Lauren Baron
BRANT NEWS

Inside the Bank of Montreal on Market Street lives the ghost of a little boy.

“We think he is the old owner’s son from when the building was first built,” said Tim Butterworth, lead investigator with the Brantford Paranormal Society. “There were no deaths on the property itself, but we think he attached himself to it.”

Butterworth said the boy haunts the bank, which has marked the corner of Market and Darling streets for almost a century.

Members of the public will have the chance to experience the life of a ghost hunter during the fifth annual Scare in the Square, taking place this weekend in downtown Brantford.

Paranormal Society ghost hunters arm themselves with infrared, night vision and digital cameras, digital recorders, grid light pens and what’s known as a K2 meter.

“It’s kind of overwhelming,” Butterworth said of encountering ghosts for the first time. “It’s a little bit of a shock, but exciting at the same time.”

The scary experience at Scare in the Square – running on Friday and Saturday – doesn’t end with ghost hunting.

“There is so much going on,” said Jennifer Middleton, community events co-ordinator with the City of Brantford.

The frightful fun begins on Friday with the judging of a Scarecrow contest at 4 p.m.

This year’s newest attraction is fire manipulation shows presented by Illuminair Entertainment on Friday and Saturday at 5 p.m.

Kids can get a jump on trick-or-treating around the downtown core between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. on Saturday.

Register at the Harmony Square information kiosk at 2 p.m. Kids in costume will receive a free trick-or-treat bag and map of trick-or-treat locations.

There will also be tractor-drawn hayrides, which lead to a secret pumpkin patch where audiences can take in a chilling tale presented by ICHTHYS Theatre.

Scare in the Square will also feature entertainment on the Bell Stage, Casper’s Craft Corner and a pumpkin amusement ride.

Families can sit back and relax on Saturday at noon during a screening of Madagascar 3 at the Sanderson Centre for the Performing Arts.

The scare factor will get kicked up a notch at 9 p.m. with a screening of the classic horror film Halloween.

If you’re up for a scary surprise, visit the Scare in the Square haunted house on Dalhousie Street. The haunted house will feature two sections – one for the faint of heart and one for those 14 and over who are ready for a fright.

“It’s going to be a big surprise,” said Aliki Mikulich, who is helping organize the haunted house. “The whole idea behind being scared is you don’t know what’s coming.”

During the ghost hunt at BMO, which runs throughout the weekend, Butterworth expects to see a lot of paranormal activity.

“When we were doing ghost tours there a couple years ago, we did have some good contact and we had a lot of stuff happen that was getting people going,” he said.

They even managed to play a game of hide and seek with the young boy, Butterworth said.

“I’m hoping that will happen again this year,” he said. “It will give them that full experience of being a ghost hunter.”

Visit www.harmonysquare.ca for more information about Scare in the Square.