Volunteers design a hair-raising haunted house

They didn't want to give away any surprises, so none of the new rooms are shown. The Coffin Man, Scott Foster, left, and Bruce Bennett, right, make some final adjustments to props in Downtown Tillsonburg's Haunted House. (Robin Krafft Photo).

Robin Krafft, Post Contributor

Downtown Tillsonburg’s Haunted House is back and better than ever, with a chilling story that unfolds as you walk through a maze of 11 themed rooms - if you dare.

Invited by the BIA to take on the task of creating the experience again this year, dark designer extraordinaire Scott Foster, aka the Coffin Man, is the driving force, but he’s not alone.

"It's a team effort," Foster said, "and everybody works together. We make zero dollars. It's just for fun and it's all for the town."

Entry cost is $2 per person or any non-perishable food item, with all proceeds donated to the Helping Hand Food Bank.

Located on the second floor of the Tillsonburg Town Centre, the Haunted House has expanded from 1,450 to 3,700 square-feet, which has allowed the team to let their imaginations run wild and to create a better layout for visitors. The Coffin Man been creating various haunts since 1994, beginning in his own backyard.

"My forte is zombies," Foster said, who has loved spooky things since he was a kid.

He's a horror movie fan, loves Night of the Living Dead in Toronto, and even worked on the crew for Romero's horror flick Survival of the Dead.

"It was fun to get to participate in that," Foster said, "and see the other side of filmmaking."

Some former co-workers and friends who share his penchant for the macabre - Bruce Bennett, Chip Barkhouse, Jeff Lapointe and Mike Bolt - make up the rest of the crew. Many other volunteers contributed their time along the way, like Candice and Kristen Paradise, who designed and decorated the witch's room.

"It's a community effort and we have a lot of sponsors who donate," said Vanessa Fortner, Events and Marketing Coordinator for the BIA. Foster added: "Without them it wouldn't happen."

The Tillsonburg Town Centre offered the space and allowed the team to use it for two months. Foster added they needed the extra two weeks.

A building and fire inspection took place before the team got started, to ensure a safe and enjoyable experience. After that, the team brought 60 skids up in the elevator and determined the layout before constructing walls and rooms. Windows were blacked out and themes were discussed. Finally, they began to fill the spaces in.

The team sourced props and animatronics from the BIA, Scott's personal inventory (including a coffin he built) and generous loans from enthusiastic individuals like Stacey Hance. Hance used to host a haunted house in Ingersoll, so she's happy that all of her accumulated props can be used and enjoyed.

The Haunted House will be open October 23, 24, and 25, from 5 to 9:30 p.m. There will also be a kid-friendly afternoon on Oct. 25 from 2 until 5 p.m. Parental discretion is advised, but there will be no live actors or jump scares during that time, and some lights will be on.

Reflecting on his haunted handiwork over the years, Foster said, "You become a tradition, a part of people's Halloween memories. I'm happy, I don't think we could have done much more."