Haunted house east of Montreal closed after people complained it was 'degrading' to women

The haunted house at the Village Hante is being cancelled this year after complaints from the public accused the Halloween attraction of being too shocking. (Source: YouTube screenshot)

A historical village east of Montreal has shut down a haunted house after members of the public complained the Halloween attraction was too shocking.

The Village Québécois d'Antan, in Drummondville, Que., located between Montreal and Quebec City, wrote on its Facebook page Thursday that management has decided to close its "Hotel 31" attraction due to several negative comments.

"The concept for this house addressed taboo subjects such as sexuality, sadism, and vulgarity in order to surprise the client with discomfort," the Facebook post read.

"We are aware that this may have been a shock to visitors. Some opinions reported that it could be degrading to the woman's image and know that the VQA does not support this at all."

One person wrote on the village's Facebook page that the house seemed "degrading" with the setup, while another person said it depicted sexual violence against women.

"I just thought it encouraged sexual violence, women exploitation, and almost rape with the blood on the bedside table," the person wrote.

Another person wrote: "my friend told me that this famous house there... She was uncomfortable as f-ck."

Not everyone was pleased to see the popular site closed down this year, as some said the attraction had plenty of warnings for visitors and it was meant to be scary. 

"I find it sad that some people were able to make such a negative comment to the point of leading you to this decision. It's a haunted village with warnings everywhere... When’s the debate to “shut down” Halloween... ?" wrote one woman.

Others also complained that the uproar was "ruining other people's fun."

"The purpose of this house was precisely to shock. With 1,000 warnings before entering, please the public, stop complaining!" another person replied.

The village said it will continue its Halloween festivities this year without the haunted house.

Earlier this week, a Halloween decoration in Montreal sparked a debate about the limits to what is too scary for people after a resident installed a hanged dummy from the tree outside his home.

The homeowner left the decoration up even though neighbours complained it crossed the line between scary and distasteful.