In the middle of a cool, October night in the remote woods of eastern Cape Breton, paranormal investigators gathered to learn whether spirits continue to linger at an abandoned mining town.

In its heyday, Broughton, N.S., was bustling. Built around a coal mine, its population in 1906 was nearly 1,000. It was planned to accommodate 10,000 to 12,000.

The crown jewel was the Broughton Arms Hotel, which was considered the finest hotel east of Montreal. Soldiers trained there during the First World War, but nearly as quickly as it was built up, the town came crashing down.

Today, the foundations of the hotel stand crumbling in the empty forest. It was as though the town – and the people living in it – had simply vanished.

“It's basically a ghost town. It's deserted,” says community historian Eleanor Anderson. “I think it's haunted. I do. I'm not sure about my belief in ghosts, but I believe it's haunted by the dreams that weren't realized."

CTV’s Ryan MacDonald and members of the paranormal team "Haunts from the Cape" decided to see for themselves.

Paranormal investigator Jason Murphy says they’ve had unsettling experiences in Broughton before.

"We were asking, 'Did you live here? Were you a resident of this town?' And we got a voice that came back crystal clear saying, 'No, I was a soldier,’" Murphy says.

The team set up its equipment outside the ruins. They started their connection with the spirits by using an EchoVox, which is used to pick up phonetic sounds that allow spirits, in theory, to communicate.

The investigators say the best way to discover whether a spirit is present is simply to ask.

"Is this the mine manager's house?” Ryan asks.

The spirit acknowledged Ryan’s presence through the EchoVox, followed by a prompt confirmation from Jason Murphy.

Ryan countered with a question regarding whether the spirits wish the hotel was still standing.

“Leave,” the spirit responds.

"Do you feel like we're trespassing on your territory?" asks Jason.

“Leave,” the spirit reiterates.

Those on hand eventually heard something really spooky. This time, it wasn't coming from the equipment.

It sounded like human voices on the other side of the hotel.

"Who's there?" Jason yells.

Silence.

"O.K., that was nuts," Jason says to his team. 

The paranormal team enhanced the audio recording the next day. They say the voice heard at the beginning is not from any living being.

It’s not known what was said, but it sounds human. And it took place exactly when the voices were heard behind the hotel.

"That was pretty incredible,” Jason said upon reflection. “It's not too often that something like that takes place, where we hear a voice outside of the recorders.  I was actually waiting for someone to pop out of the woods and say, 'Hey, we're here.'"

At one point, the EchoVox said Ryan MacDonald’s name. It also said “Doug,” who is one of the investigators.

"It's almost like they knew we were here, and they knew who was here," says Jason.

The team left without finding anything conclusive. But it certainly was interesting, leaving them wondering even more if the ghost town of Broughton really is empty.

"There is still an energy out here,” says Eleanor Anderson. “I think there is still a story to tell out here. It's not just a ghost story. It's a story of our ancestors.  It's a story of our families, and it's a story worth telling and worth remembering."

"There's still something here,” says Jason. “I think in time, we'll find out what it is for sure."

For now, it seems the secrets of this forgotten town will stay in the forest. But some night, when the moon is shining bright, they just might make their voices heard.

With files from CTV Atlantic’s Ryan MacDonald.