Do you think McMaster is haunted? 👻
McMaster University is a site rich in history and — according to some — paranormal activity. From eerie sounds in empty offices to strange presences in isolated corridors, staff and students alike have reported unsettling encounters over the years.
It does; however, make sense given that McMaster University opened in 1930, and has been home to hundreds of thousands of students, faculty and staff since it’s move from Toronto.
Over the last few years, a team of investigators from The Silhouette, McMaster Students Union, Beyond The Veil and The Ghost Walks, set out to explore these haunting tales, using tools like the Ghost Meter Pro and Ouija board to see if they could communicate with the campus’s spectral inhabitants. This article provides a short look at each stop on their ghost tour, along with the results of their chilling encounters.
The Tools Of The Trade: Ghost Meter Pro and Ouija Board
I always like to preface these ghost investigations with this: I’m honestly not entirely sure if these tools work. The ghost meter pro looks like a toy and the Ouija board was a board game made by Parker Bros.
With that being said, I also believe in respect for what we did. I feel that if you respect the tools, then maybe they work? There’s a lot of spiritual belief that the Ouija board opens up gateways to hell and invites the devil himself into your home. I feel like that has to come from SOMEWHERE. So, respect the tools and hopefully the devil doesn’t commit a break and enter.
Before diving into each location, it’s worth explaining the tools that served as the backbone of the investigation.
The Ghost Meter Pro is an EMF (electromagnetic field) detector that paranormal investigators often use to sense changes in the environment. Everything casts an electromagnetic field, which can sometimes be hard as your phone could set the sensor off. But, think about Ghostbusters’ PKE Meter. As Egon Spengler walks around, the arms raise when a ghost is near by. Similar idea, except it’s a meter, that will go off. Now, this particular model has a unique feature that allows users to ask yes-or-no questions. One tick for yes, or two ticks for no. Again, I’m not sure what the validity is, but I’ve seen multiple ghost meters sync up to the same question and have also seen them go off as soon as you finish answering. I’ve done some testing and with the belief that it works, HOLY SMOKES is it a cool tool.
The Ouija board, on the other hand, is a classic tool used to connect with spirits. Participants place their fingers on a planchette, which moves between letters, numbers, and “yes” or “no” to spell out messages supposedly from beyond. The idea here is that the ghost is able to use your energy to help guide you to the answer. Of course there is the thought that somebody is moving the planchette themselves, but again, just believe for a second that everybody is doing what they’re supposed to. When that planchette starts spelling our answers, boy is it spooky.
Another “tool” that we had at our disposal was a psychic. No, she didn’t have a crystal ball, but she did have a lot of feelings that night about who could have been in the space with us. She also felt that some of us were a little more “tuned in” to the spiritual than we thought we were.
I’m going to emphasize one more time, dear reader. The tools could 100% be baloney, like you’re thinking. However, consider for just a second, the possibility that these tools actually do work. Consider that our society is so rooted on the idea that ghosts don’t exist that we don’t even allow ourselves for a second to believe in this idea of something otherworldly being possible. Then what? Where do we go from there? You investigate campus with those tools and see what you come up!
The Silhouette Office (MUSC B110): A Lingering Presence
The Silhouette Office is the home to our team. Featuring a large space that acts as our news room, one small office used by our fearless Editor-in-Chief, a kitchen space and my office, it became our home in the early 2000s when the McMaster University Student Centre was opened.
Now you’d assume, “wow, a brand new office, that couldn’t be haunted at all!”. That couldn’t be further from the truth.
Typically a lively and welcoming space during the day, takes on an unsettling stillness after hours. Staff members have reported feeling watched and often catch glimpses of shadowy figures out of the corner of their eyes. Some describe the sensation of never being truly alone, even when the office is empty. Honestly, it can be pretty freaky sometimes. I’ve called the SIL office a second-home since I started working at the paper in 2018 and LET ME TELL YOU, I’ve had some weird feelings in there, even when other people are with me. That’s why it made sense to start our investigation here.
During the investigation, the team used the Ghost Meter Pro to reach out to any entities that might be present. The device seemed to respond, indicating the presence of a spirit who, intriguingly, was not a former McMaster student but someone who had nevertheless died on campus. According to the psychic present, the energy felt like that of an older gentleman who had perhaps wandered the campus grounds before passing away. This figure, the psychic noted, seemed to roam the SIL Office, as if attached to the place in some inexplicable way.
The experiences in the SIL Office left the team with more questions than answers, but one thing was clear: something—or someone—was lingering there, watching from the shadows.
MSU Office (MUSC 201): The Footsteps Of A Trickster
The McMaster Students Union Office, located on the second floor of MUSC has a similar history to the SIL office. It was opened in the early 2000s when the MSU moved from Hamilton Hall to MUSC.
Again, why would there be any activity in a brand new building? While we couldn’t tell you that, what we can tell you is there is definitely something lurking around the cubicles of the McMaster Students Union.
Years of Board members and staff have told us about the strange noises heard. Footsteps echo through empty hallways, even sometimes heard on the ceiling. Doesn’t matter if it’s 10 p.m. at night or 11:30 a.m. in the afternoon.
If that doesn’t make it worse, I’ve even heard the strangest noise of my life in there. I was alone in one of the offices with a former vice-president (education). Everyone else had gone home for the night. It was about 11 p.m., two weeks after our initial ghost investigation and we both suddenly started feeling uneasy. The entire night, I kept hearing foot steps in the hallway and at one point out of the corner of my eye, saw what looked to be the shadowy face of a man staring into the window of the office.
Needless to say, we packed up our belongings but as a final farewell, we heard the loudest noise we possibly could have in the office. Keep in mind, the office is fully carpeted. So how could we hear what sounded like a 200 pound table, being dragged on a hard surface, coming from the far end of the office.
I bolted out of there, hearing from the distance “Andrew, don’t leave me behind!”. The voice? The VP I was with, who I forgot as I was running in fear.
The team decided to hold a Ouija board session in the MSU Office’s boardroom, hoping to contact the spirit responsible for these disturbances. What came through was something altogether unexpected—a trickster spirit. The trickster told us that it perished in a fire and was never a student. It also told us that it’s birth date pre-dated McMaster’s time in Hamilton. It wasn’t until the psychic told us that she felt like the spirit was trying to deceive us, that we realized it was a trickster.
To be frank, everything made sense after that though. The entity seemed to enjoy causing minor chaos, playing pranks on office members,and generally making its presence known in mischievous ways. This playful spirit wasn’t malicious but left the team with an eerie feeling, as though it were watching and waiting to cause its next bit of trouble.
As we left the MSU Office, the team couldn’t shake the sense that the trickster spirit was following us, perhaps enjoying their reactions to its antics.
University Hall: Secrets of the Basement
Perhaps one of our most anticipated buildings to investigate on campus, University Hall.
This was one of the original buildings that opened in 1930 when McMaster moved from the University of Toronto campus. Since then, it has been the iconic building that Mac uses on all of it’s imagery. It is truly a beautiful part of our campus.
But what happens when all the students go home for the night? On the evening of our investigation, it was particularly eerie out. There was a haze surrounding campus, which prompted me to say “why does this building look so daunting at night” *cue Ghostbusters theme*.
If you are familiar with the layout of the building, there is a pretty creepy basement with what looks to be a safe (B137). That’s where we wanted to investigate.
Legitimately, as soon as we got there, we started hearing knocking on the other side of the door. Naturally, we pull out the Ghost Meter Pro and start asking questions. We figure out that whomever this entity was, wanted to talk with us in more detail via the Ouija board, so we pull it out and separate into two teams. We assume that it is not being used as a custodial closet, but the mystery of who truly was on the other side still makes us wonder.
The team made contact with a spirit that claimed to have committed a murder—specifically, the spirit confessed to killing its own mother and expressed lingering guilt over the act. The heavy nature of the message left the investigators visibly shaken, and they sensed an unspoken pain from this lingering presence.
What was interesting was that through my own research, I had learned of a professor who was murdered in one of the campus buildings in the 70s. I would later find thanks to some old forum posts, that it wasn’t in University Hall, but it makes you wonder, could that still have been the spirit of the son, returning to campus to atone for his crimes?
While that team was doing the Ouija board, I felt the strong urge to walk down the hallway to where the tutorial rooms/offices are. The psychic and I caught a whiff of a strong floral-scented perfume wafting from an empty office. The faint, floral scent seemed entirely out of place, almost as though someone had passed by moments before. But upon closer inspection, they found the classroom completely vacant.
Was it the spirits of the prof and her son, trying to have their stories be told?
The Refectory: A Familial Connection
During our first investigation, we were walking in front of Bridges and got stopped when the Ghost Meter went off. It felt like there was a lot of spirits in that area that wanted to chat, but we didn’t have enough time that night. It was important for us to come back and further explore this.
Bridges was in the old Refectory building that opened up in 1930. For those who have been to the Phoenix, you would have noticed the arched ceilings, similar to that of a Viking longboat house. The Refectory was actually the original food hall for the “boys” and “girls” of McMaster when it opened.
Bridges; however, was a student-run campus bar called the Rathskeller, also known as the Rat, which closed when MUSC opened and was replaced by Quarters (now TwelvEighty).
While Bridges used to be a vegetarian restaurant, that too has now closed and is now a rentable space through MSU Clubs.
Given it’s one of the original buildings, we thought there was probably someone who wanted to talk to us in that building, but to our surprise, it was somebody far closer to our group.
We sat down on the main floor of Bridges (the sub-basement) and proceeded with a Ouija board session.
To our surprise, the spirit coming through told us that it was connected to the psychic, who was also on the board with us. After more questions, she unveiled herself as the psychic’s grandmother. The session lasted almost 45 minutes with the Ouija board spelling out intimate details about the psychic’s life, things only her grandmother could know.
Although this wasn’t the intended purpose of the investigation at the Old Refectory building, the deeply personal encounter left the psychic with a profound sense of comfort. It seemed that sometimes, the Ouija board reveals more than just spirits who are haunting a space; but can serve as a bridge between loved ones across realms.
This idea was actually the primary reason behind Victorian seances, so it was quite interesting that we were able to hearken back to an older time.
Cootes Paradise (Behind Bates) A Murder Mystery:
At some point or another, we’ve all ventured into Cootes Paradise. For some, it was to go on a short hike within the protected nature reserve. For others, maybe it was to partake in some partying during their year living on residence. But for us, Cootes is steeped in a dark past.
In 1994, Bates Residence was used a graduate student residence on campus. However, on one fateful evening, a Kinesiology graduate student was shot and killed by her ex-boyfriend. The tragedy rocked the McMaster community.
With this history in mind, we knew we wanted to investigate Cootes to see if the spirit of student was still on-campus.
We first arrived to Cootes with a ghost meter pro. It immediately connected to a spirit who claimed to be the student. Heartbreak filled the air, I can’t really describe it beyond that. It geniuenly felt like we were talking to someone who tragically met their end.
After a little more conversation, she told us she wanted to talk through the Ouija board to tell us more in-depth answers.
So, we got a small team together and stood around the board. Immediately, we connected to something powerful. This did not feel like the student. No, this was something worse. It felt evil. The feeling was in the air and we felt like something was staring us down from the darkness of Cootes.
This spirit tried to scare us away both during the investigation and after. It even pulled the hair of one of the VPs who was with us (the same one who I left running from the MSU office). As we were leaving the area to walk back to MUSC, the ghost meter kept connecting to someone. When we pressed for questions, it kept saying it was the spirit in the forest and it was attached to the two of us. We believe it tried to follow us home. After the first ghost investigation, We were walking back to my house around 3 a.m. (the witching hour) and heard the crunching of leaves behind us. I stopped in my tracks at one point, only for the VP to say “yeah, I heard that too”.
This entity felt so evil, so negative . . . that we decided to return to Cootes during our second ghost investigation.
I won’t lie, I was pissed this time. I didn’t want anything trying to follow me home and I surely didn’t want anyone on our team to get hurt.
This time, we had some new tools to use. If you know anything about ghost hunting, you would have come across the spirit box at some point. This device is a small radio that quickly scans through channels on the AM/FM band. The theory is that the spirits can stop this scanning and land on specific words to answer questions. Now, obviously this could be tainted by contextual clues (hearing what you want to hear), so there is a way to ensure this doesn’t happen.
The Estes method allows one investigator to listen to the spirit box through noise-cancelling headphones with a blindfold, while others ask questions. The investigator with the blindfold cannot hear or see the others, thus not succumbing to any bias.
Well, we tried it.
One of the investigators heard what sounded like two voices talking over each other. A man and a woman. Were these the voices of the student and whomever tried to scare us off last time?
To end our session at Cootes, we used the Ouija board one final time. You can watch this in the final part of our ghost investigation, but the spirit literally told us to “run”.
Whatever is out there, it doesn’t like us that’s for sure. It seems to “dominate” Cootes Paradise and we hope that the others who have remained in the forest find peace away from this evil spirit.
Conclusion: An Unforgettable Night
The ghost investigation at McMaster University left the team with a mix of emotions. From playful spirits to lingering presences with dark pasts, the campus revealed itself as a complex tapestry of paranormal activity. Each location seemed to harbor its own unique energy, from the mischievous trickster in the MSU Office to the sorrowful spirits in University Hall.
The team’s experiences suggest that McMaster is more than just an academic institution — it’s a place where history and energy intertwine, with each location telling its own story through the spirits that may still walk its halls. As they packed up their equipment and prepared to leave, the investigators couldn’t help but wonder: how many more secrets does McMaster hold, just waiting to be uncovered?
Loneliness in residence is the quiet reality for many students, but with just a little effort we can turn residence into a warm community
By: Dawn McKee, Opinion Contributor
Moving into residence at McMaster is like stepping into a whole new world. After years of high school where we had our routines, our circles and our comfort zones, the jump to university is a huge change. A lot of us come in expecting a busy social life, imagining new friends and endless hangouts.
But for many, it doesn’t always work out that way. In fact, residence could often feel more isolating than you’d expect.
From what I’ve seen, the social scene in residence isn’t as open as it seems. People tend to stick with their dormmates, or if they’re lucky with friends from high school. While that may work for them, it can leave others, especially those without pre-existing friendships, feeling left out.
From what I’ve seen, the social scene in residence isn’t as open as it seems. People tend to stick with their dormmates, or if they’re lucky with friends from high school.
Breaking into established groups tends to be hard. You might find yourself surrounded by people, yet still feel like an outsider. It’s one of those ironies where you’re in a place packed with students, yet the loneliness hits harder than ever.
And it’s not just a McMaster thing. University life in general has this invisible pressure to find your people right away.
There’s this underlying expectation that your college friends are supposed to be the ones who stick with you for life and if you haven’t found them yet, you’re somehow behind. But the truth is, friendships take time.
Not everyone clicks right away, and that’s completely normal. Yet, when you’re in that space of trying to find your place, it’s easy to feel like you’re the only one going through it. It seems like everyone around you has figured it out. They’ve got their group and their rhythm while you’re still struggling to break into the flow.
In reality, a lot of students feel the same way — they just don’t talk about it.
It’s like there’s a stigma around admitting that you’re lonely or having a tough time connecting. But if we could all be a little more open about the fact that university and residence life might not be what you expected, it would probably help a lot of people feel less isolated. The truth is no one really talks about the moments when you sit in your room wondering why the social scene isn’t coming together like you imagined.
It’s like there’s a stigma around admitting that you’re lonely or having a tough time connecting. But if we could all be a little more open about the fact that university and residence life might not be what you expected, it would probably help a lot of people feel less isolated.
So, what’s the fix?
I think universities in general can do more to help students connect in meaningful ways, not just through big events or loud parties. While those things are fun for some, they don’t always work for everyone.
What about smaller, low-pressure gatherings where you can get to know people? Events that go beyond your dorm floor or existing friend groups. Activities like casual game nights, crafting, or even coffee meet-ups — things where you would show up, be yourself, and talk to people without feeling forced or awkward.
At the same time, we as students can do more too. It’s easy to stick with what’s comfortable, to hang out with the same group every day, but it doesn’t hurt to be a little more open to new people. If you see someone who looks like they would want a friend, why not reach out? A simple “hey, want to join us?” can make a bigger difference than you think. Small gestures like that help break the barrier for someone who’s feeling on the outside.
At the same time, we as students can do more too. It’s easy to stick with what’s comfortable, to hang out with the same group every day, but it doesn’t hurt to be a little more open to new people.
The loneliness in residence is real, but it doesn’t have to be a permanent part of the experience. If we all would make just a little more effort to be inclusive, to step outside of our own comfort zones, residence life would be a lot more welcoming for everyone.
We might not fix everything overnight, but even small changes in how we approach friendships and socializing could start to make things better. At the end of the day, we’re all just trying to find our place. It’s a lot easier when we’re helping each other out along the way.
Residence orientation representatives and Maroons share the work that went into making Welcome Week a success
Behind Welcome Week 2023 are students who volunteer their time to help empower and welcome first-year students as they start this next chapter of their lives.
Laurie He, a fourth-year sensory motors system student, is a residence orientation representative for Bates Residence and Moulton Hall this year. RORs are assigned specific residences and help students settle into their new homes during Welcome Week.
“We help get the first years settled in like to their new home…I know at times they're experiencing homesickness or just everything is very new, in a completely new environment for the first years. Our job is kind of to make them feel as welcome as they do in their homes,” explained He.
Daisy Thang, a third-year communications student and a Multimedia Assistant at the Silhouette, was a McMaster Students Union Maroon this year. The Maroons aim to connect with students at Welcome Week and throughout the year.
Thang shared that this year's Welcome Week training was more immersive than in past years and helped her feel prepared for events of the week.
"They switched up the format, so it was actually more situational. They had us in smaller groups, it was a lot more dynamic. We were able to kind of have more one-on-one, or small group sessions where we were able to be more collaborative and kind of act out the scenarios. I feel like that prepared us way better for the situations that we'd be put in during Welcome Week,” said Thang.
Both He and Thang said they loved meeting the incoming students. He shared that her favorite event was Capture the Watermelon, hosted by Boulton and McKidden residence representatives. They used the event as a way for students to meet in an enjoyable way and start off the week on the right foot.
“I think that was like a great way to like just have the first years get friendly with each other… I think it was a great time for everyone. I think 100 people participated in it because it was 50 versus 50 people and then a lot of their friends came in they supported them. I think it was like a great introductory event to welcome week,” said He.
Thang explained how well-run this year's Welcome Week was, especially compared to her own Welcome Week in 2021.
“2021 was the first full-scale welcome we've had since COVID-19. So I think there were definitely kinks that need to be worked out. I feel like this year, we were able to kind of like ride off that high from last year's Welcome Week and people were a lot more in tune. I think it was very well organized, credit to the planners and I feel like this was a very healing experience,” said Thang.
“2021 was the first full-scale welcome we've had since COVID-19. So I think there were definitely kinks that need to be worked out. I feel like this year, we were able to kind of like ride off that high from last year's Welcome Week and people were a lot more in tune. I think it was very well organized, credit to the planners and I feel like this was a very healing experience."
Daisy Thang, Maroon, McMaster Students Union
Both He and Thang shared that they hope first years were able to put themselves out there during Welcome Week, whatever that looks like for them.
Thang expressed that even if the social aspect of Welcome Week didn’t resonate with you, there are endless activities and groups on campus throughout the year that may better fit your comfort level and personal goals.
“The big takeaway would be. . .it's okay if you stay in your dorm. Its okay if like these huge crowds were daunting and you didn't want to put yourself out there and make yourself uncomfortable. There are limits to that and your feelings are still valid throughout,” said Thang.
“The big takeaway would be. . .It's okay if you stay in your dorm. Its okay if like these huge crowds were daunting and you didn't want to put yourself out there and make yourself uncomfortable. There are limits to that and your feelings are still valid throughout."
Daisy Thang, Maroon, McMaster Students Union
To see more coverage of Welcome Week 2023 visit the Silhouette on TikTok.
After a fire in Bates Residence, a McMaster student was charged with arson-disregard for human life
On Jan. 28 at around 2:00 p.m., a small fire broke out at McMaster University's Bates Residence in a third-floor apartment.
The fire was contained to one suite, but the entire building was evacuated as a precaution. No injuries have been reported, and the building was able to safely reopen only a few hours later.
The fire was contained to one suite, but the entire building was evacuated as a precaution. No injuries have been reported, and the building was able to safely reopen only a few hours later.
Amarah Hasham-Steele, News Editor
“On scene, police and partners located the unit on fire, which was extinguished, and no injuries were suffered,” said Hamilton Police Services, in a media release, issued on Jan. 29.
While the fire was contained within the four-bedroom suite in which it started, three nearby rooms also suffered smoke and water damage, forcing their occupants to temporarily relocate. A total of eight students were impacted by the fire.
While the fire was contained within the four-bedroom suite in which it started, three nearby rooms also suffered smoke and water damage, forcing their occupants to temporarily relocate. A total of eight students were impacted by the fire.
Amarah Hasham-Steele, News Editor
HPS stated in their release that 20-year-old Ruomu Ba had been charged with arson — disregard for human life.
The HPS release also asked members of the public to contact Detective Sergeant Lockley by calling 905-546-3833, if they have any information about the case.
McMaster University released two statements about the fire on Daily News. The first, released on Jan. 28, informed students of the fire and that it had been safely extinguished. The second, released on Jan. 29, informed students that charged had been laid.
