While searching for a spooky story to feature in this almost-Halloween issue I came across a mystery that had long been right in front of me and a scary situation of my own.
It is amazing what we can find out about a place we have lived in all our life. Recently, a friend inquired about the big, empty field on South Hill - the one that lies across the street from Terry's Cycle on Government Road. I admit that I knew little about the field and had never even bothered to read the plaque on the stone cairn that sits at its centre. Finally, after living more than a quarter of a century in Weyburn, I walked across that field and read the bronze plaque this past weekend. It simply lists the names of the people who are still buried there.
The plaque names about 60 people and the year they died, I presume. The years range from 1905 to 1913 and some of the names include Borrowman, Dickson, Fletcher and Hanna - pioneers that helped build our town - not the site of a sacred Indian burial ground, as was speculated by some of my peers.
While that case has been closed, another one has recently opened.
After two years living in a century-home, renovations have begun at my house. Since day-one I have tossed and turned over the prospect of changing the historic home and comprising its original character. The house does hold some significance, I believe, as the former home of Weyburn's "Merchant Prince" Neil McKinnon.
Lying awake one night last week, I struggled with the notion of moving a doorway from its original location in the house when suddenly loud music came blaring up the staircase. I rushed out the bedroom door to find everyone but me tucked in bed and beginning to stir from the loud noise. After turning on all the lights, I discovered that the record player was playing and nobody had turned it on...or so it appeared.
Was it the spirit of Neil McKinnon coming back from the dead to give me a sign that he did not want me messing with his house? Or was it just a case of an old record player with shoddy wiring that had been acting-up earlier that evening? You be the judge.
As for me, I have decided that I can live with an angry spirit in the house, but not its current bathroom.
