Two organizations from entirely different backgrounds are bringing their talents together and creating a frighteningly good time.
With Halloween creeping around the corner, the Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of New Brunswick (APEGNB) are teaming up with the Fredericton Arts and Learning at the Charlotte Street Arts Centre for their third annual Haunted Tour.
The idea came from the Fredericton Arts and Learning program when they heard that APEGNB was looking for an activity that would showcase the skills and talents of engineers and geoscientists within the Fredericton area.
“We were very happy to hear from them and have had a great partnership for the past three years,” said Bill Lamey, a member of APEGNB and part of the haunted house committee. “There have been long lines at times in past years, and we do our best to make it worth the wait. We touch on many fright subjects during the tour, so if you have a phobia there’s a good chance we’ll have it covered. Some people enter a section and decide that they’d rather turn back.”
WhiteFeather is the executive director of the Charlotte Street Arts Centre. She describes the haunted house as a theatrical production.
“Some people are seriously creeped out at the Haunted Tour and some people have the time of their lives – or a combination of those two things,” she said. “There’s something for everyone.”
Two first-year engineering students at UNB Liz Calvin and Kelsey Morrissey saw the haunted house as a great opportunity to get involved and have some fun. The APEGNB reaches out to various organizations including Base Gagetown Military Engineering School, many engineering firms and students.
“There are different floors,” Calvin explains. “The first floor is for young children, the second is scarier, and then the basement which is where we are is where the fright factor really kicks in. There’s an option to leave before you go into the basement if you don’t think you can handle it.”
The organizers of the Haunted Tour are looking forward to shocking people for the third year in a row with its intensely-engineered terror rooms and fun activities for kids of all ages. There are two different “scare levels” – the super scary tour and the low-scare tour for families. The “High Scare Tour” (ages 9-99) is $10 per person and take place on Oct. 28-29 from 6-10 p.m. The family tour (ages 8 and under) is $3 per child, with an accompanying adult free. It takes place on Oct. 29 from 12-5 p.m. All proceeds from the event go towards the Charlotte Street Arts Centre and Fredericton Arts and Learning for their outreach programs.
Calvin and Morrissey inch their way to the edges of their seats as they discuss the planning that goes into the event.
“We’ve been meeting once a week, brainstorming ideas and preparing for the weekend. It will be great to see the finished product and have people explore the house.”
