House of Halloween horror
- Spooky tradition continues
By: Julie Greco
- Spooky tradition continues
By: Julie Greco
Jeff Cooke has fond memories of his childhood Halloweens when every year
he would look forward to visiting a haunted house put on by residents down
the street. But, to his dismay, those neighbours eventually moved away, and
the haunted house was no more.
That’s why, in 1997, Cooke and his friend Will Sturtridge, then 13 years old,
decided to do something about it. “It felt like there was a gap in Halloween,”
he says. “We were at the age when we didn’t really trick or treat anymore, so
we attempted to do what they did.” That year, dressed
he would look forward to visiting a haunted house put on by residents down
the street. But, to his dismay, those neighbours eventually moved away, and
the haunted house was no more.
That’s why, in 1997, Cooke and his friend Will Sturtridge, then 13 years old,
decided to do something about it. “It felt like there was a gap in Halloween,”
he says. “We were at the age when we didn’t really trick or treat anymore, so
we attempted to do what they did.” That year, dressed
as characters from the movie Pulp Fiction, they attempted to transform the first floor of the Cookes’ residence at 255
Keewatin Ave. into a Tunnel of Doom. "It didn’t work,” says Cooke. “It really wasn’t scary at all.”
But after a couple years, the pair, joined by family and friends, eventually began to get it right, and the Keewatin Horror
was born.
Relocating the event to the Cooke’s yard not only helped appease his mother’s concerns, but gave the event more
space to grow, Cooke says. Now, every Halloween, they begin to transform the backyard into a cemetery, with Cooke,
Sturtridge and friends dressed up in scary costumes and playing roles to help frighten all those who enter. Through the
years, the event has become increasingly larger. Not only did Cooke and Sturtridge acquire more space, but more
volunteers. As they heard about it through friends, more and more people wanted to become involved with the annual
Halloween event. His crew has now grown to a core group of eight friends.
The Keewatin Horror, Cooke says, attempts to go beyond the typical witches and goblins scene. “Will and I grew up
watching cheesy, disgusting horror movies, so that really helps us out,” Cooke says, noting that most of their ideas come
from horror movies and, of course, their own imaginations. “We try to create a theme, and usually, we go for the more
creepy type,” he says“We try to incorporate anything we think of that would be scary to young kids.”
One of the biggest challenges of hosting the event, Cooke says, is actually being able to frighten the neighbourhood
children.
“One year, we had created a disgusting scene with someone’s insides showing, and a little girl said ‘that’s not real; that’s
ground beef.” “It’s not like when we were younger anymore. Kids are harder to scare these days,” he says. The scenes
involve people cut in half, tombstones, dead bodies and eerie performances by the Keewatin Horror crew. "We try to
think of new ideas every year, with different scenes and different costumes,” Cooke says
Although planning the event is virtually a year-long process, Cooke says that the real down-to-the-wire brainstorming
usually begins in August. In September, Cooke, Sturtridge and the crew begin construction of the various frightening
scenes they will set up in their makeshift cemetery. During the week of Halloween, the set-up begins on the Keewatin
lawn and the magic all comes together the evening of Halloween when it gets dark and the gates of the Keewatin Horror
open to all visiting children who dare to enter.
This year’s event promises to be bigger and scarier than ever, Cooke says. Not only did he get neighbourhood
businesses to help sponsor the event – due to escalating costs of the growing festivities – but this year, Cooke says, the
event will have better effects and more space. This year, it will flow into a portion of his neighbour’s backyard.
Although he doesn’t keep track of how many children visited the Keewatin Horror in the past, Cooke estimates that the
event drew at least 300 last year. This year, he expects that amount to double, due to increased size, sponsorship and
visibility. Known unofficially as the Halloween Nazi, Cooke says that other people often ask him why he and his crew
remain so dedicated to their Halloween event. “If we stop, I feel like there’s a part of me missing,” he says.
The Keewatin Horror not only fulfills Cooke’s desire to keep Halloween alive for him and the neighbourhood children, but
organizing the event has oddly helped steer him in his own life as well. The twenty-year-old student decided to pursue a
business degree, specializing in marketing, as a result of promoting the event.
But with the big day just around the corner, Cooke says, he feels its more important than ever to get into the Halloween
spirit. “It seems that, every year, less people have pumpkins out and less homes are welcoming trick-or-treaters,” Cooke
says. “When we were younger, we always had that haunted house down the street to look forward to. So we want to give
the younger generation something to remember Halloween by.”
The North Toronto Post salutes Jeff Cooke, Will Sturtridge and the Keewatin Horror crew for keeping the spirit of
Halloween alive in our neighbourhood.
Keewatin Ave. into a Tunnel of Doom. "It didn’t work,” says Cooke. “It really wasn’t scary at all.”
But after a couple years, the pair, joined by family and friends, eventually began to get it right, and the Keewatin Horror
was born.
Relocating the event to the Cooke’s yard not only helped appease his mother’s concerns, but gave the event more
space to grow, Cooke says. Now, every Halloween, they begin to transform the backyard into a cemetery, with Cooke,
Sturtridge and friends dressed up in scary costumes and playing roles to help frighten all those who enter. Through the
years, the event has become increasingly larger. Not only did Cooke and Sturtridge acquire more space, but more
volunteers. As they heard about it through friends, more and more people wanted to become involved with the annual
Halloween event. His crew has now grown to a core group of eight friends.
The Keewatin Horror, Cooke says, attempts to go beyond the typical witches and goblins scene. “Will and I grew up
watching cheesy, disgusting horror movies, so that really helps us out,” Cooke says, noting that most of their ideas come
from horror movies and, of course, their own imaginations. “We try to create a theme, and usually, we go for the more
creepy type,” he says“We try to incorporate anything we think of that would be scary to young kids.”
One of the biggest challenges of hosting the event, Cooke says, is actually being able to frighten the neighbourhood
children.
“One year, we had created a disgusting scene with someone’s insides showing, and a little girl said ‘that’s not real; that’s
ground beef.” “It’s not like when we were younger anymore. Kids are harder to scare these days,” he says. The scenes
involve people cut in half, tombstones, dead bodies and eerie performances by the Keewatin Horror crew. "We try to
think of new ideas every year, with different scenes and different costumes,” Cooke says
Although planning the event is virtually a year-long process, Cooke says that the real down-to-the-wire brainstorming
usually begins in August. In September, Cooke, Sturtridge and the crew begin construction of the various frightening
scenes they will set up in their makeshift cemetery. During the week of Halloween, the set-up begins on the Keewatin
lawn and the magic all comes together the evening of Halloween when it gets dark and the gates of the Keewatin Horror
open to all visiting children who dare to enter.
This year’s event promises to be bigger and scarier than ever, Cooke says. Not only did he get neighbourhood
businesses to help sponsor the event – due to escalating costs of the growing festivities – but this year, Cooke says, the
event will have better effects and more space. This year, it will flow into a portion of his neighbour’s backyard.
Although he doesn’t keep track of how many children visited the Keewatin Horror in the past, Cooke estimates that the
event drew at least 300 last year. This year, he expects that amount to double, due to increased size, sponsorship and
visibility. Known unofficially as the Halloween Nazi, Cooke says that other people often ask him why he and his crew
remain so dedicated to their Halloween event. “If we stop, I feel like there’s a part of me missing,” he says.
The Keewatin Horror not only fulfills Cooke’s desire to keep Halloween alive for him and the neighbourhood children, but
organizing the event has oddly helped steer him in his own life as well. The twenty-year-old student decided to pursue a
business degree, specializing in marketing, as a result of promoting the event.
But with the big day just around the corner, Cooke says, he feels its more important than ever to get into the Halloween
spirit. “It seems that, every year, less people have pumpkins out and less homes are welcoming trick-or-treaters,” Cooke
says. “When we were younger, we always had that haunted house down the street to look forward to. So we want to give
the younger generation something to remember Halloween by.”
The North Toronto Post salutes Jeff Cooke, Will Sturtridge and the Keewatin Horror crew for keeping the spirit of
Halloween alive in our neighbourhood.
