Murney Tower is one of the four defensive structures known as the Martello Towers located in Kingston, Ontario. All of which were constructed during the early to mid-nineteenth century for the purpose of patrolling the adjacent waters and keeping the city safe from invasion. Since Canada was still a British colony at the time of the tower's construction, the British government was in a constant state of apprehension, fearing that Canada may yet again be imminently invaded by the United States. When construction of the tower concluded in 1846, an ongoing border dispute between British North America and the United States had been well underway. This incident was known as the Oregon Crisis and Murney Tower was erected in response to the potential threat of hostilities. (Canada.ca, 1994)
I had visited Murney Tower numerous times throughout my years of residency in Kingston yet was never aware of its renowned paranormal history until fairly recently. I decided to participate in a paranormal investigation organized by a local group known as the Phantoms of Yore on the 6th of October 2023. The investigation began at 8pm that night and I was glad it became dark sooner in order to provide a creepier and more intriguing ambiance. Once all of the guests had arrived with high spirits, we took a group photo directly outside of the tower and decided to split up into two teams of three, the men and the women would separate.
We became acquainted with the organizers, and after gathering inside the foyer, they provided a brief demonstration of the equipment we would be using to detect the presence of spiritual energy. These included devices with a motion sensor alarm that would trigger once the presence of energy came into contact with the antenna. The device would then emit an immensely loud beeping noise like that of a smoke alarm. Each team was also given a video camera to document the experience. Most importantly however, multiple devices were placed around the perimeter of each floor to detect any evidence of electronic voice phenomena (EVP). This is a very common practice among paranormal researchers as it is supposedly a method of communicating with the deceased. This practice was highly popularized after being featured in popular paranormal reality shows such as Ghost Hunters.
The interior of a tower provided a rather dank and unsettling sensation. It felt as if we were constantly being observed by unseen eyes yet could never decide whether or not to dismiss the sensation as mere intuition. I joined my two fellow investigators and we decided to begin our observation in the foyer. The lights were shut off to make the experience all the more unnerving. The foyer was decorated with historical paraphernalia including bunks and uniforms to provide guests with an accurate historic perspective of life in colonial Kingston. We immediately took turns using the audio recording device to pick up on EVP. We asked a variety of different questions in the hopes of receiving a response. We became somewhat disappointed when our inquiries all went unanswered.
The tower's basement is allegedly the area where most of the paranormal activity takes place. The majority of the spirits are believed to be children who sadly died within the premises over the span of several years. We began by observing one particular room which consisted of three plush teddy bears leaning against the far wall. They also contained built in audio devices which read prerecorded lines in order to provide the illusion that the toys themselves were speaking. The toys were also controlled by motion sensors which would activate if someone were to place their hands in close proximity of the toy. We stood together by the arch shaped doorway observing the toys from a distance as they repeatedly spoke despite the absence of any physical contact. We began to speculate that since many of the spirits were reportedly those of children, that they decided to occupy their afterlife by restlessly playing with the toys generously left out for them.
We continued our investigation of the basement in additional rooms decorated with cannon balls and wine barrels. We then proceeded to a room which was empty, apart from a third audio recording device resting on a black stool in the right corner beside the door. We then continued in our pursuit to obtain a response. One of our group members then asked if the spirit present had fought alongside the Americans during the War of 1812. We then promptly received an answer. We distinctly heard the clear sound of a young male's voice saying no. The tone in his voice sounded indignant, as if he did not appreciate being asked. Though the device was operated by radio waves, in which a local radio station would periodically interfere with the device's frequency, we all agree that based upon the tone of the voice involved and the immediacy of the response, that we were not alone. Unfortunately, due to intense stomach pains, I left the investigation about twenty minutes early. I do intend to participate in another investigation in the near future.
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