Top Haunted Places in Vancouver (and Beyond)

The spooky season of Halloween has arrived, visiting a Haunted House attraction sounds to be a decent adventure. How about visiting a real haunted place this time for a supernatural encounter with vanishing figures and eerie sounds? I list out just a few haunted places in British Colombia, which one will you choose?

1. Waterfront Station, Vancouver– Topping the list of haunted places in Vancouver is the Waterfront Station. At one of the busiest transit hubs, no one is really looking at the other person. But what if you got to know the next person to you is a spirit watching you. The Waterfront Station, one of the grandest buildings in all of Vancouver has not one ghost but multiple ghosts! Three old ladies sitting on the bench are frequently spotted at the station, you might spot a dancer dancing to the tunes of a piano. On approaching her she might just disappear. Late at night, when you can see no one, you might hear footsteps. On a rainy night, on the tracks, a headless railway worker’s spirit has been spotted by the railway employees and workers. It is the spirit of a railway worker who died in a freak accident, right on the tracks.

2. Young Building at Camosun’s Lansdowne campus– The grand building of the Camosun College was built in 1915. It was a school but during the World War 2, it served as a millitary hospital for the injured. Many died on the property. The hospital’s morgue is the present-day gym.  The ghosts of the deceased still roam around in its corridors. Many ghost stories have been narrated by its staff and students who have been on the premises, late at night. Anguished screams and unexplained noises have been heard by some. Sound of closing and opening of door have been heard from places where no one was there. Alarms go off randomly. Once somebody felt a hand on them, when no one was around.

3. Fairmont Hotel, Vancouver– Regulars at the Fairmont Hotel must surely have sipped on the famous ‘Lady in red’ cocktail. But have you heard of the spooky story associated with this drink? In the 1940’s Jennie Pearl Cox, a well-known socialite used to frequent Fairmont Hotel’s ballrooms. She died in a car crash in 1944, soon after which, people started seeing a lady dressed in red in the corridors, ballrooms and on the staircases. She feels comfortable on the 14th floor of the hotel and you might also spot her in one of its rooms. Once, a Japanese family, on seeing her, comfortably lounging on their bed, called the front-desk to enquire if the hotel has been double booked!

4. De Hart Cottage, Kellowna– The cute Edwardian-style cottage on the Ethel street, has its own share of spooky tails. Built in 1907, a three storied structure with an attic was home to W.A.C. Bennett. The first ghost story came out in 1982. Narrated by Bennett’s grandson, one day he felt the creepy eyes of Spanish Admiral in a painting following him. Soon after which he heard heavy breathing, which moved slowly upstairs, as if an old man was climbing the staircase at his own pace. It was believed to be the ghost of the deceased W.A.C. Bennett himself. At another point of time, W.A.C. Bennett’s body outline was seen in a sitting pose on his rocking chair by him.

5. Harrison Hot Springs Hotel and Resort– Built right on the Harrison lake, the Harrison Hot Springs Hotel and Resort has some amazing views. Visited by people mainly for its natural hot mineral spring pools. On the top most floor, people have reported loud noises and bangings. The Inn’s owner believes a wealthy miner either died or was killed in there in the past and his spirit lingers on the top floor. 

6. Old Spaghetti Factory– Serving customers since the1970’s The Old Spaghetti Factory located in downtown Vancouver has four spooky inhabitants. The restaurant’s decor includes a vintage trolley car from a fleet of trams of British Colombia Electric Railway Company as a decor piece. A spirit of a tram conductor has often been spotted sitting inside it. Many say the ghost came with the trolley itself. The second ghost spotted is that of a red-haired mischievous boy frequenting the lady’s loo. The third is a small girl sitting on a table with a balloon. The fourth spirit of a little boy tends to twist the cutlery. Over the years, different versions have been narrated by many. 

7. Vogue Theatre– A vintage building, Vogue theatre held its first performance in the year 1941. Soon after eerie and strange happenings were reported by the staff workers and the performers. The resident ghost is a three dimensional shadow of a dark haired man in his thirties with sharp features. The identity of the ghost is unclear as no deaths have been reported inside the theatre. Many believe it is a ghost of a deceased staff member, who likes to keep a watchful eye on the current set of staff and the performer. Though many times, a performer goes white on seeing the ghost. The ghost is ensuring in his own way that each show is going perfectly.
8. Hatley Castle– A movie director’s favourite, Hatley castle has been featured in multiple movies. Adding to the castle’s beauty is the 82 foot turret. It is a sprawling estate with 40 rooms and lush gardens. Hatley castle attracts a reasonable crowd because of some paranormal sightings and encounters by a few. The youngest son of the family died in the WWI when his ship sank. Unfortunately, his body was not found and it is believed the spirits of Mr. and Mr. Dunsmuir, the past owners of the Hatley Castle are still searching their son and grieving his loss. Briefly it served as a military academy and presently serves as a university. The students have spotted Mrs. Dunsmuir peeking inside the classrooms to find her son. Some have heard music coming from the study, where in the past, Mr. Dunsmuir used to spend hours after the demise of his son. The third ghost is believed to be of Annabella, a white figure strolling in the alleys. She scares the students by banging pots and pans in kitchen and tugging at the blankets when the hostlers are fast asleep.