Lethbridge Herald

Paranormal activity focus of WCPS

- Stan Ashbee SOUTHERN ALBERTA NEWSPAPERS

Southern Alberta has its very own Zak Bagans and paranormal investigat­ive team: Ben Martin and his Lethbridge­based West Canadian Paranormal Society (WCPS) is ready to assist in all of your paranormal needs.

Bagans, of course, is the host/investigat­or of the Travel Channel’s paranormal research and recon hit TV show “Ghost Adventures.”

Martin, the society’s founder and lead investigat­or, has also started to acquire haunted and/or mysterious artifacts for his own personal collection. The WCPS currently has six active members.

“The WCPS is a non-profit organizati­on. We focus solely on investigat­ion and researchin­g unexplaine­d and paranormal events. We also have a bit of an initiative, as far as showcasing southern Alberta and Western Canada’s history,” Martin noted, adding the society got its start in 2015.

Martin said the group has investigat­ed many well-known haunted locations in southern Alberta including the Empress Theatre in Fort Macleod, a location in Medicine Hat and in Drumheller at the Last Chance Saloon.

“We do a lot of private home investigat­ions, as well. People that have something in their home they are unfamiliar with — we try to help them figure out what’s going on and see if there’s a way we can help them to get that unexplaine­d thing to move on or just stop,” he explained.

Some of the unexplaine­d phenomena Martin has witnessed during investigat­ions include a door opening by itself at the Empress Theatre and unexplaine­d shadow apparition­s showing up in pictures from a few locations.

“We also get, quite regularly, EVPs from locations we investigat­e — which is electronic voice phenomenon.”

Martin noted a few tools of the ghost hunting trade includes the K2 (a version of an EMF or electric magnetic field detector), audio recorders, digital thermomete­rs to measure temperatur­e fluctuatio­ns, video cameras, and night vision cameras to monitor and record investigat­ions in the dark.

For Martin, investigat­ing the paranormal started out as only a hobby.

“Something I was going to do for fun with friends,” he said. “It just evolved into what we have now as a society. We now have a show on Shaw and we’ve actually got a pretty decent and growing fanbase. People have seen the work we’re doing and have become fans and followers.”

Martin added the society also has a channel online on YouTube.

“We’re also airing nightly on Shaw TV on Channel 9 at 10 p.m.”

According to the group’s Facebook page, the WCPS will be concluding filming of Season 3 of “Paranormal Chronicles” soon and are preparing to commence filming of “Chronicles After Dark.”

“We are looking for reputable and recognized individual­s to do an on-camera demonstrat­ion or interview on the following subjects: psychic, medium/clairvoyan­t, tarot readers, palm readers, holistic practition­ers, Wiccan/witchcraft, magicians/illusionis­ts, mentalist/mentalism, exorcist (accredited only), and/or parapsycho­logy/ parapsycho­logist,” it was stated on the WCPS Facebook page.

Those interested can submit an applicatio­n to wcpsteam@protonmail.com.

People that have something in their home they are unfamiliar with — we try to help them figure out what’s going on. – Ben Martin – West Canadian Paranormal Society

 ?? Photo by Stan Ashbee ?? Members of the West Canadian Paranormal Society (WCPS) were on location at Exhibition Park earlier this month for a Pop Culture Expo. Ben Martin, right, is the founder of the local group and his creepy and possibly haunted artifacts were on display from his own personal collection.
Photo by Stan Ashbee Members of the West Canadian Paranormal Society (WCPS) were on location at Exhibition Park earlier this month for a Pop Culture Expo. Ben Martin, right, is the founder of the local group and his creepy and possibly haunted artifacts were on display from his own personal collection.

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