By Darren Lum

Jan. 24 2017

The couple heard laughter and giggling on the second floor as they stood in the entrance of the Reid House a Haliburton landmark. They smiled and assumed it was their children. However when they turned around and saw their children they didn’t know what to think.

This is one of the stories Canadian author Andrew Hind has learned while researching his latest book Ontario’s Haunted Museums and Galleries which features the Reid House among other museum and gallery properties.

It is one of 15 places from Toronto to Cobolt Owen Sound to Kincardine included in this book. Hind said everybody is drawn to ghost stories from the young to the young at heart and this book will play to that sensibility encouraging the public to visit their museums.

“It’s not just to tell ghost stories but it’s to get people to visit some of Ontario’s great museums. Ones that people don’t know too much about and also to educate people about the communities that these museums are from” he said.

It also serves to keep the memories alive.

The book is due to be released June 1 by Lone Pine Publishing’s Quagmire Press. Hind said this company has published more than 80 ghost house titles.

He hopes to do a book launch or signing at the museum or in the Highlands.

With 15 years as a writer Hind has written or co-written 21 books with close friend Maria Da Silva.

The history graduate from York University is working on his second solo work. Hind is working towards an end of February deadline.

As a cottager in Muskoka the Highlands are not foreign to him. He has come to the museum and the area several times for his work.

He invites area residents to share their stories and experiences with him during his research on the Reid House for his latest book and also any stories in general based in the Highlands for a future book on ghosts in the area.

Call him at 905-778-0981 or 416-882-6549 or email him at maelstrom@sympatico.ca. He is available through Facebook.

While researching his last book on ghosts Cottage Country Ghosts Hind learned about the Reid House which is located adjacent to the Haliburton Highlands Museum. He didn’t get to include the house in that book so when his publisher asked him about writing this upcoming book he jumped at the chance to do it this time.

History is his passion but he admits ghost stories are fascinating. He said Da Silva got him into writing about ghosts and found there is an overlap.

“I kind of like the cultural folklore behind it. Where do they come from? Why do they continue? There must be something [behind it] for people to be having these experiences” he said. “I love the fact they entertain people. To me what I really love isn’t the entertaining piece but a good ghost story has an element of history in it and so all of our ghosts stories have a strong historical foundation first so it’s really interesting people are enjoying a book that has history in it.”

Although as a lover of history who appreciates the certainty of dates and such he also enjoys the ambiguity of stories that can range from the heart warming to the stories that scare. It intrigues him.

“All of them make you ponder and that’s the thing I kind of like. There’s a question out there. If you can make people come away from a book whether it be a ghost book or history book or whatever … you’re leaving them with something and I kind of like that” he said.