A chilly October night is best spent telling ghost stories. Dusty Keleher from the Halifax Ghost Walk entertains guests by telling ghost stories about the city of Halifax that are both informative and spooky. His goal is to provide a historical tour and a dramatic performance that those in attendance will remember.
Keleher’s heritage
Paying guests of the Halifax Ghost Walk begin hearing the stories on the top of Citadel Hill. For the next two hours, they explore some of the most allegedly haunted locations in the city, before finishing their tour on the waterfront, at the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic.
Keleher has been a tour guide for 12 years and says that his Irish heritage and personal ties add a unique perspective to the ghost stories.
His heritage inspired him to study Irish music and folklore, and he believes that storytelling is central to preserving Irish traditions.
He also adds personal elements to the stories. Through his genealogy research, he discovered that one of his ancestors is the subject of a ghost story he tells. He also tells a ghost story related to the oldest standing building in Halifax: St. Paul’s Anglican Church. His parents were married in that same church.
Embedded history
The ghost walk website promises that the tours will include “stories of ghosts, pirates, forerunners and devils from the folklore of Nova Scotia.”
During the tour, Keleher provides context to the ghost stories by including pieces of the history of Halifax.
Keleher tells multiple stories related to the Halifax Explosion, giving guests the opportunity to learn about a tragic event in Halifax history. Keleher also touches on European settlement in what we know today to be Halifax, paying attention to settler relations between Indigenous people and African Nova Scotians as well.
Keleher says he takes the time and care to tell the true history of the city.
Performance
Keleher’s interest in being a tour guide is rooted in his passion for performing. He has been a singer and songwriter for the past 35 years and explained that his job requires him to entertain in an informative and interesting way.
Keleher says that performing is something he feels he must do and that the tours keep him busy as he works five to six nights a week.
If you’re lucky, you may spot a ghost during the tour. But, at the very least, you may be hesitant to sleep with the lights off.
Tour dates and times can be found on the ghost walk website. Reservations are required and can be made by emailing dustyshalifaxghostwalk@gmail.com, or through Facebook.
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