The Moose Jaw Seance Controversy
With Halloween 2011 just behind us – I am reminded of October 2010, when an intense debate about séances and religion was sparked and burned across Canada. I was at the center of this debate – and for the first time, here is my story.
In early 2010 I approached the Moose Jaw Western Development Museum about the possibility of putting together a Halloween event at the Sukanen Ghost Village. The event would be one that saw a fusion of traditional Halloween cheese and real exploration into the presence of energy that might be present in the buildings on the property. All of the buildings on the Sukanen property are old structures from towns that are no longer inhabited. A lot of the pieces have a story – and a fair bit of history. After talking with the WDM about the event it was decided that a better venue would be Moose Jaw’s Western Development Museum. A place which many of the employees claim is actually haunted.
The event was planned, scheduled, and a plan was put in motion to advertise the night. It was during this meeting that I warned the organizers that they might receive some degree of “push back” from members of the community who might feel that the event was “evil”. People who are afraid of the unknown – and truly don’t understand it.
Months passed after this meeting – with the events to be held at the WDM in the background of my mind. I had a very full summer in 2010 filled with media, a string of appearances at a major Canadian fair and many festivals across Canada. It was near the end of August 2010 when I received a call from my central contact at the WDM. A message on my answering machine asked me to “call her as soon as possible”. She had been receiving fearful calls from people in the community and was not sure how to best answer some of the questions that were being asked.
I returned the call – got in touch with a voice mail. Left a message. A few days later a second call. It was at this point I was informed that the Museum had received hundreds of calls. They were getting threats from people in the community. People had contacted MLA’s and elected government officials. They called for the museums provincial funding to be pulled. They threatened boycotts. The entire thing got out of hand very fast.
Eventually the decision was made to cancel the event. An event that had been put together in order to raise money for the WDM. Much needed money to contribute to repairs, and to improving the facility. The day the fundraiser was cancelled was a very sad one. Fear and ignorance won out that day. A non profit community organization seeking to enrich their community was bullied into pulling the plug on a fundraiser.
At the core of the fundraiser was a séance – and event facilitated by me in which we would have attempted to make contact with the other side. A major component of the night was also a ghost walk through the museum, and a presentation on the history of spiritualism and mediumship. The event would have been a great night in which people were entertained and educated.
It was shortly after the cancellation occurred that the national media picked up on the story. If you google “Moose Jaw Séance” you will come across a number of headlines from various papers across North America...
- “Moose Jaw Halloween Fundraiser Cancelled for “Inviting Evil” – The National Post
- “Religious Protests Kill Halloween Séance” – The Toronto Star
- “Christians Force Cancellation of Séance in Moose Jaw” – A religious blog
- “Local Witch Irked After Séance Scuffle” – Winnipeg Free Press
Most major newspapers and programs on both radio and television carried the story. An intense debate was sparked about if the WDM was right in cancelling the event; and about the lines between the world of the occult and the world of religion.
The cancellation of the fundraiser reminded me just how misunderstood practices tied to the paranormal are. It reminded me that despite the date on my calendar reading 2010 – many of us are still stuck in a place that is ruled by an irrational fear of the unknown. In the Victory Church’s own blog it was sited that the séance needed to be cancelled because the “Bible clearly teaches that it is morally wrong to communicate with the dead.” They believe that “attempting to do so with practices like séances involves demonic powers and may open the hearts of people and communities to evil spirits.”
A séance does deal with unseen energies beyond our world and what we are normally capable of sensing. Séance practices are not specifically related to any religion – including Satanism. Please understand that Satan (The Devil, etc) is a Christian figure. To place the Christian Devil with anything that doesn’t fit with Christianity is ignorant to the rest of the world and the many religious practices and belief systems that exist. If Christianity is ones faith, then it should be celebrated as Jesus would have. By following ones heart and looking for love in the world instead of hate. Just because one doesn’t recognize or understand something – does not make it evil in nature or the work of the Devil.
As the debate raged on, as the news reports became more and more numerous, as more agencies called my home requesting interviews, a group from Moose Jaw decided they still wanted the fundraiser to take place. They contacted me – we found a new venue, and the fundraiser was “back from the grave”. The new venue was actually 10x better than the original WDM. We would be conducting the séance in Hopkins House; one of the most famously haunted spots in Canada and an incredible restaurant. It was perfect.
The new venue received threats from the same groups. People threatening to boycott the restaurant, and even picket the night of the event.
These threats against the establishment from a few radical members of the community were enough to convince me that security detail was needed for the night of the event. To ensure my safety we hired an independent firm to escort me to and from the venue. Thankfully it was a chilly night and the protestors stayed home. There were no incidents and the security team was not needed.
The séance was an amazing success. The event was sold out – and we had some incredible activity transpire that night. Participants were treated to something truly special. Something that they will remember for the rest of their lives. All proceeds went to the WDM. If you are reading this as someone who does not believe in dabbling into the “occult” or playing with the paranormal. I encourage you to approach these areas of our world with an open mind, and a heart filled with a sense of wonder and curiosity. People were concerned that this event would open up the city of Moose Jaw to an evil unseen presence. Some great malevolent force that would destroy the hearts and minds of those living in the city. It is worth noting that no such fate has become the wonderful people of Moose Jaw. Ignorance and fear were truly the only forces of “evil” attached to this event. Sometimes even though we fear the dead – it’s the living that can do the most harm.
Thoughtfully Yours...
Jeff Richards ~ Western Canada's Hottest Mentalist~
