Overview
A paranormal investigation at the historic Johnston House in Drumheller, Alberta, has renewed attention on longstanding claims that the property is haunted. The investigation, conducted by YouTubers Keera Lynn and Branden, examined reported activity inside the home, which was built in 1920 and is now operated as a tour site by owner Justin Bolin. The team focused on alleged encounters involving former residents, particularly dentist Dr. Robert “Bob” Johnston and his daughter, Marjorie.
The investigation was presented as an effort to test claims associated with the house’s history and recurring reports of unexplained activity. However, the findings rely on subjective interpretations of electronic devices, photographs and audio recordings. No independently verified scientific evidence establishing paranormal activity was presented.
History of the Johnston House
According to the account presented in the video, Dr. Johnston was one of Drumheller’s early dentists and a Master Mason. He died inside the home in 1936 at the age of 45. The official explanation was an accidental shotgun discharge while he was preparing for a hunting trip, although the investigation noted that local speculation about possible foul play has persisted.
Johnston’s daughter, Marjorie, was described as a gifted pianist. She died in 1939 at age 14 from hemolytic streptococcal septicemia, a serious blood infection, only a few years after her father’s death. Another former resident, Violet Anderson, reportedly suffered a serious fall in an upstairs bathroom and later died in hospital in 1979. Her son, Fredrick, eventually sold the property and reportedly described it as haunted. Bolin, the current owner, provided the investigators with historical background and accounts of phenomena said to recur throughout the house.
Reported Evidence
During the investigation, the team used several devices commonly associated with paranormal research. While filming the staircase, they said the camera’s face-tracking software appeared to identify an unseen figure moving toward a teddy bear placed nearby as a trigger object. They also reported repeated activations from a REM Pod, an instrument designed to detect changes in electromagnetic fields. According to the investigators, the device responded when they discussed Johnston’s dental career and Masonic affiliation.
The team further claimed that a spirit-box or “echo box” session produced apparent responses, including phrases such as “Hi Bob” and “It’s me.” In an Estes Method experiment, one investigator wore headphones and a blindfold while repeating words heard through the device without knowing the questions being asked. The words “accident,” “broken” and “speak up” were interpreted as references to Johnston’s death. Polaroid images were also examined, with the investigators identifying a reflection on a wooden door that they believed resembled a black Labrador associated with the Johnston family.
Interpretation and Context
The video discussed possible explanations for the reported activity, including a “portal theory” involving large mirrors positioned opposite one another in an upstairs hallway and nursery. Bolin also suggested that the property may lie on a ley line, a proposed geographic alignment often associated with spiritual energy. These ideas remain outside established scientific consensus, and devices such as REM Pods, spirit boxes and camera-based face tracking can produce ambiguous results influenced by environmental conditions, radio interference, reflections or expectation.
By the end of the investigation, Lynn and Branden said they believed the Johnston House was actively haunted and that the evening produced “intelligent responses” from the property’s alleged spirits. The video therefore presents the home as an important site in Alberta’s paranormal-tourism community, while leaving the interpretation of its evidence to viewers. Further historical documentation and independent, controlled testing would be needed to substantiate the claims beyond personal testimony and investigative interpretation.
