Paranormal Investigation – Old Sainte Antoine Cemetery

Ghost hunting in downtown parks is oddly fascinating. This two hour Montreal experience turns Dorchester Square and Place du Canada into the surface above one of the city’s most brutal burial grounds, the Old Sainte Antoine Cholera Cemetery.

I like the way the tour blends real place based storytelling with active ghost hunting equipment. With paranormal expert Dominique Desormeaux leading you, you also get a guided history that explains how this Catholic burial site became a hotspot for later hauntings.

One drawback to plan for: a lot of it is outdoors. If the weather turns ugly, like it did for one group member who reported getting really sick from heavy rain, this can feel less fun than the idea of the hunt.

Key Things to Know Before You Go

• Dominique Desormeaux leads the whole experience, mixing history and practical ghost hunting methods
• Old Sainte Antoine Cemetery sat beneath modern parks, so you are hunting in the middle of today’s downtown Montreal
• You get loaner tools like dowsing rods, EMF readers, and temperature guns
• You cover two areas during the same two hour session: Dorchester Square and Place du Canada
• You also hear about nearby haunted sites, including the Sun Life Building and major churches
• Weather matters, since this is a real outdoor walking experience

Old Sainte Antoine Cholera Cemetery, Hidden Under Modern Montreal

The big hook here is the location. The Old Sainte Antoine Cemetery is not behind museum glass. It sits under two popular urban parks, Dorchester Square and Place du Canada. That means you are not just learning about the past from afar. You are walking over it, right in downtown Montreal.

From 1799 to 1855, this cemetery saw about 70,000 burials. The story that matters for the paranormal angle is how many of those burials were tied to cholera epidemics, when mass graves became a grim reality. When you hear that scale, it helps the rest of the experience make sense. You are dealing with a place where the city was overwhelmed, and where suffering was not small or private.

What also frames the darker tone is that the burial ground was a Catholic cemetery, and yet, atrocities happened there anyway. Doctors did open air autopsies. Priests advised pregnant women to receive the horrible “infant baptism” operation. People were reportedly buried alive. Even if you treat the paranormal parts with healthy skepticism, the human history explains why people associate this exact spot with lingering fear.

You’ll also learn why this area is described as a major hotspot for paranormal activity today. It is not just the cemetery itself. It is the way it sits inside today’s city fabric, with constant foot traffic, large buildings nearby, and a skyline that keeps moving around the site.

Dominique Desormeaux, and the Hunt Style You Should Expect

You meet your guide in a very clear place: in front of the Sir Wilfrid Laurier Monument in Dorchester Square. That sets the tone. You are starting in a known downtown landmark, then working your way into the atmosphere around the parks.

Paranormal expert Dominique Desormeaux hosts the experience in both French and English. That matters, because a tour like this lives or dies by clarity. The format is not random wandering. You get strategies and techniques meant to help you locate and communicate with spirits, and you get guidance on using the gear.

It is also a good sign that the event is tied to television style ghost hunting shows like Rencontres Paranormales, Most Haunted, and TAPS Ghost Hunters. That’s not a promise that it will match TV pacing beat for beat, but it does suggest the host will explain methods the same way fans expect: talk first, try tools second, then talk again based on what you experienced.

The tour is designed for people who want both sides of the story. If you only want chills, you might feel like the human tragedy is a lot. If you only want facts, you may feel the paranormal tools are the point. Most people fit somewhere in the middle.

The Equipment: Dowsing Rods, EMF Readers, and Temperature Guns

The tour includes loaned ghost hunting equipment. The practical takeaway is that you do not have to arrive with a backpack full of devices or worry about buying the wrong model. You just show up and use what the guide provides.

From the tour description, you can expect tools such as:

• Dowsing rods
• EMF readers
• Temperature guns
• Other devices the guide makes available

Here is the value of that for your planning. EMF readers and temperature guns are easy to understand in concept. You are not just guessing. You can check a reading, move to another spot, compare, then listen for what the guide tells you to do next.

Dowsing rods are different. They are often treated more like a communication tool than a scientific instrument. The guide will frame how to use them during the hunt, which is useful because otherwise it is hard to know what you are supposed to pay attention to.

If you want to use your own tech, the tour recommends downloading ghost hunting apps beforehand. That does not mean you must. It just helps if you like having a second data stream. At minimum, it saves you from digging through app stores while you are already in the dark part of the experience.

A quick reality check, and I mean that kindly: this is still a guided activity, not a lab. So treat the readings as part of the experience, not as proof of anything. If you do that, you will get more enjoyment, less frustration.

Dorchester Square Start: Meeting at Sir Wilfrid Laurier

Dorchester Square is where you get oriented. You meet the guide at the Sir Wilfrid Laurier Monument in the southern part of the park, near René Lévesque Boulevard, and close to Peel Metro.

Why start here? Because it gives you a simple anchor. If you’ve ever done night tours in big cities, you know how quickly you lose the plot when you are walking through lit streets with no map. This meeting point fixes that problem fast. You start from a clear landmark, and the guide can pace the group from one zone to the next.

Expect that this area becomes more than a transit spot. You will get a haunted statue angle as part of the surrounding paranormal elements. Even if you do not take that literally, it changes how you look at the monument and the immediate park space.

Also, because you are in downtown Montreal, you are surrounded by movement. The city does not pause for ghost hunting. That can help, because normal sounds let you notice what’s different. If someone hears a pattern, sees a change, or feels a shift in mood while using a device, you can separate that feeling from the general noise of traffic and pedestrians.

Place du Canada: Where the Urban Setting Turns Strange

After Dorchester Square, the tour shifts to Place du Canada. Together, these two areas cover the spirit of what the Old Sainte Antoine Cemetery represents now: an underground burial ground living above ground as public space.

This is where I think the tour is most memorable. You are no longer only thinking about the past as a story. You are walking through present day architecture and big-name buildings that surround the area.

The description highlights haunted buildings nearby, including:

• Sun Life Building
• Old Windsor Hotel
• Chateau Champlain Hotel
• St George’s Anglican Church
• Marie-Reine-du Monde Cathedral and Basilica

That list matters because it gives the guide room to explain the paranormal environment as part of the city’s layout, not just the parks. In other words, you are not only hearing about spirits in the cemetery. You are also learning how the surrounding spaces are part of why people connect this zone with haunting.

When you do ghost hunting techniques here, you will likely be using the equipment at specific stopping points the guide chooses. The practical advice: pay attention to how your guide tells you to move. A lot of the experience depends on consistency. If you keep changing direction randomly, it becomes hard to compare readings and hard to understand what the technique is meant to do.

And yes, it can get eerie fast simply because Place du Canada is such a contrast to what most people expect downtown to feel like at night. Concrete, lights, and big institutions can create a cold feeling. Add a historic burial ground underneath, and your brain starts filling in gaps.

Timing and What to Wear for a Two Hour Ghost Hunt

The entire paranormal investigation lasts about two hours. The tour runs in both Dorchester Square and Place du Canada, so you are not spending one long stretch in one spot. You are moving, stopping, using tools, and listening to the guide explain techniques and history.

You should arrive about 5 to 10 minutes early. That matters more than it sounds. When people arrive late, they end up starting behind. In a ghost hunting setting, that can be annoying because you lose the moment when the guide sets expectations for how to use the gear.

What you wear affects your enjoyment. Since this is outdoors, bring clothing you can layer. Montreal weather can change quickly, and one experience note you should take seriously is how hard rain can make the whole thing feel miserable. In one reported case, heavy rain was described as inhumane to reach, to the point that it made someone sick.

So plan for the non glamorous side of ghost hunting:

• Wear shoes you can stand in for a couple hours
• Bring a rain layer even if the forecast looks mild
• Keep your phone battery healthy if you are using apps or taking photos

Also, expect that the experience leans into the host’s guidance. One concern you may have is wanting more hands on gadget time. The tour does provide equipment loans, but the overall arc still depends on Dominique Desormeaux telling the story and directing where to test.

If you want an experience that is mostly tech flashing lights with minimal storytelling, you might find it more balanced than that. If you like history and methods together, you will likely enjoy the flow more.

Price and Value: What 24 Dollars Buys in Downtown Montreal

At about $24 per person, you are paying for a guided, two location activity that includes equipment loan. In a city like Montreal, paying for a guided paranormal experience can easily cost more once you add an expert host and gear support.

The value here is that you are not paying only for the topic. You are paying for:

• A specialist guide, Dominique Desormeaux
• A structured tour format across Dorchester Square and Place du Canada
• Loaned ghost hunting tools, so you can participate without buying devices

On top of that, the cost buys you something that can be hard to recreate: context. The Old Sainte Antoine Cholera Cemetery story is specific. Learning about the approximate 70,000 burials, the mass grave reality linked to cholera epidemics, and the reported atrocities tied to the site is part of what makes the ghost hunting setting feel grounded.

So I see the price as fair, especially if you are the type of traveler who likes themed nights and does not mind that the payoff is atmosphere and guided attempts rather than a guarantee of evidence.

If you are budget conscious and you mainly want to see famous sights, you might decide this is not your first pick. But if you already enjoy darker city history and the idea of trying ghost hunting techniques, the price is reasonable for what you receive.

Who Should Book This, and Who Might Skip It

This is a smart fit if you:

• Like paranormal investigations and want to try ghost hunting tools yourself
• Are interested in Montreal’s less comfortable past, not just its postcard side
• Enjoy guided storytelling where the location matters, since the cemetery sits under parks
• Want a tour that runs in French and English

You might think twice if:

• You hate outdoor tours when weather turns
• You want a more purely scientific or evidence only approach, because this is guided paranormal work
• You expect a constant stream of gadget use every minute, since the experience includes history and directed stops

If you are a first timer to ghost hunting, this tour is beginner friendly in the sense that you get gear and instructions. You do not need to be a device expert. You only need curiosity and patience for a two hour walking session with instructions at each point.

Should You Book the Old Sainte Antoine Cemetery Investigation?

I’d book it if you want a nighttime Montreal experience that connects place, history, and hands on ghost hunting attempts. The strongest reasons are the guide, Dominique Desormeaux, and the built in structure: meet at the Laurier Monument, use tools, and work across Dorchester Square and Place du Canada while learning why this zone is associated with paranormal activity.

I would pause only if rain and cold will ruin your tolerance. Bring protection from weather, and you will turn that risk into part of the adventure instead of an obstacle.

If your idea of a perfect trip is calm, sunny, and low effort, choose something else. But if you like the idea of standing on top of the Old Sainte Antoine Cholera Cemetery and trying to communicate through dowsing rods, EMF readings, and temperature checks, this is a solid, good value option.

FAQ

Where does the paranormal investigation start?

You meet the guide in front of the Sir Wilfrid Laurier Monument in Dorchester Square.

How long is the experience?

The investigation takes about two hours.

How much does it cost?

The price is $24 per person.

What areas does the tour include?

You will do ghost hunting in both Dorchester Square and Place du Canada.

Who hosts the tour?

Paranormal Expert Dominique Desormeaux hosts the experience.

Are ghost hunting tools provided?

Yes. The guide provides loan of paranormal ghost hunting equipment.

What equipment might I use?

The tour description includes dowsing rods, EMF readers, temperature guns, and other devices provided by the guide.

What languages is the tour offered in?

The tour is offered in French and English.

What should I do before the tour if I want to use apps?

The tour recommends downloading any ghost hunting apps you would like to use beforehand.

What is the cancellation policy?

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.