'I'm being watched': Paranormal investigator notes presence in 'haunted' Burnaby mansion
On a fall afternoon in October, paranormal investigator Amanda Quill was wandering the halls of Overlynn Mansion alone, when she heard someone whisper her name.
The soft voice alarmed her enough that she felt the need to leave the opulent Burnaby home to catch her breath.
Built in 1909, the Tudor Revival’s splendid interior is often used by film and television production companies.
Overlynn also has a reputation for being ghostly.
“This is a haunted house. This is a classic haunted mansion,” said Greg Mansfield, author of Ghosts of Vancouver.
Visitors and employees have reported hearing a man coughing and seeing a little girl in a white dress appear and then suddenly vanish.
The sight of the child frightened a cleaner so much she told her boss “that she could never come into this house again she was so scared.”
In the 1930s, the home was sold to the Sisters of Charity of Halifax, who ran a boarding school for girls. Tiny sinks and a bathtub are still in the attic.
“It’s just such a contrast to the rest of the house,” said Vancouver true crime author and host of the Cold Case Canada podcast Eve Lazarus. “You come up to this attic and it’s got this horrific floor and it’s boarded up, and you can see where the children must have slept.”
In January 2020, video equipment used by a Vancouver-based paranormal investigation team captured what looked like an arm swinging from behind a wall near Overlynn’s grand staircase.
“Holy crap!” exclaimed members of Coldspotters Paranormal, who examined the visuals carefully and swore no one was near the area.
After a short walk, Quill, who swears she heard someone whisper her name, returned to the home for an interview with CTV News, but she was still uneasy. Standing on the staircase, she looked frequently over her shoulder to the top floor.
“I have this overwhelming sensation that I’m being watched,” said Quill.
The home is owned by Action Line Housing Society who run the Seton Villa Retirement Centre. Their team is always looking for new uses for Overlynn, in order to maintain the heritage building.
Some people might laugh at the idea that’s it’s haunted, but few can deny that it is beautiful.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Three dead, two hospitalized, following collision in Fredericton: police
Three people have died and two have been hospitalized after a speeding car struck a tree and landed on another vehicle in Fredericton Sunday morning.
Madonna's biggest-ever concert transforms Rio's Copacabana beach into a massive dance floor
Madonna put on a free concert on Copacabana beach Saturday night, turning Rio de Janeiro's vast stretch of sand into an enormous dance floor teeming with a multitude of her fans.
‘Love has no boundaries’: Sask. couple in their 90s and 80s get married
Eighty-two-year-old Susan Neufeldt and 90-year-old Ulrich Richter are no spring chickens, but their love blossomed over the weekend with their wedding at Pine View Manor just outside of Rosthern.
Video shows gaggle of geese stopping traffic on Highway 1 near Vancouver
A mother goose and her goslings caused a bit of a traffic jam on a busty stretch of the Trans-Canada Highway near Vancouver Saturday.
Chemical spill could be cause of stinky water in Puslinch, Ont., new report says
People living in Puslinch, Ont. may have the answer to why their water smelled so bad last year.
Montreal man on the hook for thousands of dollars after a feature on his Tesla caused an accident
A Montreal man is warning Tesla drivers about using the Smart Summon feature after his vehicle hit another in a parking lot.
Should you save or splurge on makeup this summer?
If you're wondering whether you should splurge or save when it comes to buying skincare products and makeup this summer, we got some answers for you.
William Shatner says he would consider 'Star Trek' return: 'Here comes Captain Kirk!'
The Montreal-born actor, famed for his portrayal of Captain Kirk in "Star Trek," says he is open to reprising the iconic role in the sci-fi franchise as long as the storytelling is stellar.
One dead after potential wrong way crash on Highway 401 in Milton: OPP
One person is dead and another is in life-threatening condition after a driver was travelling in the wrong direction on Highway 401 in Milton Sunday, according to police.