As home to some of this city害羞草研究所檚 political pioneers, the Bennett house may have more than a few skeletons in its closets.

But its ghosts are what Andrew Bennett is most interested in.

When he was in his early 20s, Andrew lived there with his grandmother while attending Okanagan College. While he came away from that time with an education in business, he also gathered a few spooky stories.

Brookside Manor, located off of Ethel Street, was owned by Andrew害羞草研究所檚 grandfather the former B.C. premier W.A.C. Bennett. It was built in 1914 by Francis R.E. DeHart, the then-mayor of Kelowna, and it became known as the DeHart house. F.R.E. DeHart died in 1935 and his son Francis, who was born in 1897, sold it to W.A.C. Bennett.

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The house is still standing, but Andrew said he last saw the place around 12 years ago.

害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 been fixed up quite a bit, they used to have what we called memory lane in the basement as it had my grandfather害羞草研究所檚 memorabilia. (It害羞草研究所檚) a three storey building really, and has an attic too,害羞草研究所� he said.

The spooky tale starts in March 1982. Bennett害羞草研究所檚 grandmother left to see her sister in New Westminister and the family housekeeper, Aunt Winnie, warned him his home in Westbank after she left.

害羞草研究所淚 said 害羞草研究所榦h, I害羞草研究所檓 not afraid by any ghosts,害羞草研究所櫤π卟菅芯克鶟 Andrew said. 害羞草研究所淭hat night I looked at my college textbook, laid down on the couch and when I woke up it was 1 a.m.害羞草研究所�

He went upstairs to his room on the third floor. Then he heard a sound coming from the staircase.

害羞草研究所淚 could hear this heavy breathing, shuffling on the carpeted stairway and rustling on the handle of the bannister like an old man going up the steps, going up very slowly and I could hear it coming all the way up and there (was) a door to the bedroom, right next to the stairway, and there (was) silence for a good minute, before a loud knock at the door,害羞草研究所� he said.

害羞草研究所淥h my goodness, I just about jumped out of my skin, my hair went straight up.害羞草研究所�

He left the light on all night and got up at sunrise.

Andrew said Aunt Winnie also saw a ghost in her bedroom, who she thought was one of the DeHart sons who had been killed in the Second World War.

But he isn害羞草研究所檛 sure of who the ghost belonged to on the staircase. 害羞草研究所淭hat害羞草研究所檚 a mystery because my grandfather didn害羞草研究所檛 use the stairs,害羞草研究所� he said.

The visit from the ghost on the stairs wasn害羞草研究所檛 the only experience Andrew had while staying in the house.

He once saw a creepy figure in his grandfather害羞草研究所檚 old bedroom, which he described as 害羞草研究所渁 lion-like being with huge ears and hands by its side.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所淚 wouldn害羞草研究所檛 say it was my imagination,害羞草研究所� he said.

Andrew also saw an outline of what he thought to be his grandfather after he died, sitting in his old rocking chair. And while he was praying one night, he said something knocked and twisted hangers in a closet.

害羞草研究所淢y dad (RJ) was one of the first ones to notice. He saw the man in the grey suit, which started the DeHart ghost stories as a young boy,害羞草研究所� he said. 害羞草研究所淭hey thought it was possibly Mr. DeHart.害羞草研究所�

Andrew didn害羞草研究所檛 stay by himself in the old house after his first weird encounter and believes there are lingering spirits on the property. But whose spirits they belong to remains the biggest mystery. The house is still owned by the Bennett family, but part of the property was developed into the Bennett Estate townhomes.

Michael Rowland is the ghost guy in the Okanagan and owns Healing Haunted Houses, an organization that purges homes of spooky happenings.

害羞草研究所淕hosts are essentially the spirit or energy or essence of the person who passed away,害羞草研究所� he said. 害羞草研究所淢ost of the time they cross over, as the term is, to where they害羞草研究所檙e supposed to be, wherever that is depending on your belief system, and the reason they don害羞草研究所檛 is primarily they are attached to loved ones, children, spouses, that sort of thing.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所淭here are other cases where they don害羞草研究所檛 feel worthy to cross over, and feel like they害羞草研究所檙e going to be judged害羞草研究所� or if they害羞草研究所檝e done something they feel is unforgivable, they stay behind,害羞草研究所� Rowland said.

He said ghosts will attach to houses or people and can change the atmosphere of the thing they attach to.

害羞草研究所淚t seems that earthbound spirits, like attracts like. If it害羞草研究所檚 a loving household, the earthbound spirit desires that, it may attach to that,害羞草研究所� Rowland said. 害羞草研究所淭hey tend to collect together and I害羞草研究所檓 not sure exactly why that is.害羞草研究所�

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A haunted house will also have unexplained happenings, that can害羞草研究所檛 be attributed to things like a creaky floor, or a running refrigerator, he said.

害羞草研究所淗ouses have all kinds of their owns noises, from settling and floors creaking, but usually, if the house is haunted unusual things will happen like lights and TVs will turn themselves on and off,害羞草研究所� Rowland said.

害羞草研究所淪ome people will have a knock at the door害羞草研究所� some people can feel a sense of anger or anxiety in their house and when they leave they don害羞草研究所檛 have that feeling.害羞草研究所�

But it害羞草研究所檚 not like Hollywood, ghosts can害羞草研究所檛 hurt people, but they can affect the health and wellness of the hosts, he said.

Although there necessarily more ghosts out and about around Halloween, Rowland thinks people are more attuned to them around this time.

carli.berry@kelownacapnews.com
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