We usually think of Canada as being quiet. Ha! They're up to all sorts of fringe phenomena. Test your knowledge.

Check out the unusual doings in Canada. Multiple choice.

1. Wicked Canadian theatre owner Ambrose Small is reputed to reappear as a ghost at the Grand Opera House in Toronto. What naughty thing does he do?
   
   • Flickers lights in the foyer.
   • Drops sandbags.
   • Fondles actresses.
   • Booes actors.
2. Ambrose Small disappeared mysteriously in 1919. What did Charles Fort have to say about this incident?
   
   • 'I'm sure it was aliens.'
   • 'Was somebody collecting Ambroses?'
   • 'It had something to do with raining fish in Lake Ontario.'
   • 'Disappearing businessmen are not Fortean phenomena.'
3. In 1989, renters in a small apartment house in Beauport, Quebec, were forced to move. The loud bangs and sudden holes in their walls were driving them crazy. What did local authorities decide was the cause of the disturbance?
   
   • A poltergeist.
   • Sonic booms.
   • Insects in the walls.
   • Uneven subsidence from dry weather.
4. In 1924, Canadian prospector Albert Ostman arrived at a mining camp with a hair-raising tale. What harrowing experience did he report?
   
   • He had been abducted by aliens.
   • He had been abducted by Sasquatches.
   • He had been abducted by First Nations shamans.
   • He had become lost in a network of underground caves.
5. William Lyon Mackenzie King (1874-1950) was Prime Minister of Canada. What unusual hobby was he famous for?
   
   • Talking to dead people.
   • Using automatic writing to draft legislation.
   • Painting clowns.
   • Inventing labour-saving devices.
6. Back in the 1930s, some very respectable Canadian researchers were into collecting teleplasm. What is this, and would you want it in your living room?
   
   • Yes, it's beautiful fairy dust.
   • No, it's like that slime in Ghostbusters.
   • No, it's even yuckier than that slime in Ghostbusters. It's viscous ectoplasm.
   • Yes, it's gossamer filaments that make you feel wonderful when you touch them.
7. Canadian inventor Arthur Matthews was an intense admirer of Nikola Tesla. According to Matthews, what was Tesla by nationality?
   
   • Canadian.
   • Croatian.
   • Slovenian.
   • A space alien.
8. Arthur Matthews was a serious inventor. He had patents. He liked to discuss his work with visitors. According to him, some of his visitors came from how far away?
   
   • The United States.
   • Russia.
   • Venus.
   • Saskatchewan.
9. Still talking about Tesla: Canadian anti-gravity expert John Hutchison is also a fan. According to him, why did neighbours object to his carrying out anti-gravity experiments at home?
   
   • They were too loud.
   • They caused an eerie silence.
   • They made everyone's hair stand on end.
   • They made objects in their houses float randomly.
10. On to anthropology: Canadian researcher Wade Davis is an expert on the pharmacological basis of what horror-movie staple?
    
    • Vampires.
    • Zombies.
    • Werewolves.
    • Freddy Kruger.

Pretty interesting, eh? Click the picture for answers.

Dmitri Gheorgheni

12.06.17 Front Page

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