Who doesn’t love hearing a good ghost story to raise their spirits?
Yellowknifers Carey Bray and Andrew Silke are among them.
And because they enjoy ghoulish tales, the duo has been reaching out to hear from Northerners willing to share their stories of unexplained happenings or supernatural occurrences for a new television show that Bray and Silke are developing.
Called Paranorthern Encounters, the program aims to tell stories of eerie encounters and mystical moments experienced by people who have had the feeling that something highly unusual happened to them.
The goal is to film a pilot episode and have further episodes air on cable and streaming networks in the USA.
“It is common for shows to tell paranormal stories in a way that is exaggerated for dramatic effect. Our goal is to focus on the humanity behind these stories, while investigating and treating any entities with dignity, giving them an opportunity to use us and our technology as a portal to maybe pass on a message to someone, allowing them the opportunity to finally move on,” stated Bray in a press release.
The program will not only be an avenue for local history and folklore to be heard, but also will connect NWT and Nunavut communities with what the duo describe as “a rapidly growing international community of like-minded paranormal enthusiasts.”
While such stories of the unexplained are sure to arouse curiosity among those intrigued by otherworldly occurrences, Silke stated that there is another important element in telling these stories beyond the entertainment value.
“Paranorthern Encounters is also about the real people who share the stories, and own these properties, so reputations and livelihoods need to be respected,” he stated in the release.
“It is not always ideal in small communities where everyone knows everyone to make public these types of stories, which is why we also have the option of featuring your stories anonymously in the show, changing names and likenesses, and not revealing exact locations.”
To encourage Northern residents to share their stories — be it pertaining to a ghostly person, place or thing — Bray and Silke have created a Facebook page called Paranorthern Encounters, where people are welcome to chat and discuss their otherworldly topics.
“This community-driven show is more than just a hopeful TV project; it’s a journey into the enigmatic and exciting world of the paranormal, with our very own communities at its heart,” the release stated.