What would it take for you to face your fears?

Published 5:30 am Thursday, October 30, 2025

Halloween is around the corner and everything is feeling a little spooky right now.

If you haven’t decorated your house yet for the holiday and are looking for some ideas, a new Pollfish survey of over 1,000 Canadians discovered what Canadians are most afraid of.

It turns out it differs among provinces. In B.C., the biggest fear is of snakes. In Alberta, Ontario and Quebec, it is spiders and insects. The rest of the provinces were most afraid of public speaking or social situations.

Spiders and snakes would make great, scary decor, but not sure how you’d scare anyone on Halloween with a social situation. Maybe ask trick-or-treaters’ parents an awkward question, or put up a podium and microphone on your front porch.

Over two-thirds of respondents said they would need more than $10,000 to face their fears.

That is a lot of dough. I am not sure what number I’d need to face my fear. Spiders and snakes don’t really make my skin crawl. And I think I am OK with public speaking.

However, I am extremely claustrophobic. I was always a good teenager growing up because the thought of being put into the back of a police car, with no way out, was enough to keep me in line.

And handcuffs? Hard no. My palms are sweaty just thinking about it now. I could never.

So, I think I would need more than ten grand to face my fear.

At least I don’t have to worry about spooky decorations when I take my kids out trick-or-treating. A giant foam spider or a plastic snake won’t get me. I just have to worry about keeping my kids in line. I don’t need to end up in a closed, confined jail cell with them.

I also have to hope my kids don’t mind if I steal a few of their candies after they go to bed after trick-or-treating.

Although I think they know by now that anything with peanut butter and chocolate is simply a tax for taking them out.