The Haunted Walk of Toronto — Attraction in Toronto

My wife and I along with our 11-year old twin girls recently took part in the Toronto distillery district haunted walk as part of a birthday present for me from my wife. That said, here was our takeaway.

ARRIVAL/LOCATION: For those who’ve never been to the distillery district in Toronto, it’s an area of the city dripping with atmosphere, and the perfect place to take in a ghost walk. With a history dating back well over 150 years into the past, paranormal occurrences are reported to be not all that uncommon here (a couple security guards I once spoke with said they’ve seen/heard many things they can’t fully explain). On this particularly night, being a warm summer Saturday, the district was abuzz with activity, restaurants and bars in full swing, and lots of people just looking to take in an evening stroll. Our tour group met outside the main gates, and was very easy to find. You simply can’t beat the distillery for atmosphere, five stars here.

TOUR LEADER/GUIDE: Kit was an absolutely all-star and phenomenal guide. Donning the iconic black cloak and lantern in hand, they met us at the gate right on time and began the tour as soon as the head count was made. Our group that night was in and around 15 of us, so intimate enough not to feel overcrowded. Kit then lead us through the streets, down back alleys and past store fronts, enthusiastically regaling us with stories from the past, while painting a vivid picture of life back in the distillery’s heyday, and animating many of its many characters… some of which were purported to still walk the streets… All in all, Kit is an epic storyteller, and considered ourselves lucky to have had them. Five full stars, they made the haunted walk what is was, and can tell Kit truly loves what they do.

THE EXPERIENCE/WALK: There were many instances of ominous foreboding, interspersed with wide eyed fascination from our girls and an around general creepiness permeating the air throughout the walk. Kit took us to many interesting locations and stops, navigating the nooks and crannies of the distillery with a familiarity that was very apparent. Lots of chilling stories, and on this particular night, we experienced a first. Now my wife and I have been on several haunted walks, including an overnight stay at a haunted hotel in Arizona that was once a hospital, but never really came across anything that made us question what exactly we were experiencing. Without making this review twice the length that it is, all I will say is there is a store called ‘The Ordinary’ that we stopped at during the tour. And when several of us noticed one of the hanging lights moving from side to side among the dozens of lights around it remaining perfectly motionless, it made quite a few of us question our eyes and sense of what exactly we were witnessing. As one tour guest exclaimed as he walked off, ‘well I’m a believer now!’… After the tour, my wife and I along with our girls went back to that very storefront window, and there it was, still moving on its own (we took video this time). We stood there with mouths wide open, until security walked by and shuffled us on. And this is just one instance, with the security guards telling us of other bizarre instances they’d encountered over the years.

THE BOTTOM LINE: After taking in a previous Haunted Walk in Kingston, Ontario, we thought it might be fun to try another closer to home. The distillery being an attraction unto itself, the walk is truly the cherry topper, especially as an after dinner stroll. A truly unique experience that will get you up close and personal with the area’s intriguing and sometimes sordid past, the walk’s guides (like Kit) are what make the walk what it is. Five stars, loved it, well done Haunted Walks, we’ll be doing...

We participated in the haunted walk at the distillery district Sep. 6-20. It was 75 min. in length and very enjoyable. Our guide Margot was present, ready to meet us promptly and dressed accordingly. She was very well spoken and provided excellent instructions to keep us safe and physically distanced from others in the tour. There were 9 total in the tour group. We walked throughout the distillery district where Margot would stop at various locations, guide us into our safe zones and proceed to tell a story. There were about 7 or 8 different stories to tell. They were rich with history and spectre sightings. Margot was very well versed in the stories and told them well with enthusiasm and intrigue. It was all outdoors and yet we had no trouble hearing every word of Margot's tales, although she did have to compete with a passing Go Train at one point. (She did pause to let it pass rather than talk over it). We took our 2 daughters on this walk (12 & 10) and they too really enjoyed it. It was not too scary for their age and they were kept well engaged. The one thing that may have made it a little better would be if the district itself was closed. As it was the bars and restaurants were open with bright lights and modern music but that's not enough of a deterrent to hinder...

Went for another ghost walk with a good friend of mine on Oct 31st, this time courtesy of Lauren. We visited several haunted locations, but couldn't visit the Half Way House, due to it being used for another program. Lauren was an engaging storyteller, relating tales of the history of the buildings, and paranormal experiences she and others have had. I always enjoy the stories of the Manse in particular, since my Great x3 Grandfather, William Jenkins, was the first Presbyterian Minister to make use of it. This time, I did capture an interesting pic in the last house we visited. My friend didn't even want to go upstairs, since she said it felt "heavy", and seemed to hear some tapping noises up there. Lauren also stayed downstairs. Some people in our group said that they also heard things. In my pic, one can see something near the end of the bed in one of the rooms upstairs! Spooky!! This took place in the Burwick House. I keep going back, because you never know what may happen. Sometimes not much, but...