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Halloween tends to bring out the morbid curiosity in people, and one of the ways to do that is to explore the haunted history of a given city, and Vancouver has quite a haunted history to traverse through.
From haunted houses, to haunted hotels, to haunted restaurants, Vancouver has a rich, ghostly history that could be fun to explore this Halloween.
Even Stanley Park has some spirits of its own that many may not know about.
These are allegedly the most haunted places in Vancouver.
The Old Spaghetti Factory in Gastown
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The Gastown Old Spaghetti Factory might be the most iconic allegedly haunted spot in Vancouver.
A vintage trolley car resides inside the restaurant, and according to legend, a conductor who once worked around this vehicle still haunts that car to this very day.
Hycroft Manor
Hycroft Manor/UWCVancouver
Hycroft Manor, now the home of the University Women’s Club of Vancouver, was once the home of Alexander Duncan McRae, a prominent businessman and war hero of the Canadian Army.
This house used to be party central for the fat cats in the area, located in the stunning neighbourhood of Shaughnessy.
However, this was also the neighbourhood where a young woman named Janet Smith was allegedly murdered. Smith was a nanny who worked on Osler Street close by. It has also been alleged that the well-off people who attended these grand parties were involved in her suspicious death.
There have been stories that Smith’s ghost, beautifully dressed as if attending a party, still lurks behind the walls of Hycroft Manor.
Stanley Park / Deadman’s Island
SvetlanaSF/Shutterstock
Deadman’s Island, which is located near Stanley Park and is now officially known as HMCS Discovery Naval Reserve, is a piece of Vancouver history that is not well known.
During a smallpox outbreak in the late 1800s, this island was used as a “pest house,” which essentially means people were sent here to quarantine. If they got cured, they could come back, but many never did.
There have also been stories passed down about a legendary and deadly battle that once took place here to fight for ownership of the island, which resulted in many deaths.
Many other haunted tales originate in Stanley Park.
The Cambie House
Google Maps
According to a popular urban myth in the city, a man murdered his family in the basement of the house that used to stand at the corner of King Edward and Cambie.
That house was broken down, and the house that stands there today in its place is supposedly haunted by the spiritual remnants of that tragedy.
One of the more common stories frequently told suggests that on multiple occasions, a new family has moved into the home, only to find all their belongings neatly packed at the front door the next day.
Mountain View Cemetery
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There are many spooky stories that originate from, but also have their final destinations at the Mountain View Cemetery in Vancouver.
It is the only cemetery that exists in the City of Vancouver, and has been involved in many deadly historic events, including the Spanish Flu of 1918.
It’s also the final resting place of many victims of the SS Princess Sophia ship tragedy, which took the lives of 343 people.
The Vogue Theatre
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The iconic Vogue Theatre, which sits prominently on Granville Street, has its fair share of spooky stories.
The most prominent tale is in regards to a dark-haired man who staff members have reported seeing in different areas of the theatre.
The Vancouver Art Gallery
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Fun fact: the Vancouver Art Gallery used to be a provincial courthouse.
One of the cases that took place in the early 1900s resulted in a brazen murder during a trial related to the Komagata Maru incident.
According to the Canadian Encyclopedia, staff at the art gallery have sometimes found their desks rearranged, but they don’t blame the custodian.
It also suggests that a ghost named Charlie walks the halls at night.
Fairmont Hotel Vancouver
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Another iconic Vancouver haunted tale involves the lady in red who allegedly resides at the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver.
A woman named Jannie Pearl Cox reportedly died in a car crash on Burrard and Georgia. Rumour has it, Cox enjoyed lavish parties that would have her dress in elegant ballroom dresses.
According to the more widely circulated stories about Cox, she tends to enjoy hanging out on the 14th floor, wearing a beautiful red dress.
St. Regis Hotel
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While the Fairmont Vancouver generally gets the spooky fame when it comes to Vancouver’s haunted history, St. Regis, a luxury hotel in downtown, has its own spooky past.
Many pointed the finger at well-known Vancouver lawyer Fred Baker being behind the death of Janet Smith, who we spoke about earlier.
In April of 1956, Fred Baker fell from the second floor of his hotel room at St. Regis. His death was reported to be a suicide.
Some suggest that Fred felt guilty about whatever actually transpired in the Janet Smith situation, which ended with him taking his own life.
UBC University Boulevard
University Boulevard (Google Maps)
Another iconic urban legend that focuses in on UBC.
The tale suggests that a disagreement resulted in the death of a young woman, who to this day haunts University Boulevard.
While urban development has made this stretch of road a little less creepy, driving here alone at night time is still quite unnerving.
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