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Guest Appearance: Shanon Sinn from Black Cat Books in British Columbia – ParaGhoul Paranormal: Discoveries from the Dark
In this episode of ParaGhoul Paranormal: Discoveries from the Dark, I sat down with author and publisher Shanon Sinn to talk about folklore, ghost stories, and paranormal legends across Western Canada.
Shanon is originally from Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, and now lives in Victoria, British Columbia. He is the author of The Haunting of Vancouver Island and the founder of Black Cat Books, a publishing house dedicated to supernatural fiction set in Western Canada.
During our conversation, we explored his path into writing, the creation of his publishing press, and one of Saskatchewan’s most famous paranormal mysteries: the St. Louis Ghost Light.
Interview Highlights
How did you first get into writing folklore and paranormal stories?
Shanon Sinn: “When it comes to folklore, I consume folklore and I write a lot about folklore.”
Shanon Sinn: “I call myself a skeptical believer.”
He explained that while he enjoys paranormal stories, his focus is really on documenting them and understanding why these stories continue to exist within communities.
What inspired you to create Black Cat Books?
We also talked about the decision to start his own publishing house and why supporting Western Canadian writers became such an important goal.
Shanon Sinn: “The idea was to take previously published authors from Western Canada and have the stories set in Western Canada.”
Black Cat Books publishes supernatural anthologies that feature writers and artists from the region. The stories are rooted in local settings and landscapes that many readers recognize.
Your book The Haunting of Vancouver Island has been very successful. What do you think resonated with readers?
Shanon explained that part of the book’s strength comes from including a wide range of stories connected to the region.
Shanon Sinn: “How can you have a story about a regional area that’s only about settler ghost lore when there’s thousands of years of history here?”
He said that including Indigenous stories and perspectives alongside more recent accounts helped create a fuller picture of the island’s folklore.
You describe yourself as a skeptical believer. What does that mean when you’re researching paranormal stories?
When I asked Shanon about this phrase, he explained that his interest lies more in the stories themselves than in proving whether the supernatural is real.
Shanon Sinn: “I’m just interested in the story and think it’s cool.”
Shanon Sinn: “I didn’t realize how many of them had been made up or exaggerated.”
For him, discovering how stories evolve over time is just as interesting as the paranormal experiences themselves.
You’ve seen the St. Louis Ghost Light many times. What was the first experience like?
One of the most fascinating parts of our conversation was Shanon’s firsthand experience with the St. Louis Ghost Light near Prince Albert.
Shanon Sinn: “The first time we saw it, we thought someone was ahead of us with one of those huge flashlights.”
After returning to their group, he realized no one had been walking ahead of them.
Shanon Sinn: “Sometimes multiple times a night.”
He explained that over the years he saw the phenomenon many times and that it behaves in ways that do not always match common explanations.
What do you think people misunderstand about the St. Louis Ghost Light?
Many people believe the ghost light can be explained by distant vehicle headlights, but Shanon says that explanation does not match what witnesses have described.
Shanon Sinn: “To think that it’s headlights automatically tells me you’ve never seen it.”
He also mentioned that access to the area is now restricted, which makes modern research more difficult.
Shanon Sinn: “Now there’s no access, so how do you respectfully research this?”
Conclusion
One thing I always enjoy about conversations like this is hearing how people approach paranormal stories from different angles.
Shanon brings a thoughtful balance of curiosity and skepticism to folklore research. Instead of trying to prove or disprove every story, he focuses on documenting the experiences and understanding how those stories shape the communities they come from.
Have you ever seen the St. Louis Ghost Light, or experienced something similar that you could not explain?
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