For the Indigenous-led paranormal investigation team SNIPE (Six Nations Investigating Paranormal Encounters), exploring the unknown isn’t just about scares, but also connection. To their culture. To their community. And to the spirit world.
This week, the team rolled into Fort la Reine Museum in Portage la Prairie, armed with cameras, audio recorders, and generations of lived spiritual awareness. This marked their 12th investigation in Manitoba, and just one stop along the way in filming Season 5 of their hit series, Ghost Hunters of the Grand River.
“Being Indigenous, we've always been connected to the spirit world. It's part of who we are,” says Todd Thomas Sr., one of SNIPE’s founding members. “My twin brother, Trevor, and I have been doing this our whole lives, since we were 8 years old, riding our bikes to old, dilapidated houses and looking for ghosts. It just stuck with us.”
From those childhood adventures to leading their own paranormal investigation series, SNIPE has built a loyal following for their respectful, grounded approach, blending traditional Indigenous teachings with modern ghost-hunting technology.
A team rooted in family and spirit
Unlike many paranormal shows driven by theatrics, SNIPE stands out for its authenticity. Their strength lies in their tight-knit team, which is more of a family than a film crew.
The group includes Todd Thomas Sr., his twin brother Trevor, his son Todd Thomas Jr., his daughter Tristyn Thomas-Miller, and longtime friends Jay Smith and Artie Martin. Together, they bring a variety of skills and are united by curiosity and purpose.
“We each bring our own skills, and it all comes together,” Todd Sr. adds, comparing the team dynamic to a lacrosse team because every player has a specific role, moving as one.
Though they may be ghost hunters by night, by day they’re tradesmen, parents, and community members.
“Outside of this, we all have normal jobs. We're not scientists. We're just everyday people looking for some truth out there,” Artie Martin notes.
A historic haunt
This week’s investigation brought the team to Fort la Reine Museum, a historical site comprised of heritage buildings that chronicle life on the prairies, and something else lingering beneath the surface.
The connection came through Winnipeg Paranormal, a local team with whom SNIPE bonded during the Lake Superior ParaCon in Thunder Bay. Their familiarity with Fort la Reine helped guide SNIPE to the museum’s most active hotspots.
“There was an instant connection between their group and ours. They recommended this site, and it turned out to be one of the most active places we’ve visited," Martin continues.
SNIPE’s investigation uncovered a wave of activity, including unexplained voices, objects shifting on their own, and gadgets lighting up in real-time response.
“Our gadgets were going off, and we each had personal experiences as well. If you want to find ghosts, this is the place to go," Trevor says.
Even after they left the site for the night, the evidence continued to roll in. The team had left cameras and recorders running throughout the empty museum, devices that often yield the clearest signs of the unseen.
“We’ve captured so many cool things during that time, and it’s all in the evidence now.”
Spirit talker meets ghost hunters
Joining the investigation at Fort la Reine was Shawn Leonard, a Mi’kmaq medium from Nova Scotia and host of Spirit Talker. His intuitive, non-technical approach to spirit communication brings a powerful contrast to SNIPE’s gear-based methods.
“I connect with energy and spirits differently, but being with these guys adds another dimension, physical evidence to match the messages I receive,” Leonard says.
His presence adds insight and interpretation. When a voice comes through on a portal device or a figure is seen on camera, Leonard’s impressions often help clarify who, or what, is making contact.
“He fills in the gaps. When our devices pick something up, Shawn can often tell us who it might be or what they’re trying to say. It takes everything we do up a notch,” Todd Sr. explains.
Leonard, who is currently filming Season 5 of his show, will have episodes airing this fall alongside SNIPE’s Season 4 on APTN, APTN Lumi, and AppleTV.
Encounters that stick
While no one on the team claims to have all the answers, they’ve collected dozens of compelling stories and some chilling moments that still defy explanation.
At the former Mohawk Institute Residential School in Brantford, ON, the team captured one of their most striking pieces of footage.
“I set up a camera in the girls’ stairwell. Later, when we reviewed the footage, we saw a mist floating down the stairs before it disappeared. Then months later, I paused the video randomly, and in that one frame, a face was staring directly at the camera. It was chilling,” Martin recalls.
For Todd Sr., the most haunting evidence comes through the ear.
“I left a recorder running overnight at a music conservatory in Toronto. Around 3:30 in the morning, it captured someone singing, clear as day. No one was in the building. It can be startling, but I love that feeling myself. I love hearing something with our own ears that we can't explain."
More truth to uncover
After wrapping this leg of filming, SNIPE heads back to Ontario, with shoots scheduled through late fall. Back home, they’ll gather in what they call “The War Room”, their private evidence review session, to pore over hours of recordings and video.
“Even on nights when we think we didn’t get anything, we come together and start piecing it all together, and there’s always something,” says Martin.
You can follow SNIPE’s journey on Facebook and Instagram, with their official website, snipehq.ca, launching soon to offer updates. Their show, Ghost Hunters of the Grand River, is available on APTN, APTN Lumi, and Apple TV, with Season 4 set to premiere on October 22.
On the same day, Shawn Leonard's fifth season of Spirit Talker returns. To learn more about Leonard's work, visit shawn-leonard.com.
Though their methods mix digital technology and ancestral teachings, SNIPE’s mission remains steady: seek truth, honour spirits, and do it as one.
“Whether it’s gadgets or intuition, we’re all just trying to understand what’s out there, and maybe find some answers along the way.”
Sign up to get the latest local news headlines delivered directly to your inbox every afternoon.
Send your news tips, story ideas, pictures, and videos to news@portageonline.com.
PortageOnline encourages you to get your news directly from your trusted source by bookmarking this page and downloading the PortageOnline app.