Les Zachariah just likes to scare the crap out of people.
For the fifth year in a row, the Halloween enthusiast has spent more than a month transforming his otherwise normal-looking suburban Barrie home, located in the middle of a quiet court, into a terrifying haunted house and maze.
Known around the neighbourhood and online as the Haunt on Higgin, Zachariah spends nearly every spare moment — and more money than he was willing to share for fear his wife would put his head under the guillotine — building the maze which winds its way through his front yard and garage. It includes a variety of haunting and terrifying displays along the way, spooky music and a home-made smoke machine before making its way back to the driveway.
“I just like scaring people,” he tells BarrieToday, while working to put the final terrifying touches on his haunted house. “We try to keep it to a certain theme. In the corn we have zombies, and as you get into the garage you will probably see more clowns.”
“We have always had a love for Halloween, and scaring people is fun,” adds Kelvin Zachariah, who was on hand to help out his uncle finish up the haunted house.
The elder Zachariah never likes to rest on his laurels, however, adding he changes it up each and every year, and definitely likes to go bigger and better.
“Every year we get more and more people,” Les says. “I have something in mind, but I kind of just go with the flow when building it. That just seems to work out for the best. We have sent people out crying for sure.”
“I have seen kids drop candy bags,” Kelvin adds.
Anyone making their way through the corn maze should expect to come across more than just the scary decorations, says Les, who told BarrieToday there will also be approximately 15 “actors” dressed in full costume ready to share in the scare.
“I just do it for the love of scaring people. I just enjoy it.”
Although the Haunt on Higgin is definitely not built for the faint of heart, one of the big reasons for it does come from the heart, with money raised from the four-day haunted house being donated each year to Hospice Simcoe.
“My father-in-law, who has passed away, he spent a week in hospice. That’s why we feel we should give back,” says Zachariah, adding they have raised a little more than $2,000 to date.
“I just go along for the ride for the husband and the kids,” says Tricia Zachariah. “I enjoy the hospice part of it … taking the (money) there afterwards, but I am not a Halloween enthusiast. I support their excitement.”
Seeing the final product each year never comes as a surprise, she says.
“I know him and everything he does is always bigger and better the next time,” Tricia says, adding the goal for 2022 is to raise $2,000 for Hospice Simcoe. “I always tell him he needs to be out front so he can take some of the credit for it, but he enjoys scaring too much.”
People looking to get scared are invited to come out to 14 Higgin Crt., located in west-end Barrie near Tiffin Street and Miller Drive, between 7-10 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 28 until Monday, Oct. 31.
Dunnett's Dark Lair, located at 59 Dunnett's Dr., just off Ardagh Road, is also set up again this year, raising money for Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre. It has become a Halloween tradition for hundreds of Barrie residents over the last 14 years.
The following list of decorated homes was also posted to a local Facebook:
* 7 Assiniboine Dr.
* 10 Ginger St.
* 20 Violet St.
* 44 Leslie Ave.
* 53 Dunnett Dr.
* 126 Gore Dr.
* 10 Higgin Crt.
* 152 Pringle Dr.
* 81 Knupp Rd.
* 1 Fitzgerald St.
* 56 Barrett Cres.
* 288 Browning Trail
* 23 Austen Lane
* 205 Lillian Cres.
* 6 Lions Gate Blvd.
* 113 Rose St.
* 400 Little Ave.
* 90 Country Lane
* 69/71 The Queensway
* 4 Maple Crown Terr.
