This Podcast is Haunted...with Clairvoyant Kim Dennis
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Hello, welcome to the Jan Arden Podcast and Show. I'm Jan Arden. I'm here with Sarah Burke and Caitlin Green. This is our special Halloween edition. Coming up later in the show, we have Kim Dennis, psychic medium, friend of the show. She's very interesting as always. She's got great little...

creepy vignettes of places she's been. Anyway, Caitlin, you look like an apparition right now. You're on a new computer. It is not a Mac. It is the other people. It's some other brand. No, you literally look like an apparition from some god-awful movie. It's the ghost of Caitlin Green here today for our special Halloween episode. And this was completely unintentional. And thank God it works for our guest.

Because otherwise... If we could tell you what you're seeing right now, it's basically like there's like a light coming from Caitlin, but we're not sure if it's a person. It's just a big sweatshirt. If you see my shoulders moving up and down. Caitlin, you've been really super busy. You haven't been with us the last couple of times, but you have a young son that is keeping you busy. I don't know if I'm allowed to say that young will...

Had a little bit of a bump. Did. And you guys, you and Kyle found yourself in a merge. We did. So talk to me about that. Well, he's recently learned to climb the couch, apparently. So until this week, if you left him in the living room walking around on his little feet, he would just stay there. He would be fine. And he would go over to the tables and he would look at stuff and everything's kid-proof. So if he's on his feet...

he's fine. Now he can climb up on the couch apparently. So he decided that he was going to do this while his dad was in the other room putting pants on to take him to daycare. And he just from the other room, here's like a thud and then crazy like yelling from our son, like crying. And so we came in and he found him and he was like face planted on the ground next to the sofa. And we think he landed on the rug and,

And so that's good instead of landing on hardwood. But he formed a goose egg right away. I saw it in the picture you sent. It looked giant. It looked like he had another head growing off of his head. It was huge and like instantly huge and like purple. And so we got kind of freaked out. And then we took him to, we like went by his daycare because it's like two seconds from our place.

And they didn't seem too concerned. And we were like, oh, these guys are going to know all about bumps because it's a daycare. And they didn't seem too worried. But then he started seeming like, because I was saying, you know, you do the, like, get his pupils to dilate, make sure that's fine. Make sure he doesn't throw up. Make sure there's no visible bleeding, all that stuff. But then he started getting kind of lethargic, which is not his vibe. He's very energetic. And so once that happened, we were just like, okay, he has to go into the emergency room. Mind you, this is all happening when I'm on the radio.

So I'm on the radio at CHUM and I'm getting phone calls from home saying, oh, like Will's fallen. And then there's this protracted debate about do we go into Emerge? Because now bringing your kids into Emerge means you're opening them up to the risk of getting COVID or RSV or all the other things that are being treated in the waiting room. You're not in the waiting room for like an hour even. You're there for so long.

So we decided we had to go and thankfully he's okay. But it was a long day at SickKids Hospital. And it was, it was a huge lump. Like when I looked at it, I tried to be really calm and cool. I'm like, that is fucking giant. It was huge. It was huge. That is a giant. It looked like a pumpkin. Yeah.

He looked like he had a hat on, on the side of his head, like he was going to some kind of horse race. Yeah, he looked like a little... A fascinator. That's what I was just going to say. He looked like he had a flesh fascinator. It was wild. Oh, my God. So they sent him on Halloween as the Headless Horseman. They just put a sheet over Will and just drew eyes on the lump. Do you think... I mean, Will's too young, but do you think you and Kyle are going to be out with him next year with his little...

bag of going door to door or do you think you want to wait? I think we'll wait because I think you're on that merry-go-round of stuff for a long time. Plus, he's not really supposed to eat candy. So there is that whole vibe. It's not for him. It's for you, you nutcake. Well, I'll just buy him. I shouldn't have candy anyways either, actually. So this is a two-part problem. He brings the candy home, then he can't eat it. So then I eat it. So this is no.

But I would like to show like I would walk him around outside and show him the houses and like other little kids dress up and he'll dress. He'll dress up this year for daycare. Like they dress all the kids up. The cook at the daycare makes like a healthy cake and they get to have cake. So, yeah, there are there are things. But yeah, my understanding now from parents and like, thank God, is that they've pushed back against holidays for as long as possible and birthday parties like they really try to stave that off because once you're in it, it never ends. Yeah.

Okay. Yeah. He's going as a lobster though to daycare. His daycare Halloween costume is a lobster.

That's cute. Can you remember any of your costumes, Caitlin, growing up? Yeah, I was a princess one year that was epic. And I've posted this on my Instagram before. And we had, I think, a seamstress made the whole outfit. And it was a crinkly kind of bright gold cape and everything. And my mom went to a lot of effort to pull this together. And then sure enough, it rains. It was the rainiest, gloomiest night ever.

And so we ended up switching me into a garbage bag witch pretty quickly. Oh, that's always so sad. The beautiful costume and then the old green garbage bag was over everything. Oh my gosh. But you know, it was, it was fun and I loved it. And my mom really made a big effort on Halloween each year and she would take a half day. And so I would come home at lunch and I would get it because the afternoon was always the kids showed at school. You did a

a show and tell of all of your costumes around the gym. The whole school went there and they played monster mash. It was a whole thing. And so I would always get a special Halloween cupcake. I'd go home at lunch. We'd put together my costume and I'd go back to school for the little day. Halloween was exciting at spring bank community high school. I mean, there was, you know, 60, 70 kids in that grade, uh, six, seven, eight, nine. There was, there's 60 kids. It was so small. And then high school, there was like 80 kids, but anyway, getting on the bus to go to school, uh,

At Halloween, our driver, John, would bring little cupcakes with like a bat on them or something. I think they were store-bought from co-op, but you know what was 30, 25 kids on the bus, 22 kids on the bus. And, uh, we'd each get a cupcake. It was just so great. And we got a bag of candy at school. Oh my gosh. I'm just like, every kid went into the gym and you got a little Ziploc bag of candy. It was, I don't even know what they were thinking. I know they can't do that now when you've got 1800 kids in the school. Yeah.

But there was a dress-up day. I remember having really fun times in Halloween. When we moved to the country, it took on a whole different thing because we had to walk two miles to each house and people made you sing. I think I told you guys this on other Halloween shows. Me and Leonard and Dale, we'd wear a sheet over our heads and then go to these houses and they'd be like, sing something. We're like, what? Yeah.

And they'd give you like a hot lemon tart out of the oven. Like how the shit am I supposed to carry this around? So you'd have to stand there and eat it.

But we, back in the day, we got the greatest caramel popcorn balls ever. And you'd go home with like six of those in your bag. But very, very rarely penny candy. Kids came to my house once and I gave them CDs. I didn't have any candy. So they got like Jan Arden singles. Here's good mother. Have fun. Merry Christmas. They're like, can we eat this? What's happening? Like, what is this?

Yeah, it's funny because those little traditions, you know, even John the school bus driver giving you mini cupcakes and stuff, that stuff. Never forget it. You never forget it because any little moment, any tradition, anything that makes something a bit special, children really remember and it means so much to them. So you definitely want to find the traditions that work for you. But oh my gosh. And do you remember...

when you were growing up and you did trick-or-treating, did you ever have like a safety talk about the safety of trick-or-treating or was that for my generation? Okay. I'm 61. My,

My mom, I usually would feel a foot in the middle of my back kicking me out the door, you know, see ya. One of us, because mom had an old poncho, we'd go like, and I, please don't think that I'm being racist or anything. Please consider the time. Mom, we'd be a Mexican with a Mexican sombrero hat.

And a poncho. And I know that's terrible, but in 1971, you know, it was just like one of us every year had to do that because nobody could fit into the bunny costume anymore. And, you know, my brothers eventually started going as characters from Kiss and,

Nice.

How much of that is just made up stuff? I, in my lifetime, never knew one child ever, never, ever that had a run-in with a darning needle or a safety pin or a razor blade. Never. I never knew that.

Yeah, I remember that being a big, like a real loss of innocence moment as a child because we had these police officers and firefighters and stuff that would come into the school to do talks, safety talks from time to time. We had a giant animatronic elephant called Elmer the Safety Elephant who would wheel in and be like, hello, kids. Some adults want to murder you with candy. And it was just it was the darkest chat to introduce around the holidays.

And I remember all the kids being so bewildered as to what sick individual is going to put a razor blade in a candy bar. But that was why they said don't accept homemade candy. That was it. So this was really shoved down our throats in terms of, yeah, if it's a prepackaged branded piece of candy, fine. But if some kind old lady gives you an apple, then you're not supposed to accept it. And welcome to

my world. Yeah, exactly. So I feel like that was definitely, that was a thing around Halloween, the big safety talk. The logical safety talk was really, because I don't know anyone who ever found a razor blade and a candy apple either, but the being careful out on the streets at night, like if it's rainy and dark and your costume is black, like don't run out in front of traffic. Because that was a big thing in the city because the streets would be

packed in my neighborhood. Your door never stopped ringing. My dad stood at the door. No, I know. It's hundreds of kids. It's hundreds of kids. It's crazy. I remember getting like bags and bags of candy, like going home, dumping a full bag and going back out. Like you would try to get three bags of candy and you would be eating this candy until Christmas.

Oh my God. Well, that sounds like a riot to me. The one bag was good for me or the, you know, six lemon tarts, one brownie, eight popcorn balls. And, and that was that. But I do have fond memories of, of wandering through the fields in the pitch black with the wind whistling and,

you know, getting these treats. I remember Mr. Scott who they had a pig farm that had long been dismantled. Even when I was 14, 13, it, it used to be. So it had a real creepy nature to it. All these old empty pens. And we'd wander down there cause it was Leonard and Dale's grandma and grandpa. And let's go down there and see what they got. And I remember us each getting a small roll of Tums. No. So,

And at the time, I didn't know what a Tum was. Yeah, why would you? And they were called Tums. They were called Tums in the 70s, folks.

And we ate the whole roll. I was no worse for wear for eating it. They were kind of minty and chalky. I'm like, this is the worst fucking candy I've ever had in my life. But I will never forget that. It just was so different being out in the country. I cannot tell you my epic Halloween story. And I know I've told you this. Caitlin was years ago. I was in Nashville with my ex sitting on, there was neighborhoods where people took all their kids. And I know you guys have that in Toronto as well.

to the good neighborhoods. Anyway, long story short, we were on that, on the porch helping my friend's neighbor give out candy. These two little girls came up. One was Miley Cyrus and the other, her little friend was a banana. So they came up and they got candy. And about an hour later, these girls had circled back and they came up and I looked at them and I said, Hey, you guys were here like 45 minutes ago. What are you? She's like, I'm Hannah Montana. And she's a plantain. Oh,

Oh. I like these little shits. Pretty clever. Miley Cyrus, Hannah Montana, just being in the same outfit. Oh, yeah. Yeah. I would be like props for creativity, but you're also like, you're not going to fool me here. We actually have a few things that I do want to get to. Caitlin, Sarah, there was thousands of people that were interviewed and they were ranking life's most unexpected moments of delight, which really...

made me kind of happy because we need to be talking about moments of delight because we all feel very guilty about being happy right now. We do. We feel guilty about having moments of joy and we can't live like that. Anyway, so moments of delight that can happen on any given day, like something that you never saw coming that instantly puts you in a really good mood.

And on the break, we talked about one, hearing your favorite song. Like who doesn't like turning the radio on and hearing your favorite song? Yeah, because you can select your own favorite song anytime you want, thanks to streaming, right? But the joy of having a song that's like a deep,

cut that unlocks a core memory for you that you didn't expect to hear in the car or wherever you're listening is so fun. I forget where was I? I was walking around a grocery store with my husband the other day and Celine Dion, It's All Coming Back to Me Now came on. And I just instinctively... What's so funny, Sarah? Sarah's laughing. I'm laughing that that's like a song that brings Caitlin joy. I just didn't expect it.

It was coming back to her at that moment. Was truly all coming back to me in Farm Boy. And there was, because you know that Meatloaf-esque opening? I forget the name of the producer who did all the music for Meatloaf. Jim Steinway. There you go. So it's this classic Jim Steinway piano. And I just got so excited. I immediately remembered the music video of her running through that empty house with the curtains blowing.

And I just, I loved Celine growing up. So that came on and I thought this is the joy of radio playlists done really well is when you can find those deep cuts and those unexpected moments. And I mean, extra points if it's CanCon. Yeah.

Yeah. And the next day, Caitlin marched into Chum and said, we got to add that song back in. The number of times I've said that to our music director to only have my cries fall on deaf ears is numerous. Although I did recently get Lauryn Hill's Doo-Wop That Thing played. Oh, yeah.

Well, that's something. You got to keep trying, right? Sarah, I'm going to ask you, what is something that could bring you instant joy? And I'm going to tell you if it's on this list. Like just a moment of joy, something that happens randomly during your day. I love like...

a taste from childhood or a smell from childhood. On the weekend, I found some like Thrillz gum, you know, the purple. Oh, God, no. Which I don't even like the gum, but it reminds me of my grandfather. So Thrillz tastes like soap. Do you guys remember that purple gum? Yeah. You have to chew like 12 pieces. Hey, it's not as bad as eating a pack of Tums. Sarah's like, don't gum shame me.

He must've thought we were just stupid, but I didn't know what a tum was. Okay. Let me just read you this list and no particular order. Okay. I'm just going to read these out. Finding money in a pocket. Oh my God. I cannot tell you in my really broke days. I remember finding a $5 bill in an old pocket, but it had gone inside the linings of this puffy coat and

And when I pulled it out, I can't even tell you, I bought a box of Kraft dinner. I bought like a few little things at 7-Eleven. I mean, I was broke in Vancouver. I was busking on the street. And with my last dollar, I bought a scratch and win. I won $100. Wow. So that was the greatest finding money in my pocket story of my life. And I walked around for a week and I couldn't believe that that happened. Anyway, getting a surprise refund. Okay. Mm-hmm.

A random compliment from a stranger. I try and do that as much as I can. And sometimes I find that I freak people out and make them uncomfortable. So I don't know if I'm doing the right thing. I am scanning through my head and realizing that I did this once. I visibly think I made a cashier at Shoppers Drug Mart uncomfortable. And she was a regular cashier at my old shoppers near my apartment on Queen West.

What did you say? She got a new haircut. And I was like, that is an amazing haircut. I was like, you look great. And she was kind of like, she didn't know what to do with it. You know how some people just get uncomfortable when you compliment them? See, this is the problem. And she did. She looked chic. Well, it is a quandary because a lot of times I want to say something because I like it. Like, and now I keep it pretty like, oh, I love your jacket. And it's true. And I do love their jacket. And what I really want to say is like, where'd you get it? And how much was it? But I do stop. I stop myself. I also think

people sometimes I had to become careful where I'm like do people think I'm like hitting on them because I would notice like someone who's just a regular person like there's a security guard at work who recently he got a nose ring like a ring ring and it actually looks quite good on him and it's a bold change like it's a change to your face but we don't have like I don't I don't know his name he doesn't know mine but I see him and I said hey I really like your nose ring and he was like thank you could tell he was like he again didn't know what to do with it

And I was like, I keep going around randomly complimenting people on things. And I'm like, maybe they think I'm going to ask them out. Like, I don't know. Their responses are varied. Yeah, I'm agreeing with you there. Getting a bonus at work, whatever that is. Oh, yeah. What's that? Hitting every green light. I do like hitting every green light. When you have timed lights and you're like, ding, ding, ding, that feels good. The best. Yeah.

Hearing your baby's first word, Caitlin. Okay, so this is something that feels like in movies, it's a very clear moment where it's like the baby lives in silence and then one day it goes like, mama, like while you're out in a rainbow of tears. Very not the case. The babies make sounds and then their sounds get closer to words and then one day you're like, I think they said hi. Yeah.

Like you just don't know. So I'm sure he's technically saying stuff now. He has very clearly said hi back to me at one point, which was very cute. But you don't get that standout memory the way you think you're going to. Like they don't suddenly come up to you and go...

Theoretical. Exactly. I love that. That's what Jay came up with. Thank you. You're welcome. Jan was just at recently doing some comedy writing in Vancouver. And I feel like that's the, that needs to go in. It does. That was hilarious. Thank you. Um,

A partner randomly showing you affection. This breaks my freaking heart. Oh, no. That in a moment, someone swinging their arm around you or a little kiss on the neck or something, just suddenly electricity is going through your body. When my dog's nice to me, I really appreciate it. Aw, Poppy. I can't even tell you. When he sits next to me or takes time for me, thank you, Poppy.

When you're trying to make a point and someone finally gets it. Oh, that's so satisfying. A familiar smell. I recently had, I discovered that a hair product I had purchased has the same scent as the perfume pretty Barbie that I had in the early nineties. Oh,

Oh my God, Caitlin. And I couldn't figure out what it was. I was like, this is a core memory. What's going on here? And then I remembered it was the perfume that came with Perfume Pretty Barbie. It's my favorite thing. Perfume Pretty Barbie. She came with her own proprietary blend of perfume. And it was my favorite thing as a kid. I carried it in a little purse.

A loved one says they're proud of you. That's big. I'm going to cry. Everyone listening right now just got a huge ball in their throat. Right. Or when a friend says they're proud of you, when a work colleague says they're proud of you. Yeah. When someone takes the time, I think it's very important to tell people you are proud of them because it is a very specific emotional response that it garners.

So keep that in mind today. Maybe today you can actually tell someone that you're proud of them. Finding something you thought you'd lost. Yes. Huge. That's the most relieving feeling. I'm currently missing a bracelet and I'm sure it's somewhere and I just cannot, but it was a Christmas gift for my husband. It's not super expensive, but I just want it. And yeah, I'm looking high and low for it and I have a feeling it's going to come back to me. And when I find this thing again, I'm going to be so relieved.

My friend, Susan Benedictson, years ago, she was an old high school friend. She was a year older than me, but in a small school, you know, you remember everybody. We had reconnected and probably through Facebook. I'm going to say this is 20 years ago. Anyway, she said, she wrote me a note and she goes, I can't believe I found you on here. This has been like finding a precious piece of lost jewelry to me.

And I remember thinking that is one of the most specific, loveliest, most delicate compliments. And I'll never forget it. That's what she said. You're like finding a precious piece of...

lost jewelry. That's quite poetic, actually. Like I feel like it really was. It is waking up before your alarm and realizing you get to sleep longer. Like you wake up at 1am and you literally don't have to get up till five 30. You have four and a half hours to go. Oh yeah. When it's six to 8am. Oh, so good. I don't know what that's like anymore, but getting upgraded.

Getting upgraded. Hotel or airplane, you're sitting in the lobby and all of a sudden, Miss Burke, can you bring your passport to the front desk, please? And you're upgraded. I think that's fantastic. Anyway, those are the few. Then there's a few more that made the top 25. Getting carded when you buy alcohol.

hitting the exact number when you're pumping gas. Not so sure about that one. Thinking it's Thursday and it's actually Friday. Oh yeah. And there's a lot of people that take pictures of when it's 11, 11 or 12, 12 or four, four, four or five, five, five or three, three, three. I'm not one of those people, but yeah,

I see those on Instagram all the time. I'm like, why the fuck are you taking a picture of a clock? Anyway, numbers are important to people. People think it's like spiritual messages because I remember that I was seeing 11-11, 444, 222, like all the time. And I still see it. But I've realized that my pattern throughout the day meant that I was most likely to be either looking at my phone or in my kitchen looking at something at that time.

So there was kind of like a logical explanation for it. They're called angel numbers. Yes, that's it. Angel numbers. All right. All right. I'll take it. Listen, Kim Dennis is on the show today. She's a very gifted medium. She lives in Calgary. I've been to her many times.

We thought it would be fun on our Halloween show to have Kim come on today. She's a friend of the show. She's a really gifted medium, talks to people that have passed over to another place. We're going to continue our conversation with Kim right after these brief messages from beyond. ♪

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Welcome back. You're listening to the Jan Arden Podcast and Show. This is a very special edition because it's Halloween again. I just decorated my gate. I put my ghouls out. I don't know what my neighbors think of it. They're very freaky and wonderful and I love it. And I do love Halloween decorations, but I do not want children coming for candy.

because I'll just be hiding in my house. Actually, I'm not even here. I'm in Portugal. I'm in Portugal on Halloween. Kim Dennis is with us. She is such a gifted medium. She's a friend of the show. She's a dear friend of mine. We've known each other well over 20, probably I'm going to say 25 years at least. Kim Dennis is one of the most gifted mediums that I have ever met. I have been to see her live.

many, many times over the years and have left her space and her sessions absolutely gobsmacked with her insights beyond rational thinking things that she picks up on. She's been such a comfort to me with my mom. My mom has come through Kim many times just to say hello and

Kim Dennis. She's with us. I'm going to let Kim say hello from beyond the internet. Beyond. Good morning. Thanks for that lovely introduction. Oh, Kim, it's so true. It's so true. You've been doing this. How long have you been doing mediumship now? It's been probably 25 years. I started in radio in June of 1999. And if my memory is not that great, even though I'm psychic, I think for about two years before that I've been doing readings. So yes, it was like 25 years. Gosh. I know I'm getting

People coming to me and saying, oh, it came to you 25 years ago. I'm like, that can't be possible. But yeah. And as time goes on, it's really quite interesting. I'm channeling people who I've read for. What? So I have people coming to me. They came with their mom or their grandmother and they've since passed over. Yeah. More and more, I'm channeling people who have actually come for reading. Okay. Now, I never thought about that aspect of your work. Yeah. Yeah.

Well, they know where to come. They're like, I'm going to come through Kim Dennis. That's where I'm going to go to say hello because I know her. Yeah, they do. And they come to me for a reading. Often their loved ones will just automatically come for a reading if that person has crossed over. So it's like, I feel like I know your dad. And they're like, yeah, you do. Because he came for a reading. I'm like, oh, okay. That's why he's like feeling like he knows who I am. Let me ask you this. What's Halloween like for you? Is this a season that you enjoy? Do you love it, hate it?

Oh, I love it. I think, you know, one aspect, I try to take the paranormal out of this so people feel more comfortable with their loved ones around. But I mean, it's fun as well, too. You know, and I have some really cool stories that are a little bit on the paranormal haunting side a little bit as well, too. Please let us know. What are those stories? I visited Massachusetts a couple of times, went to Salem.

I went to Salem and one interesting experience I had there, they have a really, really old cemetery, like back to the 1600s, where a lot of the victims of the witch trials were buried. But there's three young children. I can't remember the whole story, but they were siblings and they were murdered, I believe. And then when I was looking at their grave, I felt like somebody tapped me on the shoulder. Right. And it was just and I heard a little voice in my ear and I turned around. I didn't see anybody there, but I felt like it was one of those children.

Yeah, one of those children. But yeah, I know. So it just feels like they, I don't know for sure. Maybe they've reincarnated, but it felt like somebody was there and just letting me know that they knew that I was there as well, too. You know, and then in Massachusetts is Fall River, where if you know the Lizzie Borden story, back in the 1800s, late 1800s, there was a story. Lizzie Borden took an axe and gave her mother 40 whacks.

after that when she was through gave her father 42 don't trust me on the song but she was acquitted she was charged but acquitted of the murder of her stepmother and her father so anyways they've turned that house into a bed and breakfast so of course I needed to never in a million years would I go you went there I went there I spent the night and slept in the room where the stepmother was hacked to death

And nothing really happened. But I slept fine, except there was no TV. So I had trouble going to sleep. Honestly, you can sleep in the Lizzie Borden house, the actual house. Like I just, it's just not something I would ever do. Did you pick up on anything, Kim? I picked up on lots. I went there. One of the nice things was, is that there was me and two friends went and the woman who kind of looked after the house. Of course, we were the only ones that spent the night there.

So, and I got, when I got there actually earlier, there was a few people who worked there and I went through the house and I knew, I knew before I got there where the furniture was, where the tree, a tree was, where furniture was before the layout of the kitchen in the basement stuff. And I really got some insight. They, you know, they don't know for sure if she did it. I feel she did. Oh.

I think she totally did. And then they invited me back, the Fall River Museum, to do a talk. They were doing a series of talks on Lizzie Borden and I did one, just sort of my perspective as a medium. And I'm like, she totally did it. And they're like, well, she was so small. I'm like, she snuck up on me.

on them. The mother was bent over making the bed and or something like that. And her father was asleep on the couch. I'm like a 10 year old could have done it. Right. So it didn't matter how big she was. So, but I feel, I feel like she, we went out to the cemetery too, where her and the rest of her family were. Oh. And I remember on the plane going, I was like, I think she had enough. I know she had a sister.

But I think she had one that was an infant that died. And I feel like she had a really bad brain problem. I guess she did have a hydrosphallic sister that passed away. And then when we went to the cemetery, I didn't know that. Right.

Right. So I was picking up on her. I'm pretty sure I was. I didn't, I didn't sit with any of Lizzie's family to verify stuff, but I picked up on a lot of stuff about how the house was back in the 1890s. So she must, she must have living relatives. Hey Kim. Well, she never, I can't, I know she didn't have children. I don't think she ever got married and she had one sister and I'm not sure if she had, if she had any children. Yeah. That really is such an infamous crime and have obviously been

they really didn't have the kind of CSI stuff going on. And I would, it's too bad that in some dark storage room somewhere in a basement that Lizzie's clothes aren't there or the ax that she used, or, you know, it's too bad that, you know, the criminologists can't go back in time with,

with a little bit of evidence and solve some of these things. And there's another crime too, that you alluded to that you said you are actually a descendant or a distant relative of two of the suspects in the Jack the Ripper case. So there's another creepy Halloween tale.

It is. I found that out through DNA and I connected with an, with a cousin in England. So my family's from England and Ireland and she led me on to them. My great grandmother's name was Margaret McCarthy and she has, they're cousins anyways, Daniel and John McCarthy who are brothers and they're both suspects of being Jack the Ripper. I'm not convinced they are.

But John owned a lodging house where two of the victims lived. And then his brother Daniel owned the lodging house where Mary Kelly's body was found. She was the only one that was found in a home or in a property. The rest were found on the street. And you know, the funny thing is when I found that out two weeks before I had just gotten, I just returned from England and went on the Jack the Ripper tour.

Yeah, so, yeah. But anyways, Daniel and John McCarthy, look it up. They're cousins of mine. And yeah, they're suspects on the long list of being Jack the Ripper. I'm not convinced they are, but... Why do you think people...

all these years later, like literally a hundred, 150 years after the fact that there's so much intrigue surrounding, like you said, Lizzie Borden, I mean, Jack the Ripper, those heinous crimes. And then they were so intricate in there. Um, we could do like a whole week of podcasts on that, but just that he was thought to have been some kind of a surgeon because of the precision of how he removed organs or, uh, you know, cut into these bodies. But what, what's the

fascination. Why are we still... Big part is they were never solved, right? The Jack the Ripper ones. I'm kind of more on line with the American Ripper guy. I think he is probably the one who did it. There was an American suspect? There's an American suspect. Yeah. And I kind of suspect that it was him. And with Lizzie Borden, I think the only reason they ever said that she was acquitted, consider the time, late 1800s, they just said a woman of her stature, she was tiny and she just couldn't have done it.

So, yeah. So that's why she got off. Well, I mean, rumor has it. I listened to enough crime podcasts to know that women's MOs are usually poisoning. Like they're usually much more clandestine in how women typically murder. So I guess to swing an ax and have that kind of brutality going on. Anyway, moving on. Listen, you have...

an amazing event, October the 29th at Historic Fort Calgary, which is also noted to be haunted, Fort Calgary. Tell us a little bit about the event that you have coming up there. Do you do readings? Tell me what that evening is going to look like. It's exciting.

I can talk about some of the things we've talked about. I'm going to talk about, you know, more about souls and stuff like I always do, how to feel your loved ones around. Are there really hauntings? Do those really exist? Are there restless spirits or spirits that aren't at peace? Is that why they're trying to reach out to us? So, and plus I'm going to answer questions too. I'm going to have microphone, just what people, just what people want to know. And plus I'm going to give messages as well too, but it's October 29th, 7 p.m.

How many people will be there, Kim? What's the capacity? A hundred. I'm just going to do a small group. I'm going to make it intimate. A hundred is a lot of people. But yeah, Fort Calgary is one of Calgary's many kind of renowned haunted spots. What are some of the stories of the hauntings there? You know what? I'm not too familiar with them and I'm trying to keep it that way. So yeah,

So, cause less is better for me. So, um, I'm hoping to have one person there at least who is familiar with Fort Calgary, maybe works there or whatever, who maybe can validate some of the stuff that I'm picking up. I'm not sure if I'll pick up any ghosty people or whatever. I'm probably going to be more focused on my audience, but Hey, I'm open to anything. You know, I went to Knox United Church years ago, um,

Somebody at Calgary Herald did a story on me and just what I could pick up there. But you know what I picked up? I picked up that there was a gentleman who passed away years ago who worked at the church, who lived next door, and he committed suicide by jumping off the building. And they validated that that was true, which was really cool for me because, you know, I mean, not that I look anything up, but how could I?

Right. And yeah, he was a caretaker or something. And I don't know if it was back in the thirties or something, but I was like the guy I'm getting, I said, committed suicide. He jumped off and they went and checked and he did. Yeah, he did. Yeah. It's just amazing. The traces that people kind of the contrails of their spirits that people leave behind them. Sarah Burke, our own Sarah Burke had a reading with Kim several months ago when there was a lot going on and your uncle Harold, Harold, how we, how,

Howie, Uncle Howie has been through a few times, just telling Kim all kinds of interesting stuff. I'm a believer. And you want to do it again. So listen, she's a believer. It's nice. It's nice when people come back. It's a nice affirmation. A nice affirmation. Oh, absolutely. So before we went to the break, I was talking about just kind of these contrails and we were alluding to ghosts, especially at this time of year. What are

are ghosts, Kim, in your opinion? Why do they stick around? You don't really die. You change forms. So ghost is sort of another word for spirit or soul or whatever. And it makes it a little bit more scary. It makes it a little bit more fun. But I personally haven't ever encountered a spirit that was in a bad place or was unhappy or trying to hurt anybody here in the

in the physical world, but I think it's a fun thing. All right. You don't really die. You change form, right? So, you know, that person that always feels young on the inside of you, you know, as you get older, you always feel like the same young person. That's your soul. That's the real you. It doesn't age. And when you, when you cross over, you're not in some far off land. I don't think they're with us every second of the day, but I think that they can be with us anytime that, that, that,

that they wish or choose to. And a person I would say is going to be more in the physical world, more aware of them when you're quiet and alone with yourself, you know, you don't have to be silly about walking your dog. You could be, you know, um, exercise and you could be in the kitchen. You could be doing anything sitting alone. But as soon as you're alone with yourself, that's an opportunity for a loved ones to come through and let us know that there, I mean, realistically, when you, when you think, when you hear all these paranormal stories, has anybody ever really been hurt by a spirit? Not that I'm aware of. I mean, probably somebody will come up with something, but I,

In the 25 years that I've been doing readings, people can be a little bit of nerves, get caught off guard. It's like, oh, my gosh, that's because, you know, we don't know much about the other side. Right. So it is a little people figure what they don't understand. But I've never, ever in 25 years had somebody come to me and say that they were hurt or violated or or anything, you know, by a spirit or a loved one or anything on the other side. I just was watching The Pope's Exorcist.

I made it 20 minutes in and I shut it off because I just cannot do like devil, uh,

stuff like that. I mean, I know it's just a movie, but like when people watch something like the exorcist, Kim, I think that's their takeaway of what, you know, a devil going into a person looks like. And then it's obviously, it's really magnified at Halloween time with, you know, the idea of spirits walking among us. I mean, you look at kids costumes, it's ghosts and skeletons and ghouls and things like that. So it's,

It's not one of my more favorite holidays that we have because I just, I don't like the idea of ghosts and spirits. Like I, if my parents showed up as a, an apparition before me, I'd probably have a heart attack. Whereas some people are very like, you always amaze me, Cam, because you're so open to communication, to having that little girl tap you on the shoulder in Salem. I would have a heart. I would be running for the car, but there's something different.

in you that you do have that, that sureness and that security. It amazes me. Oh, well, thank you. It's always been part of who I am. I was born this way. So it's not, it's, it's just, and it's always been progressive as well too. And it's never been anything that's hurt me. And I just, the reaction of people who come, like you said, for reading and stuff that it gives so much comfort, so much comfort. I just try to say, there's nothing to be scared about on the other side. There really, there really isn't. It should be more of a comfort to know that they really haven't lost you as much as you think that they have.

Right. And and they're often trying to reach out to make a connection because they love to do that. But just to reassure us that they're still with us. It's not exactly the same thing, but try to narrow that gap between this world and that world. What do you think of the difference between spirituality and religion? Oh, boy. Where do you begin? I don't know. Yeah, I'm not I'm not religious at all. I don't know. I think spirituality is just a way of life, just a way of being.

is what it is. You know, I, there is a spiritualist church and stuff that I go to every once in a while, but I don't know. It's just, it's not my thing. Well, I just, I think that the constant threats that seem very pervasive in organized religion, where unless you do this, you are not going to enjoy the opportunity to have a spiritual everlasting life in the kingdom of God or whatever. So to me, it's,

The constant threats, that's enough for me to go later. I want nothing to do with it. I'll say this. I've never needed a church to talk to God. Never needed a church or a reverend or a priest or anything like that. And with all the stuff that's going on in the Catholic Church, to be honest with you, and all the abuse and stuff like that. Send your letters to Kim Dennis at 555-719. I don't need somebody else to tell me what is right and wrong.

Right. It's just like I know that inside of so God who I don't see as a person, but as an as an energy, you know, is put inside of me. I can tell the difference between right and wrong. I don't need a church to tell me that, you know, be a good person, help other people. That's my religion. If you do that, you'll have a blessed life.

You know, but I think there is probably a place for it for some people that is probably a comfort and stuff like that, I guess. But if you start judging others, you know, based on religion, I mean, most wars and stuff, look at what's going on in the world are based on that. It's like Lebanon.

even let live, right? You think God's up there judging who's believing this, who's believing that. And which God, you know, which God, because everybody seems to have a completely different idea of who it is. And that's fine. You know, it's just like, if you're happy and if it's working for you in your life, then I guess, and you're not hurting anybody else with it, then do whatever you want. Let me ask you this. What about spirits, ghosts, whatever you want to call them that seem to be trapped in,

in a place that's neither here nor there? Because we do hear these stories. So what's your take on that? I'm just going by my own experience. I don't think they're trapped. You're either in your body or you're not. You know, I think there's a bit of a process of crossing over. I visited having a couple of times throughout my out-of-body experiences when I was young. And there is a process. You do a life review where you watch everything that you did down here at

And you feel everything that you made other people feel, which is sort of the experience of being here, right? It's based on, you know, how you make other people feel. I'm just talking about the stories that we are told again and again. So people understood that you don't really die, that you change form and that you're not in some far off land. Then you don't think that they're trapped because they're visiting you. Like that's the misnomer, I think, is because you're feeling them around. You think, oh, they haven't gone on to a bigger place or a better place. Of course they have.

Right. They have. So I think that that sort of invites the idea of hauntings and that they're trapped and stuff like that. No spirit I've ever channeled was was in a bad place. They weren't. And, you know, in fact, the thing is, is when you cross when we were born, you know, we forget everything at birth.

When you cross over, the lights go on. You remember everything. You remember where you came from and that you came down here to learn. And when you can't learn anything more, that you cross back over. They came down to fulfill whatever it is that you were meant to fulfill down here in a learning capacity. Learning continues on the other side. But I think that people don't realize that they're not in some far off land. Just they can see us. We can't see them unless they manifest that.

way. So therefore they think if they're feeling them around or whatever, that they're haunted. So a lot of time we're asking for it. I wish my mom would give me a sign. She's with me or my dad or, or my grandma. And then they do. And they're like, Oh, my house is haunted. I'm like, no, you're asking for it. And they showed up, you know, and some of them are louder. Some of them are louder. You know, I don't think I contradict myself a lot. I don't think they're really attached to homes and places. Although my house was built in 1888 year of Jack the Ripper.

And there is a little girl that I do feel in here. She runs through the house. She looks like Laura Ingalls. She's got a little prairie dress on. And she told me a couple times her name was Flory or Flora. So I did a little bit of research on my house. In 1911, George and Catherine Bryant lived here, and they had a daughter, Florence. They had five kids, and one was Florence. So I'm pretty sure that's her.

And the last two times I saw her was down in my laundry room and she had an older gentleman there with her as well too. So, I mean, I caught me off guard. I was like, whoa, right. But I wasn't scared and nobody did anything to hurt me. Right. So, and it kind of made me feel good. And maybe they just visit because of what I do, what I do. But, you know, and even in the real world, we go back and visit, you know, I visit my home in Scarborough every once in a while, Ontario or whatever. I went to my parents where I grew up. I went to their house with my friend a day before last and,

And we, because she prompted me, she's like, let's drive by your mom and dad's old place. And I didn't really want to go, but I went and it's so different. The city has swallowed it up. The field that I used to play in is still there. And they've modified and reno'd mom and dad's, the facade of the house. So it doesn't look

anything like it used to, although I recognize the trees that went around the driveway. But anyway, I was standing out there kind of being pensive and looking over where my little brother built a house in the field. And this woman comes running out, her name's Cindy, and they've lived there for 14 or 15 years and they have four boys. And she said that, you know, or her, you know, they said, she called my name. She's like, I guess her son said, I think Jan Arden's in our driveway. Anyway, she just came out and she just said that the house felt very musical and-

and that her son played piano and she goes, there's a lot of music in the house, but it was interesting. So I really love your analogy of, yeah, you go to Scarborough and you drive by the house once in a while, but you don't stay there. Reminisce a little bit and yeah. So how do we not be afraid, Kim? Like I think we're so used to jumping out of our boots and our shoes and so freaked out by spirits and spirituality and

How do we reconcile that this is just another part of living human life? It's just a cycle. It's just a cycle of life, right? We come into this world, we come here to learn, and then we cross back over. We go back to where we came from. And I don't know. Like I said, I would love... I've never... Of all the zillions of people I've read for, nobody has ever... I can honestly say that they got attacked by a spirit or they were hurt by one or somebody hurt them on any level whatsoever. It's fun. It's fun.

I think if there's any sort of evil, it exists here in the physical world than I've ever in the spiritual. You know, you were saying the devil and stuff like that, God and the devil. Well, they're not people. This is just my spin. They're not people, right? They're entities. So when you think of God, you think of like your higher self, right? Your better self, your higher self, you know, the good part.

part of you. Yes, that's the godly-like way of you. You know, when you think of the devil, it's your lower self, right? For lack of a better term, your lower self, better known as the ego. But the extreme is a dictator, right? So if any evil exists, it's here on earth. I totally agree. When people rise into their best versions of themselves. And one final question before we let you go, Kim, is

do you ever get any indication about, you know, the future? Like, are you, with everything that you know, are you still an optimistic, an optimistic, positive person? Oh, for sure. Oh, yeah. Oh, obviously. I mean, life happens, right? Stuff happens in the world and stuff like that. You want to be aware of it, want to be aware of it. And it does affect me. But I hope it affects me in a way where I can help. Oh, you do. But it's not going to take away from my personal happiness or anything like that. I mean, I have moments or

or whatever, but I'm not going to get so immersed in it that it's going to take away from my own personal. I don't think that's the idea. But I think if you can find a way to help, you know, Mr. Rogers, you know, talk about old souls used to say in a crisis, look for the helpers. That's what I strive to be. Well, I'll never forget. I'll leave you with my, my little, my last little Kim Dennis story. You, you have done so many really superb readings for me, like over the years before COVID actually, um,

Yeah.

Anyway, I had come in. I had a phone reading with you and I hopped on. The first thing you said is like, oh, your mom was out watering plants with you. You said, oh, she's really pestering me. Do you, is there a blue hose? Is there, you need to shut off the blue hose, you said to me. I just about shit my pants. You did.

Because I had left the water running in my mom's... And it could be blue. I never know with aquamarine and blue and green. Anyway, the point was, you said your mom wants me to tell you to go right now and shut the blue hose off. So anyone that doubts anything, Kim is just like, I have no idea what I'm saying to you. This is just what your mom is telling me. So Kim Dennis...

I mean, I always believed before. I never doubted. But the closeness and the little bit of my mom that you gave to me, that she's out watering with me and just being around, I think you've been a huge bridge. Yeah, it's the everyday things, right? It's the little things like you did this. You dropped, you know, somebody else, like you dropped a case of beer on the deck and she did, right? Or you...

Things like everyday things, you know, and it's like, how would I know that unless your loved ones were talking to me and were telling me that, you know, I'm yeah. No. Well, thank you for the good work that you do. And, and I want to remind people once again, um, historic Fort Calgary, Kim's going to be doing a small reading of a hundred people. There's tickets still available. Not many $50, uh,

And it's going to be a real interactive experience. Kim will be answering questions and talking about spirits. Once again, October the 29th, 7 p.m., Fort Calgary. We're going to put all the information for that in our notes for the show. Thank you. Thank you, Kim Dennis. And we hope that you'll come and talk to us again. I'd love to, anytime. Thank you. Thanks for listening. You can subscribe to our show if you want to. You can give us a review. That helps people find us.

Thank you to all our listeners for making this podcast such a success week after week. I know we talk about some zany, nutty things, but I am very grateful for Caitlin and Sarah, and I'm always proud of them. And it's great to have our team and we're having lots of fun and we're hoping that we can keep bringing you podcasts for many years to come, as long as we're all alive. Well, maybe not that long. People do tend to move on, but...

Maybe Will, he'll be old enough to run the show by then. And you can communicate with us through Kim, so it's fine. Yes. Even when I kick my clogs. Oh, Kim will say she's coming through. Top 10 things to eat in heaven. Here she is with her list. Yeah.

Okay, have a great one. Thank you so much for listening today. You can listen to us on iHeartRadio, Spotify, iTunes, wherever you get your podcasts. Caitlin Green, Sarah Burke, thank you so much. We'll see you next week. Have a great, safe Halloween. Oh, totally do. This podcast is distributed by the Women in Media Podcast Network. Find out more at womeninmedia.network.