Halloween in Toronto just wouldn’t be the same without Jaymes White and his spine-tingling séances. This year, The Stanley Garrison Séance is held at one of, in White’s own words, the most unsettling locations and that’s saying a lot. Every year, he is challenged to make it bigger [and scarier] than the year before, and every year, he succeeds. The Stanley Garrison Séance has everything that you expect from one of White’s events, and more, and least in my experience.
As always, we have the inside scoop on everything that you need to prepare for and get the most out of The Stanley Garrison Séance:
How to Get the Most Out of the Séance:
- Be on time – late arrivals will not be permitted. Map out the meeting location ahead of time and be there fifteen minutes early
- Even if you are a skeptic, give it a chance and go in with an open mind. The more open-minded you are, the more that you will get out of the experience and the more interesting it is for the group
- Participate and don’t be afraid to speak up
- Don’t come drunk – you need to have your wits about you
- There are lots of stairs. If you have mobility issues, this isn’t for you
- Buy your tickets in advance to secure the date and time that you want – they do sell out, particularly leading up to Halloween
The Stanley Garrison Séance – The Details:
Dates: September 27th-November 30th, 2024
Duration: Approximately 2 hours
Group Size: Approximately 20 people
Price: $68.66 per person 18+ (Private group up to 20 ppl – save $300)
Get TicketsLocation: Prince’s Gates – 11 Princes’ Blvd. at Exhibition Place. From there, you will walk to the Stanley Garrison Barracks next to Hotel X.
The Review
Jaymes White knows how to set the scene for a bone-chilling adventure. The Stanley Garrison Séance starts out with him giving you an obsidian crystal for your protection. Some people grab several, otherwise clutch onto one for dear life. He then describes the Stanley Garrison Barracks, the history and the resident spirits that haunt the place. He invites you to explore on your own…if you dare.
The rooms are dark, only lanterns casting just enough light so that you can make your way in. He asks you how each room made you feel. Eventually, he invites us to the basement which is where things start getting very interesting. This was, in the past, a jail where prisoners were held. One of the more malevolent spirits, Robert, was said to touch people. Another was a young girl, Jenny, in search of her lost cat. That very cat is said to be heard meowing.
One of the women attending saw what she believed to be a cat in the window walking by. Once White heard this, he immediately asked for volunteers to connect with the spirits on a Ouija board. Just when it seemed futile, there was a connection. It seemed like the woman that saw the cat was able to connect, perhaps better than anyone with the spirits in the house.
White then invited everyone to sit in a circle and join hands for the real Victorian séance to begin. This is where things got even more interesting, at least for me. The woman who connected with the spirits in the house asked him to touch someone’s hair if they were there. You guessed it – I felt someone touch my hair, not once, but twice. It must have been the new shampoo that I tried. Seriously though, I can’t explain how it happened. All I can tell you is that is was real.
The room was eerily dark and things happened that just cannot be explained. When it was finally over, I was blown away. A lot depends on the group that you are with, and perhaps this group wasn’t as engaged in the beginning. By the end, most were ready to bolt out of pure, unadulterated fear.
My Halloween wouldn’t be the same without The Stanley Garrison Séance. I highly recommend that if you have never been, this is well worth it. If you have already been to one of White’s past events, you won’t be disappointed. Every year, I tell Jaymes that it was even better than the year before. I thought nothing would ever top The Isabella Street Séance. Turns out that I was wrong. I can hardly wait to see what he will conjure up (literally) for his tenth year.
For more information and to buy tickets, visit jaymeswhite.com
