Hunting for paranormal activity

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Hunting for paranormal activity
August 29, 2010
JOANNA LAVOIE
InsideToronto.com



South Riverdale resident Catherine Fogarty isn't exactly sure what to do about the uninvited guests who have taken up residence in her home so she just tolerates them.

It's an especially challenging scenario as Fogarty's visitors are of the paranormal persuasion and tend to only turn up every few months unannounced.

Ironically, the ghostly encounters mesh well with a television pilot her production company, Big Coat Productions, is currently working on called Paranormal Home Inspection.

"This one was kind of an uncanny coincidence," said Fogarty, the company's president and executive producer, during a recent interview in the kitchen of her charming circa 1913 home.

Fogarty - whose award-winning production company on Queen Street East specializes in creating reality-based lifestyle programming - said the bizarre occurrences at her house were happening at the same time HGTV and Mystery TV wanted to talk about developing shows with paranormal themes.

"Coincidentally, I had just moved into this house and was having some strange things happening so I said to my business partner, Maria Armstrong: 'Let's test out my house,'" she smiled.

Four years ago, Fogarty purchased her semi-detached home near Carlaw Avenue and Dundas Street East.

From the get go, she recalled wondering why the young couple with a baby would want to sell it after living there for only two years. She didn't even consider the possibility it could be haunted.

"When I bought the house I distinctly remember thinking why would anyone want to sell this house? I remember thinking it seemed odd to me," said Fogarty, the mother of twin boys.

She said weird things started happening shortly after she moved in like a closet door being open after she swore she'd closed it and inanimate objects like perfume bottles and a framed photo being moved around.

Late one night the bathtub faucets turned on full blast. Another time, a fishbowl in the kitchen exploded. In another instance, the dishwasher turned on by itself.

"Then my dog started reacting and that's when I realized there was definitely something going on," Fogarty said, while talking about how her now-deceased Rottweiler would growl from the top of the stairs at seemingly nothing.

"Obviously there was something strange happening in my house. I always say it's like having an annoying house guest."

Six months after she moved in Fogarty hired contractors to renovate her basement. On two occasions, the workers were stuck outside after a deadbolt lock was inexplicably activated from the inside of the otherwise empty house.

Fogarty said the same annoyance happened to her just a few weeks ago when she stepped outside to water the flowers in the backyard.

"I've lived in several homes in my life and I've never experienced anything like this before. Even now I'm skeptical of what could be in my home," she admitted.

"I have no desire to kick the spirits out but it would be nice if they just left. It's not terrifying, just annoying sometimes."

As part of the show's development process, Big Coat Productions - which produces Love It or List it, My Parents' House and Chef Worthy among other things - invited two psychics to tour Fogarty's home.

"We brought them into this house and we didn't tell them it was my house. We turned on the camera and just followed the psychics around," she said, adding they didn't want to take on a series they didn't personally believe in.

"Lo and behold they both came up with the same result."

Fogarty said the psychics believe three human and one animal spirit "live" in her home. They also told her the basement's laundry room is a hot spot for negative vibes.

Nadine Mercey, a successful realtor with the ability to read homes and environments, has since been hired to serve as Paranormal Home Inspection's resident psychic.

Fogarty has also brought on certified home inspector Brian Daley to try to justify any odd behaviour.

"I'm happy to address the skeptic," she said, adding unexplainable noises could be raccoons in the attic, random water running could be due to shoddy plumbing and haphazard doors opening might be due to the house settling.

"But some occurrences just couldn't be explained."

Michelle McKay, a paranormal investigator who measures bizarre occurrences using scientific equipment and technology, has also been retained for the program.

The final cast member will be a researcher who will explore the historical background of the homes and surrounding area and meet with the homeowners to discuss his or her findings.

So far eight average homeowners with peculiar things happening in their homes have been selected to appear on the show but more are still needed. Shooting on the 13-part series is set to begin this fall and should air by early next spring.

Anyone interested in having their home featured on Paranormal Home Inspection should visit http://www.bigcoatproductions.com/casting.php or call 416-507-9829.

Visit http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IKrU9zMgeC8 for a sneak peek.