate you joining us again on The SaaS Venture. Darren, anything of note coming up for you personally or professionally in the coming weeks that you wanted to touch on as we sign off? 49:16 DS: Nothing too much. I'm looking forward to launching the new Local Citation Finder. I think that's gonna be great for us, it's our biggest SaaS product, we have more subscribers to that and we have a lot of churn there. So the new Local Citation Finder should improve that churn, reduce the churn, and I'm really looking forward to that. It's sort of the biggest thing that I wanna focus on [49:40] ____ in a while. I also actually need to get back to doing the local search ranking factors, so I'll be putting that together in the next month as well.49:51 AW: Nice. Yeah, those are a couple of big things I'll be excited to hear about. Hopefully, you can keep us up to date on if retooling that does help your churn and some of the things you learn in that, that'll be awesome.50:03 DS: Definitely. I'll have to make sure that we set it up properly to track and really measure the difference, the impact that we see from doing that.50:10 AW: Coolio.50:11 DS: Coolio.50:12 AW: Alright. Well, thanks, everyone, for listening. We'll wrap things up, and thanks, Darren, always a pleasure.50:18 DS: In turn, always a pleasure. We'll talk to you all next time.50:20 AW: Alright. Yup. See you everybody next time.[outro music]

If you’d like to skip through our charming bullshit, start at the  3:30 mark   We should add "Travel Agent" to our resumes, honestly. Just plan your vacations around our episodes!   Banff Springs Hotel, Banff, AB and Belhurst Castle Hotel, Geneva, NY

Listen to the Whispers as they take you on a trip to Alberta, Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel where a family died in a since-closed up room, leading to sightings of bloody handprints; a bride who died (again), and a really, REALLY committed Bellman who never leaves. Ever. Then, travel to Halifax, Nova Scotia where two deadly and surprisingly large disasters led to hundreds if not thousands of bodies to be left in the morgue... now a restaurant that you can eat in. Apparitions, sounds of wailing women, and flying cutlery have all been witnessed at the place most want a quiet luncheon in.Contact us: gmail: norwesternwhispers@gmail.cominstagram: @norwesternwhispersfacebook: Nor'Western Whisperstwitter: @whiperspod

Originally opened in 1888, the Banff Springs Hotel is one of Canada’s preeminent luxury hotels, nestled deep in the wilderness of Alberta’s Rocky Mountains. The hotel’s massive size, beautiful architecture, and stunning surroundings drew all sorts of wealthy people to vacation within its rooms. However, some people who stay, never seem to leave.  Sponsors! Green Chef - For $50 off your first box of Green Chef, go to GreenChef.us/HAUNTED.

In our 13th episode Carly & Cecilia dip into a very specific theme: haunted hotels. The gals swap stories and scary stuff showing that maybe you should be little more weary of where you lay your head. Carly shares some Canadian hauntings from the Banff Springs Hotel and Cecilia travels a little more south along Route 66 to the haunted hotels of Flagstaff, Arizona.

In this episode host Stef Sanjati discusses the Fairmont Banff. In addition to sharing haunting stories of experiences with spirits, we discuss the overall energy and feeling of the hotel atmosphere. Also where is room 873 and why can't it be found? We connect the curious travellers to the world's most storied hotels, destinations and experiences. Where will the story take you next? Find out at www.storiedhotels.com

This week, Kate checks in to the Banff Springs Hotel and Dionne returns to her probably haunted elementary school.

Just in time for the coming fall weather, we're taking you on a fun journey over the border.This week, Kirsten's taking us the beautiful Banff Springs Hotel in Canada. But don't let the beauty fool you. This hotel has it's fair share of secrets. A bride that burned. A murder/suicide. A room that doesn't exist.And the souls that are there to remind you of the history.Once you're done in Canada, let's take a quit trip to Eerie Erie, Pennsylvania, where you'll find a cemetery. Not just any cemetery, though. This one comes with hell hounds, a witches circle and most terrifyingly, a mausoleum filled to the brim with blood drained corpses.Better wear a scarf.Join the group : facebook.com/groups/girlsandghouls See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

“ALBERT BENDER AND THE MEN IN BLACK” and 5 More Terrifying True Paranormal Stories! #WeirdDarknessIN THIS EPISODE: One of paranormal history’s most bizarre, worldwide, phenomena, the Men In Black, traces its origin directly back to one man, and his name was Albert. (The Albert K. Bender Story) *** Daryl Collins’ encounters demonstrate the sheer level of weirdness that surrounds the UFO phenomenon. (Alien Abductions and High Strangeness) *** A young girl sees an odd cube shape floating in her back yard among the trees. Was it extraterrestrial, paranormal, or just the wild imagination of a child? (Floating Multi-Color Box) *** What began as a joke to tease his sister, became all too real for the boy. (Ouija) *** Legend has it that a man murdered his wife and young daughter, before committing suicide. Has this caused the Banff Springs Hotel to become haunted? (Room 873) *** Frank Nash was not only an infamous outlaw, but he could escape just about any prison – even the prison of his own coffin after being dead and buried. (The Kansas City Massacre) If you like what you hear, please share a link to this post on your social media, tell your friends about the podcast, and please leave a rating and review in Apple Podcasts; I might read your review here in a future episode! SUPPORT THE PODCAST...*Advertise your product/service on Weird Darkness; visit http://www.bgadgroup.com or call 770-874-3200.*VISIT OUR SPONSORS: http://www.WeirdDarkness.com/sponsors WEIRD DARKNESS STORE: http://www.WeirdDarkness.com/store AUDIOBOOKS NARRATED BY DARREN: http://www.WeirdDarkness.com/audiobooks BECOME A PATRON at http://www.patreon.com/marlarhouse  STORY CREDITS AND/OR SOURCES…Visit the podcast home of Maeltopia at http://www.maeltopia.com (As referred to in the letters from fans): “Was The Exorcist Cursed?”: http://weirddarkness.com/episodes/1077/ (As referred to in the letters from fans): “The Demonic Possession of Angela”: http://weirddarkness.com/episodes/1030/ “Alien Abductions and High Strangeness” by Nick Redfern: https://mysteriousuniverse.org/2018/05/alien-abductions-and-high-strangeness/ “The Albert K. Bender Story” by Michael J. Bielawa: http://bportlibrary.org/hc/authors/bridgeports-ufo-legacy-men-in-black-and-the-albert-k-bender-story/ “Floating Multi-Color Box” by Keileigh Mather: https://www.phantomsandmonsters.com/2018/07/daily-2-cents-anomalous-fire-bird.html “Ouija” by Juan Guzzman.. submitted directly to WeirdDarkness.com. “Room 873” by Jessica Ferri: https://the-line-up.com/banff-springs-hotel-ghosts “The Kansas City Massacre” by Troy Taylor: https://www.americanhauntingsink.com/kansascity/ WEIRD DARKNESS MUSIC PROVIDED BY Midnight Syndicate http://amzn.to/2BYCoXZ and Shadow’s Symphony http://www.facebook.com/shadowssymphony/ - all music used with permission. All rights reserved.  "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” — Psalm 23:4 ESV  

Haunted is a series that takes a look at spooky locations across the world. In this episode we explore Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel. This series was inspired by the fantastic History Goes Bump podcast. It’s one of my favourites to listen to and a must for anyone who likes ghost stories. Follow the nightmares on:   TWITTER: https://twitter.com/nightmaresbb   INSTAGRAM: https://instagram.com/nightmaresbeforebedtime   Music used: Blackout - Myuu

This episode, we cover the hauntings of Banff Springs Hotel and the awful murders carried out by Peter Woodcock. Also, spaghetti balls are great. P.S. Aladdin was released in 1992.

Sulphur Storms This past week has marked the start of pollen season in the mountain west. The white spruce, in particular, released vast amounts of yellowish-green pollen, coating every car, patio set, pond, and puddle. The railings alongside trails and even the surfaces of leaves have been covered in this fine powder. On my car, places I previously touched were dusted in a manner similar to fingerprint dust, leaving a yellowish outline of my fingerprint. Spruce are part of the Pine Family of trees, and all the members of this group reproduce in a similar fashion. Rather than using insects to pollinate the female flowers, they have evolved to use the wind. When a plant relies on something as random as a mountain breeze, it better produce a lot of pollen, and this past week we saw massive sulphur storms with clouds of yellowish pollen streaming from the trees and, in some cases, entire forests were blurred in a yellowish fog as the pollen spread its way across the landscape. Members of the pine family in the central Rockies include the white and Engelmann spruce, lodgepole, limber, and whitebark pines, Douglas-fir, subalpine fir, and the alpine larch. Every tree contains both the male and female cones with each taking a different role in the reproductive process. Male cones form on the lower branches while the female cones grow higher up. The male pollen cones grow at the base of the current year's new shoots in early spring, which in this part of the mountains is usually around the latter part of May. Different species produce different numbers of male cones, with a range between 15 and 140. Once the pollen has been dispersed by the wind, the male cones fall off the tree. Each male cone is a smooth, oval structure that contains dozens of spore-producing bodies called microsporophylls. When the cone is ripe, it releases tremendous numbers of tiny pollen spores. Each of these spores sport two tiny wings called sacci that help it stay airborne. When the sky turns yellow with this pollen, it's often referred to as a sulphur shower. Conversely, female cones grow very slowly and usually take several years to mature. This leaves cones in differing stages of maturation on the same branch with newer cones forming towards the tips. A first-year cone is soft and small, usually just a centimetre or two in size. Its main job is to collect the pollen and fertilize the cone. Second-year cones are much larger in size, more woody, but still green in colour. By the third year, the cones are hard and have turned brown and now contain fully-formed seeds ready for germination. Female cones are also much larger than their short-lived male counterparts. The cones form in either pairs or clusters along the branch and they vary dramatically in size. Lodgepole pine cones are only around 5 cm long, while the cones of limber pine can exceed 20 cm in length. Each cone is made up of alternating bracts and ovule-bearing scales. These scales accept the pollen and transform into winged seeds as the cone matures. Wind pollination is an ancient strategy and was utilized by the earliest of plants. It was the go-to strategy used by plants some 125 million years before flowering plants began to conscript insects to transport their pollen to other flowers. Even this was still 50 million years before the Cretaceous, the age of the dinosaurs, arrived. Almost all land-based non-flowering plants employ wind as their primary method of passing pollen from male cones to the ovaries hidden with the ovules of female cones. The randomness of wind as a transport mechanism means that if a grain of pollen lands on just the right spot, the female ovule needs to have some way to catch it before it blows away, They do this with a pollen droplet. This is a sugar-rich droplet exuded from the top of the ovule with the sole purpose of giving pollen grains a sticky surface to land on. For the pollen to maximize its airborne flight, it has to be extremely light. To do this, it's heavily dehydrated before it's released. When it lands, it needs water and nutrition in the form of sugars and proteins to help it develop further in preparation for pollination. The droplet offers just what a dehydrated pollen grain needs. There is some evidence that prior to the development of flowering plants that some insects adapted to seeking out these sugary pollen droplets. It may have been this attraction that prompted further diversification in plants to develop nectar-producing flowers. Some of the more ancient plant families, like the pines, continued to rely on wind for their pollination despite the success of insect-pollinated flowers. As you marvel at the amazing clouds of pollen released this year, while at the same time cursing the fact that every outdoor surface is covered with it, know that it is part of an age-old strategy that maintains the world's most ancient trees. Mismatching Colours Whenever any bright-eyed university student begins to study ecology, they're quickly introduced to the pepper moths of Manchester, England. These common moths can be found in two different forms, a lighter more salt and pepper-coloured variety as well as a sooty, almost black variety. Prior to the industrial revolution, the darker variety was unknown. It was only first described until 1811. A dark moth on a light tree meant that it was far more likely to be spotted by hungry birds and so they are estimated to have represented only 0.01% of the population. These light moths almost exclusively occupied their range in 1760 when England's industrial revolution first began to darken the skies with the soot from endless coal fires. Increasingly, in industrial towns like Manchester, surfaces of buildings and trees began to reflect this sooty character and gradually darkened in colour. By 1811 when the first dark variety of pepper moth was discovered, Manchester was beginning to look pretty dismal and dark with coal dust staining many of the trees. Coincidentally, pepper moths used those same trees to hide from predators. For centuries, the light-coloured pepper moths could perch on the bark of trees and effectively disappear into the patterns of the tree's bark. As these same trees became increasingly darkened by coal dust, the moths began to lose their camouflage. Prey that can't hide, attracts predators and the light-coloured moths increasingly became the meals of hungry birds. That was when something very interesting happened. A dark, sooty variety first made its appearance. Its dark appearance gave it a distinct advantage over the lighter variety, and by the end of the 1800s, industrial towns like Manchester and London were dominated by these dark varieties. By 1895 the dark variety had risen from 0.01% of the population in 1760 to 98%, eclipsing the more vulnerable light pepper moth variety. Why am I wandering down this ecological memory lane? Because the same situation is happening around us right now, not due to soot pollution, but rather human-caused changes to the climate. The mountain west is home to a large number of animals that take advantage of the seasonal changes by turning white to help them vanish into winter landscapes. These seasonal colour changes occur in a number of animals and birds including the willow and white-tailed ptarmigan; least, long-tailed and short-tailed weasel; and the snowshoe hare. These adaptations to the annual cycle of winter snows and summer foliage have evolved to maximize their camouflage throughout the year. Predator and prey alike have evolved similar strategies to help them to stay hidden. While weasels are voracious predators, they're also on the menus of other, larger predators. The same pressures that forced snowshoe hares and ptarmigan to change colours, also affect them. Changing your colour to take advantage of seasonal camouflage only works when the camouflage matches the season. Since historic weather trends varied only slightly from one year to the next, the timing of colour change for most of these diverse species was largely tied to the length of daylight in spring and fall. While in the past it may mean that a snowshoe hare, ptarmigan, or weasel might have a short period of mismatched colour, the majority of their season was ideally suited to the prevailing background colours. Brown weasels and hares, along with mottled ptarmigan, simply disappear in the summer landscapes of the Rockies while white animals offer similar protection in snow-covered landscapes. Many times I've been scared to death while cross-country skiing when a  covey of ptarmigan, also called an "invisibleness" of ptarmigan, suddenly flush at your feet. These tiny grouse-like birds allow themselves to be completely buried by snow for warmth, only flushing when you're almost on top of them. A quiet cross-country ski is suddenly interrupted by an explosion of feathers. Changing climates is wreaking havoc on many of these animals. A white ptarmigan against a snowless alpine meadow is just as dangerous as brown snowshoe hare against a snowy forest. If your colouration is in stark contrast to your environment, you are also far more visible to potential predators. Climate change is causing many challenges to plants, animals, and birds in the north country. Warming climates can cause mismatches in reproduction schedules, emergence from winter hibernation, migration, and even connection to key food sources. If a bird's migration is timed to allow it to nest just as certain insects emerge in the spring - and then those insects emerge several weeks earlier - than the bird's reproductive success is put at jeopardy. So many of nature's key events are timed to historically predictable connected events. Animals give birth when the maximum amount of food should be available. Birds migrate at the right time to take advantage of seasonal foods in their winter and summer ranges. Animals emerge from hibernation when new foods should be available to help them regain strength after a long winter sleep. Just like the colour change schedule of animals, if the schedule changes then how flexible are the animals in their response to this change? So many annual cycles are hard-wired into plants and animals that their ability to respond to rapid changes can be very limited. Back in episode 42, I talked about a discovery in Alaska where bears were choosing elderberries over salmon for the first time. Historically the berries ripened after the salmon run and offered grizzlies a nutritious food after a long period of feeding on salmon. With warming climates, the berries are now ripening at the same time the salmon are running. The bears have to choose one food and they picked the berries. This means they no longer have the same feeding period over the summer months. No longer do they have a long period of feeding on salmon, followed by time to munch down on elderberries. The foods are now out of sync with the bears historical feeding schedule. When all of these evolutionary behaviours emerged, climates were, more or less, relatively stable. Days with snow varied year after year within a reasonable margin of error. When the climate changes so fast that winter arrives later and later, and spring arrives earlier than unless the animals can respond quick enough they'll find themselves with a contrasting coat that makes them far more visible to their predators. Like the moths in 19th century England, they can't count on their colouration to help hide them from hungry hunters. These colour mismatches have prompted numerous studies to look at how individual species are able to respond to these rapid changes. A 2012 study looking at snowshoe hares looked at their response to fewer snow-covered days each year. It found that since the colour change of hares is most likely connected to the length of day, their vulnerability to shorter winters would be a factor of their flexibility to alter the timing of their autumn and spring moults where they grow a coat of a different colour. Any hare that is white when the landscape is not, has a target on their back. Conversely, a brown hare is in danger against a snowy backdrop. Populations of snowshoe hares, more so than most animals are absolutely tied to their level of predation. Lynx evolved to eat snowshoe hares almost exclusively while many other animals will also take a hare whenever possible. The simple fact that they were born delicious means they're on the menu of any carnivore lucky enough to see past their camouflage. In the mountain west, the population of hares rises and falls in concert with predation from lynx. As the hare population rises, lynx produce more kittens which means they need more hares. As lynx increase their predation on hares, the hare population drops. Fewer hares result in a subsequent drop in lynx numbers. These two animals are connected like few others. For an animal that lives and dies by its ability to hide, having the right match between colour and landscape provides huge advantages to appropriately coloured individuals. This means that, as climate changes, those hares who's pelts allow them to best hide will have the optimum opportunity to survive and, subsequently, pass those adaptations on to their young. This study looked at the hare's ability to vary its colour phase based on changing climate realities. If individual hares are able to adjust to rapidly changing seasonal realities than those changes would be quickly passed on through the population. This study found that the fall moult which turned their coat to white had little flexibility in terms of timing. This meant it was likely hard-wired to its connection to the length of daylight. The spring moult though showed some signs of adaptation with a slight ability to slow or increase colour change based on local conditions. Ptarmigan are in a particularly dangerous situation in the mountain west. Not only are climates warming, but these birds are specialized to live at the very highest elevations. As climates continue to warm, conditions will likely see them forced up higher and higher up the mountain until they literally run out of habitat. Ptarmigan are also experiencing a similar mismatch between seasonal colour. While physiology can take too long to adapt to rapid changes in their environment, out of season white ptarmigan are known to work to soil their feathers after breeding to try to minimize their contrast to the background landscape. Many weasels are experiencing similar challenges. Recent studies of the smallest predator in the country, the least weasel, have found that it's also finding itself moving from predator to prey due to its unexpected visibility caused by lack of snow. Almost all predators are also prey to larger animals and for this diminutive weasel, being visible means potentially being someone's dinner. In a Polish study looking two varieties of least weasel, one that changes colour during the winter and one that doesn’t, it shows that climate change, like the moths of England, is showing rapid changes to populations. In many colour changing animals, there are usually individuals who don't change colour. In northern climates, this usually means that the brown weasels have a lower chance of survival during snowy months. For many weasels, predation from largely, birds of prey,  can be the highest cause of mortality in a particular year. Like the moth study in England, this study found that camouflage was the most important factor determining predator detection in weasels. As climate changes and winter snows dwindle, weasels may find that white winter weasels are more heavily predated than weasels that don't change colour. Southern brown populations will likely shift north as white weasels find themselves falling to the talons of hawks.  Changing climates are changing everything. The news stories often talk about what WILL happen with changing climates but the changes are happening right before our eyes. Last fall I watched a red fox kill an arctic fox near Churchill Manitoba while working as a polar bear viewing guide. The red fox has migrated north and arctic fox are very vulnerable to invasive predators. Alpine animals like ptarmigan and pikas are being forced higher and higher up the mountains until they simply run out of mountain. This makes them some of our most vulnerable animals. The role of seasonal colour change will evolve over the next 50-100 years. Animals that are out of phase with the season will find themselves increasingly on the menu. Behavioural adaptations, like the ptarmigan soiling its white plumage, may help, but we may also see populations migrating, changing, and disappearing depending on each animals ability to react to unprecedented rates of change. For now, marvel at every sighting of ptarmigan, hare, and weasel. They're dealing with intense climate challenges and only time will tell how they succeed to changes, not of their making. Next up…Hollywood North Hollywood North The mountain west has long been the backdrop behind many successful movies. I get a kick out of the fact that the first silent movie filmed in the Rockies was called Cameron of the Royal Mounted, and Cameron is my last name. In this early film, a Scottish immigrant becomes a member of the Mounties only to be accused of forgery. To clear his name, he had to capture a gang of train robbers and stop a band of rogue natives. Yup, this is about as unlikely a story as you could imagine in Canada. However Hollywood fell in love with the landscape - not to mention the exchange rate on the dollar - and Hollywood has been returning every year since. Movies like Son of Lassie filmed in 1944 and Emperor Waltz in 1948. 1953 was a big year. That year Jimmy Stuart filmed the Far Country, Shelly Winters and Alan Ladd filed a movie called Saskatchewan…in Alberta, Howard Keel and Ann Blyth did a remake of the classic film Rose Marie, and Marilyn Monroe almost died on the Bow Falls in the town of Banff during the filming of The River of No Return. If you watch the movie, the characters portrayed by Marilyn Monroe and Robert Mitchem are fleeing from a group of renegade natives by taking a raft down the Bow River. While the movie is ostensibly set in the middle of nowhere Montana or Wyoming, it was filmed in and around the communities of Banff and Jasper. One of the pivotal scenes in the movie has them rafting over the Bow Falls while a hail of arrows falls around them from the cliffs above. Since movie effects weren't as advanced as they are today, it's pretty obvious that it's two mannequins on the raft but the effect is still a good one. Even though Marilyn was not actually on the raft, the crew had to do some close-ups of her near the actual falls so they could see the look of terror in her eyes. Unfortunately, while she was posing, she fell and almost did go over the falls. In the end, she was lucky to limp away with just a broken ankle. After this point, the bell staff at the Banff Springs Hotel got to draw lots to see who would get to push Marilyn around in her wheelchair. A quick google search will turn up numerous photos of Marilyn relaxing around the hotel and golf course with her crutches during filming. In one of the other classic films of 1953, Howard Keel and Ann Blyth did a remake of the classic Nelson Eddy and Jeanette MacDonald film Rose Marie. One of the biggest tourism myths in the Rockies is that the 1936 film with Eddy and MacDonald was also filmed in this area. At the Maligne Lake Chalet, they even have a canoe nailed to the ceiling with a carved wooden sign claiming to be the original canoe from the movie. Unfortunately, it’s a complete falsehood. Nelson Eddy and Jeanette MacDonald never filmed in Canada. Their scenes were filmed in the Lake Tahoe area of Nevada. There were some scenes of Mounties training that were filmed in Canada but none of the major scenes was filmed here. Today, few movies come to Banff and Jasper to film. Scenes like Bow Falls are photographed several million times each year making many of the panoramas simply too recognizable to sell the illusion that they are in Montana or Alaska. They did continue to use the mountain parks in movies into the 1960's, including 1965's Doctor Zhivago. In that movie, one of the classic scenes takes place on the train to Yuriatin, ostensibly in Siberia, but it's actually filmed in the Spiral Tunnels in Yoho National Park. When the train emerges, a keen observer will recognize the distinctive peak of Cathedral Mountain rising above the valley. According to the IMDB movie database, this scene used stock footage and none of the actual production was done in Canada. The Wikipedia page does suggest the train scene was actually filmed here with the cast members. Another long-held myth was that the train station at Lake Louise was used in the movie. That's completely false, Almost all of the filming took place in Spain and Finland over a 10-month period. Regardless of whether the actors were actually here, the Spiral Tunnels will live on in one of the most classic films of the 20th century.  The film earned 111.7 million dollars in Canada and the U.S. and when adjusted for inflation, ranks it right up there with many of today's big screen blockbusters. After Doctor Zhivago, the area around the Stoney Reserve near Morley began to be the focus of film crews. The mountain panorama that includes Mount Yamnuska is a constant presence in some classic films. Films that represent this area include my favourite Dustin Hoffman film, 1970's Little Big Man, and 1975's Buffalo Bill and the Indians starring Paul Newman and Burt Lancaster. Before long, movies began to discover the wider Kananaskis Country landscape and it's now become one of the most filmed mountain locations in Canada. Films that kicked off the filming in this area include the 1980 film Death Hunt with Lee Marvin and Charles Bronson, and 1988's Dead Bang with Don Johnson and Penelope Ann Miller. Others include 1993's The Last of the Dogmen with Tom Berenger, which also included footage of Takakkaw Falls in Yoho National Park and the classic film Legends of the Fall with Anthony Hopkins and Brad Pitt. This movie had locations in Calgary, Morley, and Vancouver. More recent films have included 2010's Inception with Leonardo DiCaprio as well as another DiCaprio film, 2015's The Revenent. The movies and TV series keep coming back to this amazing landscape. Popular TV shows like Hell on Wheels and Fargo were also filmed in and around Calgary. If you visit the mountain west this year, be sure to study the vistas around you. You may see them in your favourite movies. And with that, it's time to wrap this episode up. Don't forget to check the show notes at www.MountainNaturePodcast.com/ep061. As usual, if you'd like to reach out to me directly, you can comment on the show notes or hit me up on Twitter @wardcameron. And with that said, the sun's out and it's time to go hiking.

Top 5 Most Haunted Hotels & Inns From Around The World For most of us when we travel or go on vacation, the last thing we want to experience are ghosts or any sort of paranormal activity. Hauntings are a peculiar phenomenon and while they can happen anytime and anywhere, they’re most often found in buildings that have a long history of sadness, violence and murder. These are the top five most haunted hotels and inns from around the world. 5. Banff Springs Hotel Dubbed as the "Castle in the Rockies," The Banff Springs Hotel has hosted celebrities like Marilyn Monroe and royalty like Queen Elizabeth. While it's luxurious rooms and stunning sweeping views of Alberta Cananda are often praised, the structure has also become known for something else - its resident ghosts. Built in the 19th century, the Banff first opened its doors on June 1, 1888. It was a success, as rich European adventurers loved the idea of living in luxury while staying in the middle of the wilderness. Over time, so many guests have come and gone but there are some who apparently never left. 4. The Skirrid Inn Claiming to be one of the oldest pubs in Wales, The Skirrid Inn has stood its ground for over 900 years. While some people think it's an exaggeration and most likely the current building is a 17th century construction, the spot is known as a Pilgrim's trail and most likely before even the current building was built, an older inn had occupied the same spot years before. Regardless of the specifics, there's one thing that locals and those who have visited agree on – the Skirrid Inn is one of the most haunted inns that exists. 3. Akasaka Weekly Mansion Despite being a modern building, the Akasaka Weekly Mansion is one of the most famous haunted buildings in Japan today. Paranormal experts can't pinpoint any history as to why the hotel would be haunted but guests have reported so many paranormal incidents on the premises that it's hard to ignore. Building 1 of the hotel is especially active and said to have had multiple suicides, which could be the reason why restless spirits lurk in the building. 2. The Stanley Hotel Opening its doors in 1909, The Stanley Hotel has had been functioning for over a century. While it was a prominent and revolutionary hotel during its era, in modern times it's more well known for being the real life "Overlook Hotel" from Stephen King's The Shining. King himself cites the hotel as the main inspiration for his horror masterpiece. The Stanley Hotel was built by inventor, Freelan Oscar Stanley which he ran together with his wife, Flora. After falling in love with Estes Park and attributing his recovery from tuberculosis while staying there, he vowed to create a luxurious resort in the area. Eventually he began building the property in 1907 and by 1909, it was ready to welcome visitors. Stanley not only transformed Estes Park and the nearby towns but he also helped create Rocky Mountain National Park, but it was the Stanley Hotel that would be his lasting legacy. 1. Ancient Ram Inn Haunted by more than 20 ghosts, the Ancient Ram Inn is said to be one of the most haunted inns in all of Britain. The Inn has changed ownership several times since it was first built in 1145 - but the stories always remain the same. Within it’s walls there’s said to be ghosts, a long history of murder, satanic sacrifices and even a demonic incubus that lives in one of the rooms. Paranormal researchers as well as the current owners of the building have looked into its history and discovered that there could be more than one reason why the structure is so haunted. Top 5 Most Haunted Hotels & Inns From Around The World For travelers Hotels and inns are their homes away from home. But like any building, they too, come with their own stories and sometimes much more than that.

In the heart of Banff National Park, you will find a historic castle that truly comes alive with the spirit of Christmas. Within the halls of Fairmont Banff Springs, the festive season is celebrated with international flavour, blending the traditional sights and sounds of Christmas into a magical, two week festival. Support the show: https://www.theinformedtraveler.org/

In the heart of Banff National Park, you will find a historic castle that truly comes alive with the spirit of Christmas. Within the halls of Fairmont Banff Springs, the festive season is celebrated with international flavour, blending the traditional sights and sounds of Christmas into a magical, two week festival. Support the show: https://www.theinformedtraveler.org/

Top 5 Most Haunted Hotels & Inns From Around The World For most of us when we travel or go on vacation, the last thing we want to experience are ghosts or any sort of paranormal activity. Hauntings are a peculiar phenomenon and while they can happen anytime and anywhere, they’re most often found in buildings that have a long history of sadness, violence and murder. These are the top five most haunted hotels and inns from around the world. 5. Banff Springs Hotel Dubbed as the "Castle in the Rockies," The Banff Springs Hotel has hosted celebrities like Marilyn Monroe and royalty like Queen Elizabeth. While it's luxurious rooms and stunning sweeping views of Alberta Cananda are often praised, the structure has also become known for something else - its resident ghosts. Built in the 19th century, the Banff first opened its doors on June 1, 1888. It was a success, as rich European adventurers loved the idea of living in luxury while staying in the middle of the wilderness. 4. The Skirrid Inn Claiming to be one of the oldest pubs in Wales, The Skirrid Inn has stood its ground for over 900 years. While some people think it's an exaggeration and most likely the current building is a 17th century construction, the spot is known as a Pilgrim's trail and most likely before even the current building was built, an older inn had occupied the same spot years before. Regardless of the specifics, there's one thing that locals and those who have visited agree on – the Skirrid Inn is one of the most haunted inns that exists. 3. Akasaka Weekly Mansion Despite being a modern building, the Akasaka Weekly Mansion is one of the most famous haunted buildings in Japan today. Paranormal experts can't pinpoint any history as to why the hotel would be haunted but guests have reported so many paranormal incidents on the premises that it's hard to ignore. Building 1 of the hotel is especially active and said to have had multiple suicides, which could be the reason why restless spirits lurk in the building. 2. The Stanley Hotel Opening its doors in 1909, The Stanley Hotel has had been functioning for over a century. While it was a prominent and revolutionary hotel during its era, in modern times it's more well known for being the real life "Overlook Hotel" from Stephen King's The Shining. King himself cites the hotel as the main inspiration for his horror masterpiece. 1. Ancient Ram Inn Haunted by more than 20 ghosts, the Ancient Ram Inn is said to be one of the most haunted inns in all of Britain. The Inn has changed ownership several times since it was first built in 1145 - but the stories always remain the same. Within it’s walls there’s said to be ghosts, a long history of murder, satanic sacrifices and even a demonic incubus that lives in one of the rooms. Paranormal researchers as well as the current owners of the building have looked into its history and discovered that there could be more than one reason why the structure is so haunted. Top 5 Most Haunted Hotels & Inns From Around The World For travelers Hotels and inns are their homes away from home. But like any building, they too, come with their own stories and sometimes much more than that.

Canada 150 Visitation Unless you've been living under a rock this past year, you know that 2017 represents the 150th birthday of Canada. As a nation, we were born just 150 years ago on July 1, 1867. Now this wasn't the Canada we know today, but a teeny tiny Canada with a lot of well, wilderness. Canada, such as it was, was made up of Upper and Lower Canada, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, and that's it. Upper Canada then became Ontario and Lower Canada, Quebec. Looking at the rest of what would become the rest of Canada, in the far west, there was the Crown Colony of British Columbia, but it would be 4 more years before it became a province on July 20, 1871. The vast majority of what is now Canada though, remained as either Rupert's Land or the Northwest Territories. If the water's flowed into Hudson Bay, it was part of Rupert's Land, and if it flowed north into the Mackenzie River system, it was part of the Northwest Territories. Alberta and Saskatchewan did not join Canada as full provinces until 1905. Canada's National Park system began with the 10 sq km Banff Hot Springs Preserve in 1885, with just a tiny section protected around the Cave and Basin Hot Springs. It sowed the seeds of Canada's National Park system though and was the third National Park in the world behind only Yellowstone National Park in the U.S. and Royal National Park in Australia. Today Canada's National Park system includes 47 National Parks and 970 National Historic Sites. These include the Cave and Basin, Abbots Pass Refuge Cabin, Banff Park Museum, Banff Springs Hotel, Howse Pass, Skoki Ski Lodge, and the Sulphur Mountain Cosmic Ray Station. Other sites across the Mountain National Parks include Athabasca Pass, Yellowhead Pass, the Jasper Park Information Centre, and the Prince of Wales Hotel in Waterton. Across Alberta, you can add Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump, Calgary City Hall, Nordegg, Atlas No. 3 Coal Mine, Coleman, Fort Edmonton, Fort Macleod, Fort Whoop-Up, and the Turner Valley Gas Plant. 2017 was a year steeped in history but also steeped in tourism. The Trudeau Government decided to make all visitation to National Parks and National Historic Sites free for 2017 and this led to huge fears that the parks would be inundated. I have been a strong critic of Parks Canada's focus on bringing more and more cars through the park gates for the past decade while allowing the backcountry to wither. All the marketing has focused on 4-5 million visitors pointing their cars and buses towards the same 2% of the park. Over the past few years, I have watched the park get swarmed by more and more and more visitors. In iconic locations like Lake Louise, Moraine Lake, and Peyto Lake, I've witnessed the crowds growing to levels unimaginable just a decade ago. Many of the park roads, like Sulphur Mountain, Lake Louise, and Moraine Lake, are one lane in and one lane out. This creates finite limits on the amount of traffic the roads can accommodate. In past years, I experienced wait times as long as 2-1/2 hours driving the 3 km or so between the Village of Lake Louise and the actual Lake. With traffic jams like these, nobody is having a good experience. Over the past year, after the announcement that park passes would be free this year, there was well-justified fear that these delays would just get longer and longer. Parks was regularly criticized by Banff and Jasper town counselors for their lack of transparency and discussion on how to deal with the influx of traffic. As the season approached, though, the pieces began to fall into place. Parks Canada made some very bold moves that dramatically reduced the congestion within Banff National Park. Some of these moves included: Permanent parking boundaries along narrow roads such as the approach to Moraine Lake, Johnston Canyon and Lake Minnewanka. These reflective pylons made sure that narrow sections of road weren't choked by cars parking in the driving lanes and making it very difficult for cars and buses to negotiate the road. Free shuttle buses between Banff and Lake Louise, Banff and the Lake Minnewanka Loop as well as from the Lake Louise Overflow Campground and both Lake Louise and Moraine Lake. These buses proved to be incredibly effective with some 280,000 people using these new shuttles. An additional half a million people took advantage of the local Roam bus routes during July and August. The Calgary to Banff bus averaged 260 people per day when it was running. This brought it into Banff where visitors could connect with other regional options. The free Lake Minnewanka shuttles average 470 people/day The free shuttle between Banff and Lake Louise has been averaging 200 people/day while The shuttles between the Lake Louise Overflow Campground and Lake Louise has moved over 150,000 people this summer. In an interview with Gord Gillies of Global News, Park Superintendent Dave McDonough indicated that Parks Canada was planning: "to continue and improve that shuttle service as we go forward because as we continue to see we anticipate we'll continue to see increases in visitation over time, and this is a great way to get people out of their cars and eliminate some of that congestion issues that are associated with those increases." This was just one prong of the traffic management in the park this summer. Parks also had an army of traffic control personnel at all the intersections in the Lake Louise area this summer. They were part of ATS Traffic from Calgary and they did a superhuman job of keeping the vehicles flowing. Not once this years did I experience the huge delays that I have had in past years trying to get from the Village of Lake Louise to the actual Lake. Moraine Lake Road was much easier to negotiate without miles of cars parked half-way into the traffic lanes. On most days, by 9 am, the Moraine Lake Road was simply closed to most vehicles. Buses were given a priority but most private cars where SOL by 9 or 9:30 am. With all of the shuttles, traffic cones, flag people, and free park passes, what are the actual numbers this year? In the end, the increases were lower than many of us anticipated. In July and August, Banff had 1.7 million cars enter and exit the park. This was up 7% over 2016 and overall the vehicle numbers are up 3.5%. The town of Banff counted 4.6 million cars so far this year which is an astounding increase of 21% over 2014. A full 1.7 million of those were during the summer. While the maximum vehicle count was 34,275 on July 2, the average count was 27,512. This means that almost every day was above the congestion point of 24,000 cars. The town helped to alleviate this by manipulating the traffic lights to bias busier sections of road. The main bottleneck within the town of Banff is Sulphur Mountain Road. Cars come into Banff, drive Banff Avenue, cross the Bow River Bridge and then head up Sulphur Mountain. On the way down, they descend the road and hit a traffic light on Spray Ave where the traffic begins to stack. They then turn left for a short distance to wait to turn right onto Banff Avenue. The traffic continues to back up here. The challenge of biasing the lights to move this traffic up and down the mountain means that the Mount Norquay exit into Banff can backup. I June this year, I had to call the Park Wardens as the offramp coming from the east had backed up into the traffic lanes of the Trans Canada, setting up a dangerous situation. For 2017, as much as I didn't think I'd be able to do this, I need to give Parks a gold star for pulling some rabbits out of their hats at the eleventh hour. They were pilloried in the media for the simple fact that they didn't communicate with local communities, nor offer any additional support to help them deal with the realities of massive potential increases in tourism. Overall, it looks like Banff will see no larger increase in numbers then it has over the past few years. Visitation has been growing at a rate of around 5%/year and this year will fit right into that trend. Visitors seem to have gotten the message that things would be busy and so they are taking advantage of early and late season to try to avoid the biggest crowds. Did everything go smoothly, nope! However, I was impressed with most of the traffic control. With tightly controlled traffic at sites like Lake Louise and Moraine Lake, the parking at Lake Louise and the road to Moraine were simply closed when they reached capacity. This meant that all the cars that wanted to visit were simply turned away. They had the option to head back to the highway and use the shuttles, and thousands took advantage of that option. To a certain extent, it actually reduced the number of bodies swarming the shoreline of these two iconic sites. Here is my call to action! There is a fear that much of the critical work that ATS Traffic did this year may have been a one-off, with funding coming from the Canada 150 funds. We simply can't go back to the chaos of past years. If you support the work this amazing group did this year, be sure to contact Parks Canada and make your voices heard. I for one, want to make sure that, at the very least, this is the new norm. Why were the increases in visitors not even higher? It has to do with the simple fact that there are only so many hotel rooms in the region. As the season got busier, so did the hotels get more expensive. There is a point at which there is simply no way for more people to access the mountains. When the rooms and campsites are gone, then people are limited to day trips from larger centres like Calgary. That being said, the current 4% increase in visitation still represents an additional 200,000 people visiting Banff this year. These are unsustainable growth numbers. At some point, park managers will need to begin to say yes to saying no! We are nearing the moment when we need to begin to say "NO, you can't visit Lake Louise". We are too close to beginning to love this place to death! Farewell to Bear 148 If you're a regular listener to this podcast, you've heard me talk time and again about grizzly 148. This 6-1/2-year-old daughter of Bears 66 and 122, better known as the Boss, ran out of luck this summer when she wandered outside of Banff National Park just one too many times. This summer, the buffaloberry crop in Banff was not very strong, but in Canmore, we had fabulous berry patches. This attracted 148 out of the park and into the area around Canmore. In episode 38, I talk about the translocation of Bear 148 to northern Alberta and Kakwa Provincial Park. You can listen to the episode at www.mountainnaturepodcast.com/ep038. Essentially, after returning back to Canmore she had another run-in with people illegally violating a closure and bluff-charged them. This was the final straw for Alberta Environment and Parks, and she was trapped, trucked and translocated far from her home range. With a distant translocation like this, the odds of her surviving were very slim in the first place. Bears become intimately connected to their home ranges. They need to know where all their seasonal foods can be found and at what time of year. Moving them to a new territory is like being forced to shop in a new grocery. Not only is it difficult to find things that you usually eat, but it may not even have the same foods. There may also be other shoppers pushing you away from the best selections. Near the end of September, 148 wandered across the border with British Columbia, likely in search of late season foods, when she was legally shot by trophy hunters. Ironically, B.C. is set to ban grizzly hunting permanently as of Nov. 30. She had the misfortune of crossing the border just over a month too early and it cost 148 her life. Over the past few years, 148 became a symbol of what's wrong in Canmore. What good are wildlife corridors if animals are punished for using them? What good are corridors if people ignore the closures and put themselves and the wildlife in jeopardy? On Oct 7, well over 100 Canmore residents came out to say goodbye to 148 and to pledge to do better in the future. This has also become a major election issue and many of the presentations really focused on the need for political will if we are to keep grizzlies on the landscape. I was lucky enough to record the presentations during the event and I want to present them here. Please keep in mind that I was recording speakers using an old-fashioned bull-horn so the audio quality is not perfect - but their message is! First up was Harvey Locke, co-founder of the Yellowstone to Yukon and long-time conservationist. Following Harvey was Bree Todd, Bree is one of the co-creators of the Bear 148 Appreciation Page on Facebook and has been a strong voice advocating for viable wildlife corridors. Local NDP Member of the Legislature, Cam Westhead followed Bree. He vowed to help the province work harder to improve the situation for bears in the Bow Valley. Following Cam's presentation, the group marched through Canmore towards the Civic Centre for the final two speeches. First was Bill Snow of the Stoney Nakoda. He is the Stoney Consultation Manager and was instrumental in spearheading a Stoney grizzly study in 2016. The last speaker was Kay Anderson, another outspoken advocate of bears and corridors in Canmore, and one of the main organizers of the march. In addition to the presentations, I had the opportunity to speak to a few people outside of the presentations. First up is Mayoral candidate Ed Russell. Finally, I had the opportunity to ask Jeff Laidlaw a few questions. Jeff is looking to be elected to Canmore's town council in the upcoming election. Overall, this was a great event for Canmore. I showed that local people really care about our bears and keeping our corridors wild. This is our last chance to make the right decisions for wildlife. Let's hope that Bear 148 is the last bear to die because of local apathy. And with that, it's time to wrap this episode up. Don't forget that Ward Cameron Enterprises can offer you the expertise and local knowledge to make your visit to the Rockies a memorable one. Don't forget to check out the show notes for links to additional information and photos from this week's event. Drop me a line using the contact page on this site if you'd like to book a step-on or hiking guide, workshop facilitator or speaker. If you'd like to connect with me personally, you can hit me up on Twitter @wardcameron or at www.facebook.com/wardcameronenterprises. And with that said, the hills are snowy white so it's time to tune up the snowshoes - snowshoe animal tracking season is just around the corner. I'll talk to you next week.

Perhaps the most famous of Canadian Hauntings is that of the ghost bride of the Banff Springs Hotel. But before we reveal her story, let's dive into the history, the lore, and the many hauntings at the resort hotel.This is Unsolved Mysteries of the World, Season One Episode 21, The Haunted Banff Springs HotelLocated in the heart of Banff National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the world famous Fairmont Banff Springs hotel stands as a landmark in the picturesque alpine town of Banff, Alberta.Canada's "Castle in the Rockies", has been providing legendary hospitality to guests for more than 125 years including, Prime Ministers, Presidents, actors and actresses such as Marylin Monroe and royalty from around the globe.The luxurious Banff Springs Hotel is well known as the ultimate stay for the rich and famous.It's also famous for the countless ghost stories it boasts. A place, many believe is haunted. Guests and employees alike have all kinds of ghost stories to tell.Over the years, employees and guests have reported strange occurrences from tables moving on their own, to sightings of a bellhop to a bride engulfed in flames.The site for a resort hotel was envisioned by William Cornelius Van Horne, President of the Canadian Pacific Railway in the late 1880s. He chose a perfect spot along the bow river, near a massive waterfalls and near thermal hotsprings that was nestled into towering mountains. There was no more beautiful location in all the world, and Van Horne set out to make the most beautiful hotel.The original hotel was built in 1888 like a Swiss Chalet and had 200 rooms in several wings. It also included, at the time Canada's tallest structure – a viewing tower.In later years it was partially destroyed by fire, rebuilt and expanded in the Scottish Baronial style. The expansions and wings now make for a large, castle like structure. Originally opening with 200 guest rooms, the hotel now offers 778 guest rooms with a few dozen rooms known for their legends and hauntings. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This week we're looking at some important changes to the tourism infrastructure in Jasper National Park as well as some insights into the life of bats in the mountain west http://traffic.libsyn.com/mountainnature/Ep025_Mountain_Nature_and_Culture_Podcast.mp3 Story 1 - The Tourism Files As the summer season approaches, there are a number of new announcements taking place within Banff and Jasper National Parks that are definitely worth taking note of this year. If you work in the guiding industry, definitely stay tuned as these stories will affect your tours in a good way this summer. One of the big announcements is a complete overhaul of the food services at the Columbia Icefields Chalet. For years, the scenery has been spectacular, but the food…well..not so much. Over the years, options for motorcoach tours and family travelers have been slim along the scenic corridor between Banff and Jasper. A few years ago, the Chateau Lake Louise closed down its famous lunch buffet in the Victoria Dining Room and this left a huge hole in the dining options outside of the major centres of Banff and Jasper - especially for larger groups. Brewster this year has hired a new company to help manage the Chalet. Forrec is a global company specializing in developing attractions all around the world. They're the people behind sites like LegoLand in the U.S. In Canada, they developed the Bat Cave at the Royal Ontario Museum and also worked on the Muskoka Boat and Heritage Centre. In a recent article in Jasper's Community Newspaper, Fitzhugh, Matt Dawson, Forrec's senior director of visitor operations stated: “The building is crowded and underwhelming, It’s a missed opportunity – Brewster ranks high (on online travel sites and apps) but the building gets poor or non-existent reviews. People are just blanking it out of their minds. So we want to have complementary experiences inside that enhance what they have outside.” I can certainly agree with this characterization. The building has historically been the pain before the pleasure. It has been a cram of people, all in a rush, pushing their way through a crush of equally rushed crowds. Their first order of business has been focused on cuisine. There have always been two separate restaurants in the hotel. The first, located just above the main staircase, has been a buffet restaurant largely catered to motorcoach tours. The food was adequate at best and never changing. The second restaurant was the public cafeteria style free-for-all. The food was passable but really uninspiring. It was simply…necessary. The day is long, ya gotta eat, so eat. Nobody ever remarked about remarkable food. To be fair, these two restaurants feed some 600,000 hungry visitors every year. The buffet restaurant is now known as "Altitude". According to Dawson: “Altitude is a 450-square-metre buffet style servery,” Dawson explained. “It takes inspiration from the natural environment. So the colour palette is inspired by glaciers, lots of icy blues and whites, harder surfaces – it’s cool and contemporary, and would not be out of place in downtown Vancouver.” When it comes to the food, in an article in this week's Crag and Canyon, menu items will include "rack of lamb with mint sauce, fish, steaks, burgers, flatbreads, and pizzas." Well- hay…I can work with that. An upgrade to the Icefields Chalet has been a very long time coming and this is welcome news. One thing I would like to see is a way to better design the human traffic flow. I'm stoked about the improved food because, as a guide, I eat a lot of meals there every summer. The newly designed restaurants look great as well. If you want to see some images, Check out this story in the Crag and Conyon Newspaper: http://www.thecragandcanyon.ca/2017/04/12/glacier-discovery-centre-completes-interior-renovations-to-restaurants Can Forrec improve this iconic destination? If they can, I'll be impressed. Let me know if you visit. I'd love to hear some first-hand impressions. Mount Edith-Cavell is one of Jasper National Park's premier destinations. The interpretive walk to the Angel Glacier overlook is one that inspires awe and, a few years ago, terror. Permits Required for Mount Edith Cavell Road In 2012, the Ghost Glacier came loose from the steep slopes of Mount Edith-Cavell and into the tiny tarn known as Cavell Pond. The resulting tsunami-style wave erupted from the tiny lake and swept down the valley taking out an interpretive trail as well as much of the public parking area. This event really brought to the fore, the dangers of a rapid glacial melt. It also led to the closing of the Mount Edith Cavell road for the remainder of the 2012 season. While it reopened in 2013, it was clear the combination of increased visitation as well as increased risk due to rapid glacial retreat meant that Parks Canada needed to do some redevelopment in order to move the parking lot out of the danger zone while also increasing the capacity. As of this summer, there is now a limit on the number of cars that can travel the Mount Edith Cavell Road. If you want to visit the area…and you really really DO want to visit this site. Limited access is a really really good idea. It makes sure that the people that do get an opportunity to visit the site will get a great experience. Starting this summer, in order to visit Mount Edith Cavell, you'll need a permit issued by Parks Canada. The free permits will be available outside of the Jasper Information Centre in the heart of Jasper between 08:00 and 10:00 every day. Only one permit per vehicle is required. It is being put in place primarily to ensure that each vehicle should have a place to park in the main lot. It will also help to reduce the overcrowding challenges at the site as well as the long line of vehicles parking along the really narrow access road as it approaches the parking area. For those of us that are part of an organized group tour, we won't need vehicle permits, nor will backcountry users, cyclists, or hostel guests. Parks Canada staff will be on location at the start of the road to check permits for vehicles as well as tour operator licenses, reservations for the Tonquin Trail, Tonquin Valley Backcountry Lodge, Amethyst Lake Lodge and the Edith Cavell Hostel. This is a great development for Mount Edith Cavell. We need to make sure that the access to the location is both safe and sustainable. If you are a repeat visitor, I truly believe that this will improve the access to the location. While fewer visitors will be able to snap photos of the glacier, it will help to reduce the impact and the crowds. Story 2 - Going Batty As days slowly warm up, it won't be long until, if you're lucky and very watchful, you may be able to see dark objects flitting across the night sky in search of flying insects. Bats are still largely a mystery in the mountain west with scientists in the dark on most aspects of these furry mammals. Researchers don't know very much about their population, distribution, or even where non-migratory bats overwinter in the Rockies. In most instances, the bats we see locally are likely to be big brown or little brown bats (also called the little brown myotis). The remaining 7 species are more solitary and less likely to be spotted by the average viewer. If you're lucky enough to a rarity, you'll likely not know, for as the saying goes, they all look mostly alike when flitting across the night sky. Alberta is home to the Big and Little brown bat, Eastern Red Bat, Hoary Bat, Long-eared Myotis, Long-legged Myotis, Northern Myotis, Silver Haired Bat and the Western Small-footed Bat. All bats are members of the order Chiroptera which loosely translates to 'hand wing' in Greek. Essentially, the bones that form the structure of the wing, are the bat's finger bones,  which are connected by a thin skin membrane called the patagium. Because the wing is essentially, well, a hand, bats can move it like a hand while flying, which allows them to literally swim through the air. Only the thumb remains exposed, extending from the wing  as a small claw used for climbing. Bats represent one of, at least, four times in history that self-propelled flight has evolved. In addition to bats, birds, and insects, my personal favourite, the pterosaurs, took to the air some 228 million years ago. The first known ancestral bat dates to around 50 million years ago. Canada's bats are all a member of the family Vespertilonidae which means "evening bat". This refers to their preference for hunting at night when insects are more active. Birds, with their rigid wings are better at providing lift but the wings of bats are more flexible allowing them to bend them into different shapes which in turn almost instantly varies the direction and degree of lift. Their flight is also more efficient than that of both insects and birds. As an example, a hovering bat uses 40% less energy than hawkmoths and 60% less than hummingbirds. Unlike the rigid wings of birds, they have almost two dozen wing bones that can each be controlled independently to some extent. Add to this the pliable nature of the wing membrane, and you have an aerial predator of unmatched flying abilities. If you ever have the chance to watch the beautiful flights of bats as they fly, tumble, barrel roll, and almost instantly change direction to hone in on a their dinner, you will have marveled at their nimble aerial displays. Bats combine aeronautic agility with active sonar to hone in on flying insects using echolocation combining millisecond timing and millimetre accuracy. While not all bat species use sonar, all the bats in Canada DO. Bats emit high frequency pulses of sound at a rate of up to 200 per minute. While we can't hear these pulses, they can hear the pulses reflect off of objects in their flight path. Depending on circumstance, bats produce three different types of pulse. One pulse is used when searching for prey. Once located, they change to an approach pulse and at the last minute, change to a feeding pulse as they prepare to capture dinner. Sonar allows the bats to literally see with sound!  It helps them find all manner of flying insects, but also to navigate around obstacles. Echolocation is an almost magical way for bats to navigate the night skies in search of dinner. As autumn approaches so does the mating season. Bats swarm together for this purpose and once impregnated, female bats carry the active sperm for several months, waiting for late-winter or early spring before fertilization takes place. This delayed implantation is often talked about when referring to black and grizzly bears, but bats and some members of the weasel family also utilize the same strategy. Once the pups are born, usually one, or rarely two, per year, they're fed milk by their mother for the first 6 weeks, beyond which they are on their own to fend for themselves. Occasionally, female bats gather in maternity colonies in frequently used locations. When we think of bat swarms and winter hibernation in bats, we think of caves. In fact, Banff National Park has just discovered the very first cave to show evidence of hibernating bats within its boundaries. The cave is in the northern reaches of Banff, close to the Columbia Icefields. Biologists believe the bats are little brown myotis, but they are sending out bone samples in order to get a more accurate identification. Outside of Banff, Canmore's Rat's Nest Cave also shows evidence of bats using the warm cavern for hibernation. I have photographs of bat skeletons that I took back in the 1990s from this cave. A 2013 study stated that: "There are four known bat hibernacula in the Province of Alberta: Wapiabi (Chungo) Cave, southwest of Nordegg, Cadomin Cave, south of Hinton, Procrastination Pot (or NDP Cave), east of Jasper and Walkin Cave south of Fort Smith. The nearest hibernacula west of Banff in British Columbia are a couple abandoned mines near Cranbrook sheltering Townsend’s bigeared bat (Plecotus townsendii). Recent research by Lausen 2006 has determined, using radiotelemetry, that big brown bats (Eptesicus fiscus) use narrow deep rock crevices or erosion holes located in steep valley walls in Dinosaur Provincial Park. The potential possibilities of sub-human size cracks and crevices suitable for over-wintering bat use in the Canadian Rocky Mountains verges on uncountable." Very little is known as to the winter use of bats in caves within the Canadian Rocky region. Within Banff National Park, there are at least 11 caves that have been explored by spelunkers, but the potential is there for many more caves to be hidden within the vast wilderness that is Banff. There may also be many smaller caves that would not attract the attention of people due to their inaccessibility, but that may serve bats just fine. There is another potential habitat in Banff as the same 2013 study mentioned: "One fairly unique Banff habitat that might be used by bats is the geothermally warmed zone around its hot springs. Both caves and crevices, plus sub-human size cracks and holes may provide seasonal roosting and nursery bat habitat." Along with caves, abandoned mines can create a perfect location for hibernating bats, Banff, Kootenay and Yoho National Parks each have abandoned mines with open entrances that could be worth closer inspection by researchers. And of course, caves are not the only places bats will hibernate. Many species, like the big brown bat, are fond of rafters, air vents and other man-made structures that may have some artificial heat. Bats also use hollows in bridge structures as well. One bridge in Waterton Lakes National Park has been very popular with little brown myotis. Bats look for warm, moist, dark places in these structures, ideally with a temperature in the 39-42 C range. They rely on existing openings in order to access buildings because, unlike rodents, they lack the gnawing teeth to excavate their own entrance. Potential hibernation and maternity sites worth investigating are the Banff Springs Hotel attic, some of the areas older churches, the Park Administration building, Banff Park Museum, Deer Lodge, Num-ti-jah Lodge and any other classic old structure that still has not been fully modernized. One trend that has had an impact on bats over the past few decades has been the move towards updating old buildings, many of which may have been home to large colonies of overwintering bats. One 1983 study indicated: “Although the big brown bat is clearly associated with the townsite area, no nurseries have been located and only one roost has been identified. Old buildings with accessible attics are being replaced by well-insulated and generally inaccessible attics. Thus, artificial nurseries, roosts and hibernation sites are disappearing. Natural sites used by these bats may need protection if the species is to remain in the mountain national parks.” Alberta's bats do not gather in the huge numbers that you see in movies. Many hibernate in small groups or even as individuals. The eastern red, hoary and silver-haired bats avoid hibernation altogether by migrating south. Understanding where bats spend their winter is critical in helping to mitigate the effects of white-nose disease when it eventually makes its way to western Canada. This deadly disease has been steadily migrating westward since its discovery in 2007. Last year, it made a sudden western jump and was for the first time identified in Washington State. To the east, it's approaching the Ontario-Manitoba border. It's inevitable that it'll make its way to the Rockies and researchers are hoping to be prepared. As they find locations, like the recent cave discovery in Banff, they are looking at seasonal use while also studying temperature and humidity. White-nose fungus grows best in temperatures between 5 and 14 C. It appears to disappear in areas where the temperature reaches 20 C. . As the fungus attacks a bat, it will be spread to neighbouring bats through physical contact, with each developing a white colouration on the hair around the mouth. The fungus doesn't kill the bat, instead it creates discomfort, causing the bat to wake more often. The bat then wastes energy grooming in a futile attempt to be rid of the fungus. This, in turn, uses precious energy and depletes fat stores. They slowly starve once they've drained all their fat reserves. In areas where white-nose has gained a foothold, bat mortality ranges from 75 to 99%. So far some 5 and a half to 7 million bats have been wiped out in the 10 years following its arrived in North America. It's for this reason that renewed interest in bats winter strategies is critical in the mountain west. One advantage we may have is that bats often don't gather in densely populated hibernation sites. The greatest mortalities occur where the bats are tightly grouped and can spread the fungus from one to another across an entire colony. Once infected, the fungus can remain in the cave until the next year's hibernation begins, starting the cycle anew. (https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/12/121218094216.htm). This means that once a hibernation site is infected, it is likely to stay that way, infecting successive generations of hibernating bats. So how do researchers learn more about the bats found within the mountain west? Field research into potential hibernation and maternity sites is just one step. Some bats can be fitted with tiny tracking devices allowing them to share their location for a brief period before the devices naturally fall off. Since most bats are incredibly light, most can only carry a minuscule 0.35-gram transmitter. This would transmit over a 1 to 3 km range and would fall off after 8 to 10 days when the adhesive naturally breaks down. Acoustic monitoring is another up and coming technique for monitoring bats. Audio detectors can be  purchased for use in stationary locations, mounted to vehicles, and even used in a hand-held manner. This allows for a variety of uses. Unfortunately, most equipment is designed for a single monitoring method. As an example, a stationary monitor can be set up near, or in suspected hibernation sites to monitor bat vocalizations. Vehicle mounted detectors would allow mobile, wide range detection along routes that can be traversed on a regular basis. Handheld detectors allow active monitoring of bats in an area with the acoustic pulses being displayed as real-time sonograms on the screen to assist in identification. All three techniques will be needed to get a handle on bat populations in the Rockies, and they'll be needed soon. The thought of white-nose disease devastating our bat populations is terrifying. Bats are an essential part of the mountain ecosystem - especially when we realize that many eat up to half their body weight in insects every night. That's a lot of mosquitoes that don't need swatting. Conclusion Please remember that Ward Cameron Enterprises is your one-stop shop for getting the most out of your visit to the Canadian Rockies. Step away from packaged tours and let us create your custom experience. You can drop me a line at ward at wardcameron.com or check out our show page at www.mountainnaturepodcast.com. There you'll find show notes, links to additional information and all of our back episodes. If you want to connect personally, hit me up on twitter @wardcameron or check out us out on facebook at: www.facebook.com/wardcameronenterprises.

Episode 29: Ghost Destinations – Canada, Sweden, and More Noelle walks us through the great ghost stories of Banfff, Bowling Green, Atlanta, and Sweden. This story contains: 1. Plan a trip to some great haunted destinations! (Canada, Sweden and some places In Betweeden!) 2. Banff Springs Hotel, Canada (BANFF, BANFF, BANFF. It’s just fun to say.) 3. Wood County Historical Center (Bowling Green, OH) 4. Ellis Hotel, Atlanta (FIRE!!!) 5. Borgvattnet, Sweden (Haunted Vicarage!) Sweet Dreams XOXOZzzz.

Are you looking for a once-in-a-lifetime destination in the Canadian Rockies to book your next corporate meeting? Do also you want to ensure that your event is seamless? Then this episode of the Create Awesome Meetings Podcast is for you! That's because you're going to hear from Barb Wallace, the Manager of Conference Services and Catering at the world-class Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel. In this episode Barb shares great destination meeting insights including: How the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel is set in an overwhelmingly beautiful location with all kinds of unique opportunities from golf, to skiing to climbing and more How the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel provides a seamless experience for your corporate events Why the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel has created special position for a 'Conference Concierge' who is available 24 hours a day to make sure your event is perfect How the hotel chefs provide 'unsurpassable' meal choices and cater to all dietary concerns How PSAV ensures that all audio-visual concerns are taken care of Why the website is so easy to use and has everything you need from menus to photos and more (www.fairmont/banffsprings.com) Why the staff has actually tried so many of the dishes as well as experiencing the amenities, which allows them to speak confidently with all guests Why Fairmont partners with JD Power and Associates to gather guest feedback which allows them to consistently improve Why you should check out www.tripadvisor.com to learn more about what people are saying about this destination Why it's important for the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel to give back to the community Why environmental excellence is so important How they can expertly handle groups of any size from 8 - 800 and more Why you'll love swimming in the outdoor pool as the snow gently falls and you're looking out over the Canadian Rocky Mountains Barb's Top 3 Corporate Meeting Booking Suggestions Be aware of what time of year you want to book a destination meeting in the Rocky Mountains so you can take proper of advantage of amenities like world class golf in the summer or fantastic skiing in the winter Get started by checking out floorplans, menus, photos and more on www.fairmont.com/banffsprings, and then brainstorm with the highly trained staff to customize an awesome destination meeting experience Learn as much as possible about both what the hotel and the surrounding area have to offer so you don't miss any once-in-a-lifetime opportunities About Barb Wallace Barb Wallace is the Manager of Conference Services and Catering (CSM) at the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel. With more than 27 years of experience Barb is the perfect liaison between guests, clients and all hotel teams. She ensures that all the details of your stay are properly carried out and that the planning and execution of your event is top-knotch. You can get in touch with Barb at barb.wallace@fairmont.com Links Mentioned In This Episode www.fairmont.com/banffsprings www.tripadvisor.com PSAV - http://canada.psav.com/ JD Power and Associates - http://canada.jdpower.com/ Send an email to info@meetingleadershipinc.com to get the FREE download!

Scott runs into an obstacle looking for Trevor and his Mojo

Banff Springs Hotel, Downtown Banff, Camping in Lake Louise.