Ghosts of Goulbourn

Joanne Wotypka is a sessional lecturer in the Religious Studies program
of the Office of Interdisciplinary Studies at the University of Alberta.

Ghosts of Goulbourn shows us that even a small town in Canada can have
more than its share of ghosts. Despite what its name might imply
(Goulbourn was named for a person, not a predisposition for ghosts), the
town has had no dramatic past events, no famous (or infamous) murders,
nothing that would account for its seemingly high level of ghost
activity. The tales in this collection range from the short and almost
non-eventful (“The Jealous Ghost”) to the more detailed and odd
(“The Angry Ghosts”).

Certainly, Goulbourn Township seems to be well-stocked with
supernatural occurrences and, for the most part, residents seem to take
their ghosts in stride. In some cases (such as Jessie in “The
Odiferous Ghost”), they even seem to enjoy their otherworldly
visitors.

None of the stories in this book are gory or even particularly
frightening. In fact the tone of the book is chatty and comfortable, and
Shaw seems to have a knack for storytelling. So as a scary collection of
ghost stories, Ghosts of Goulbourn doesn’t really fit the bill, but as
a work of small-town history with a ghostly theme, it is quite good.
Readers who appreciate subtle ghost stories that seem quite plausible
will be pleased with this collection.