Photo cred - pbase.com

When news dropped that the iconic film franchise focusing on a team of not-quite-expert paranormal investigators (aka Ghostbusters) was being rebooted with an all-female cast, the world went nuts. So did we, because both Ghostbusters movies were amazing (the subsequent cartoons, not so much) but then we discovered something even more strangely awesome: Montreal has its own team of Ghostbusters and they've been around for over 25 years.

In the same year that Ghostbusters 2 hit the big screens across the continent, so 1989, Montrealer Martin Caron was so inspired by the heroic exploits of Peter Venkman, Raymond Stantz, Egon Spengler, and Winston Zeddemore, that he founded his own group of phantom hunters. Ghostbusters: Montreal was born.

Bearing proton packs and their very own Ecto-1, the Montreal branch of the Ghostbusters is a very strange organization. You've probably asked yourself three times already "well what do they do?" That is, of course, after you thought "this guy is totally shitting me." Well, I shit you not, because Ghostbusters Montreal are totally real, they just don't battle as many giant marshmellow monsters as their cinema counterparts.

The Montreal Ghostbusters describe themselves as a "cosplay group recreating costumes and accessories of ghost hunters" that functions as a "a non-profit group organized to support and promote charitable events throughout Montreal area." So while the group doesn't have a Slimer, nor have they ever battled Gozer, they do help make the city a better place in their own way, which is pretty heroic to me.

If you're still a bit skeptical, you can actually see the Montreal Ghostbusters for yourself at Montreal's Retro Gaming & Cartoon Festival going down this weekend. All those who can't make it should check out the group's Facebook page, and their profile on La Centrale S.O.S. Fantomes du Quebec (also a real thing) and see some pics of the group in action.