This time of year always has a way of making our hearts race — and not just from pumpkin spice lattes. It’s the season of things that go bump in the night, where the line between the living and the dead feels just a little too close for comfort. If haunted places and ghostly encounters stir your curiosity, then a Jaymes White Séance experience will send an unforgettable chill down your spine.
Now marking ten years of the unexplained, White has captivated both believers and skeptics with his immersive, Victorian-style séances. Opening the door to the spirit world isn’t for the faint of heart — anything can happen, and no two nights are ever the same. Even after hundreds of sessions, White admits he’s still left a sense of amazement by what unfolds once the lights go out and how a group of strangers can work together.
“I am always surprised by how engaged people become,” said White. “I never thought that the mystique of the séance would become so central and talked about. It brings people together which was surprising to me at first.”
What Inspired Jaymes White?
White drew inspiration from Stephen King’s It — the story of a group bound together by fear, courage, and the unknown. Much like King’s story, he invites people to confront what makes their hearts race in the dark.
Each year, White chooses a location known to have a history of paranormal energy — and Toronto has no shortage of haunted hotspots. His team spends a full year investigating, researching the stories, and speaking with historians. And yes, he has his own rituals too.
Every aspect of the séance follows a ritualistic routine — from the date the season is announced, to the moment he arrives in town, to the exact start of the first session. Nothing is random. “Everything has its order,” he says, careful not to jinx what’s become a decade-long tradition of the unexplained.
This year the seance returned to the George Brown Mansion located in the pulsating heart of the city. White tells us it’s also where they captured the most unexplained footage. “Normally I wouldn’t go back to a location because we like to change it up and keep it interesting. George Brown is special to me and deserves the recognition for our ten year anniversary.”
My first seance with Jaymes White was at this mansion. The date I attended that first time was already cause for concern — Friday the 13th of October. I remember the eerie thunderstorm. It could have been a scene from any horror film.
We were told to power down all our devices. But at one point when our group asked for any spirits to “give us a sign” they were present? My Apple Watch started to make noises. It was the first time I had heard my watch make any noise. The group was just as puzzled as I was. It completely spooked us and to this day I still talk about it.
That same evening an old Victorian doll named Andy appeared to have moved on her own looking one direction and then physically turning another direction. “My haunted doll Andy is one of my cherished possessions because so many people have connected with it,” said White. “Andy is one of our more positive spirits, in fact one of our very few lol!”
What else happened that first night? A toy ball came bouncing down the grand staircase. The chandelier in one of the rooms swayed slightly. The building’s alarm went off in a room that could only have been triggered if someone activated it. We had direct eye view of this room and NO ONE WAS THERE. I recall our group of 13 trying to remain calm. I also recall not sleeping that night.
The Jaymes White Connections
White has a rare ability to bring people together — believers, skeptics, and the simply curious. “If you go into this with an open mind, something incredible always happens,” he says. “In my experience, most skeptics leave believing.”
That certainly rang true the night I was there. The room was a mix of date-night couples and clusters of friends, all whispering nervously as the infamous ouija board appeared. As the evening unfolded, I watched even the most doubtful guests soften their skepticism — long before the séance had ended.
Surprisingly, it was the men who seemed the most unsettled. The one sitting beside me gripped my hand so tightly during our table wrapping session that I let out a shriek — probably startling any spirit lingering in the building.
Night after night White offers this séance experience. Some nights he does three or four sessions. But how does he do it all? He tells us, “the audience inspires me and makes it special. They give me the energy to get through the insane schedule of the séance.”
The most common question he gets is, ‘how do you do so many séances and not be scared?’ I usually tell them the ghosts like me!”
But he’s had many people having dramatic moments that scared everyone! “In circle, people have experienced physical contact as well as having visual experiences. One example was someone recently saw their shadow but when they moved it didn’t move with them.”
And what does Jaymes White wish people knew?
“This experience is unlike any other event because had unexplainable moments the and feels like you’re stepping into a true horror film at times,” said White. “And moments where you know the connection is real. You won’t get that anywhere else guaranteed!”
The Jaymes White Beverley Street Séance Resurrection 10th Anniversary continues through to November 30, 2025. Tickets and more information can be found here.
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