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Last Saturday night I saw my city in a whole new dark light. That’s because I went on Haunted Montreal’s Haunted Mountain Tour led by local actor Donovan King.

Donovan King leads a Bloomsday walking tour

Donovan King leads a Bloomsday walking tour

Donovan led our own sold-out walking tour on June 10 The History of the Irish in Montreal as part of this year’s Bloomsday festivities. The three-hour walk was a raging success and everybody loved Donovan’s lively performance and historical information. So, I knew that I had to try one of his specialty ghost tours this summer.

The tour began at the haunted Barfly on 4062 Boulevard St. Laurent in the Plateau. From there, Donovan led us to Jeanne-Mance Park (formerly Fletcher’s Field) as he horrified us with the history of Montreal’s summer smallpox epidemic of 1885. Fun fact: Did you know that the cross on Mount Royal changes color from gold to purple when the Pope dies? I had no idea. The cross changes back to gold only once a new pope has been chosen.

Does the ghost of Simon McTavish toboggan down the slopes of Mount Royal?

Does the ghost of Simon McTavish toboggan down the slopes of Mount Royal?

The tour then proceeded up the mountain where Donovan scared us with stories about child graves, paranormal investigators, secret C.I.A brainwashing experiments, and of course, the story of Simon McTavish, just to give you a taste of what caused my insomnia that night.

I highly recommend this experience as a fun Saturday night outing in the city. This would make a great date night for couples, or a fun girls’ night out. I would also suggest this activity if you have friends staying in town this summer because it would give you a chance to stop playing tour guide for awhile and enjoy being the tourist yourself.

After the walk my new friend Bess and I went for frozen margaritas on Peel street where the tour ended, and we shared our own encounters with the paranormal. Pro Tip: Do bring a flashlight and a bottle of water because walking up the mountain at night is dangerous and thirsty work.

Haunted Montreal is currently running two major walking tours this season in both English and French: Haunted Mountain and Haunted Griffintown. But beware! Donovan’s tickets sell out fast so I suggest you book your spot sooner rather than later. Here’s a clip from YouTube that will give you a better idea of what to expect.

Donovan also has a monthly blog he emails on the 13 of every month with a new ghost story.

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