Crying psycho babies. Gory monsters. Crazy clowns. Hundreds of screaming Metro Vancouverites.
Haunted houses abound on Halloween weekend – and one terrifying North Shore home is using fear to raise thousands for Ronald McDonald House BC.
Jim Myers, president and CEO of Jeda Mechanical Ltd., is the mastermind behind the Belmont Haunted House. He and wife Danielle Myers began the frightening display seven years ago – and have since invested more than $100,000 into the horror.
“Some people say it may be an obsession, but I look at the happiness it brings and the smiles it puts on everybody’s faces – that’s the obsession for me,” says Myers, noting that the couple now has more than 200 petrifying props and inflatables.
The haunted house has something for everyone, ranging from mild displays for children to the truly macabre. Some people can’t even get within 20 feet of the clown tent, says Myers, and the insane asylum is always a popular attraction.
Wife Danielle says her husband is “crazy” about Halloween – and people are crazy about the haunted house. Around 7,000 visitors are scared by the attraction each October and more than 2,000 guests are expected to show up on Halloween night – some coming from as far as Whistler and Squamish.
“I love meeting different people…and seeing the smiles on different faces,” she says. "It is fun to hear people scream and it's such for a good cause, for the sick kids.”
Admission is by donation, and thousands are raised for Ronald McDonald House BC between Oct. 17 to 31.
Myers says he’s read a lot about how to build suspense and get people excited, fine-tuning his displays every year. The couple does the majority of the work themselves, from the decorating to running the show every day.
“I don’t like scaring people – but it’s actually a lot of fun,” he says. “There’s an art to scaring people as well…People come here to be scared, and they love the adrenaline rush.”
The last day of the haunted house is Oct. 31, but the couple says they will keep the decorations up on Nov. 1 this year for people who want to avoid the crowds – then unplug it all and go on a vacation.
“When life treats you well, you need to give back,” says the successful businessman. “And with my family we love to give back. If you see the smiles and the screams – that makes it all worthwhile.”
Looking for terror? Belmont Haunted House is located in the Edgemont Village area at 1006 Belmont Avenue, and runs from 2 to 9 p.m. Saturday.
With files from CTV Vancouver’s Penny Daflos
