Vancouver Island and British Columbia. Nature Beings, Ghosts, and Ancestor Spirits. The Earth is Sacred.
Hey everyone,
This week I was interviewed by The Pod Couple and indie videographer Jeff Carpenter about my new book The Haunting of Vancouver Island. The episode was made available today. If you’re interested in listening you can click on the link below or find it on iTunes. Continue reading “The Pod Couple Interview: The Haunting of Vancouver Island”
My new book The Haunting of Vancouver Island is now available. Many of these stories are told in full, complete with images.
My new book The Haunting of Vancouver Island is now available. Many of these stories are told in full, complete with images.
The following is a list of haunted locations in the Greater Victoria Area. There is a separate post for the rest of Vancouver Island.
The list is source based, meaning locations have been added as they’ve received published recognition. The list is organized geographically. It begins in the Oak Bay neighborhood, then proceeds downtown before crossing the Bay Street Bridge. The final haunted location listed is in the Langford area. At the end of this list, I’ve included other paranormal reports that may or may not be considered hauntings.
A lot of people have left comments about their own experiences at the bottom of the page. If you’d like to share yours, please feel free to do so. Subscribe to the blog if you want to be notified when new posts are available.
Victoria Golf Course, Oak Bay An apparition has been seen that is believed to be Doris Gravlin. She is also referred to as “The April Ghost” due to her usual appearance at this time of year. Ghost lights are also reportedly seen. There are incredibly high witness counts as the apparition often appears to groups or several people at once. Unmarried couples who see her are said to never marry. Might be a good way to get rid of that clingy someone once and for all!
Tod House, Oak Bay (heritage site/private home) This site is no longer active. An apparition of a First Nations woman in chains was reported. Presence was also felt. A skeleton was later found on the property of a woman in chains believed to possibly be of First Nations descent. The haunting discontinued.
Shelborne Street, Victoria (south of Hillside Center) There are claims that the entire street shifts to an earlier time, a phenomena known as “retrocognition.” Lone drivers have made this claim saying it occurred during the month of October.
Ross Bay Cemetery, Victoria Apparitions have been reported that some people believe are those of David Fee and Isabella Ross. An elderly couple has also been seen. Blog post.
Craigdarroch Castle, Victoria (heritage site) The castle itself does not acknowledge that the building may be haunted but rumours persist. An apparition of a little girl has been reported by volunteer staff, as well as the image of a maid. Woman’s feet have been seen running down the stairs. Music has been heard and the odor of candle wax is said to occur inexplicably.
Langham Court Theatre, Victoria (open) The apparition of “the Lady in the Loft” is reported. The theatre publicly acknowledges the ghostly presence.
Beacon Hill Park, Victoria At one time, an apparition of a blonde woman would appear to joggers. She would look to be struggling with someone, or something, and screaming silently. Reports came from NW corner of the park. Later, in the same spot, a woman was murdered with dark hair. The apparition is then said to have taken on her appearance after the murder and is no longer a blonde woman but a brunette. This apparition is often called “the Doppelgänger of Beacon Hill Park.” Also, an apparition of the lower half of a male – from the waist down – has been reported as well.
Emily Carr House, Victoria (heritage site) A presence is said to linger on the stairs as well as in the room of Emily Carr’s mother.
James Bay Inn, Victoria (open) Auditory phenomena is reported. Unexplained electrical occurrences are also said to occur. Apparition, possibly of Emily Carr.
Helmcken House, Victoria (heritage site) The apparition of a woman is seen in the upper floor window, believed to be Cecilia (Douglas) Helmcken. Piano music is also heard. Poltergeist activity is said to have occurred. This house is on the grounds of the Royal BC Museum.
Parliament Buildings, Victoria An apparition has been reported and is usually believed to be architect Francis Rattenbury.
Empress Hotel, Victoria (open) Apparitions are reported in the hotel, the most famous believed to be architect Francis Rattenbury. The Empress is very near the Parliament Building. The apparition of a woman who is seen on the 6th floor is believed to be a former maid. An apparition of an older woman has been seen, as well. An apparition of a construction worker who was found hanging has also been seen.
St Ann’s Academy, Victoria (heritage site) The apparition of Emily Carr has been reported. She really does get around doesn’t she?
Cherry Bank Hotel, Victoria (open) Apparitions of a woman and a little girl are reported. A girl has been seen running in the hallway. Poltergeist activity.
Pioneer Square (Location of Old Quadra Street Cemetery) Apparition is seen who is believed to be Adelaide Griffin. Another apparition believed to be Robert Johnson – who committing suicide – is reported here as well. Also, the apparition of a dark-haired woman in a white dress has been seen.
Royal Theatre, Victoria (open) An apparition of a man has been reported. Witnesses also claim to feel “psychically stabbed.”
Roger’s Chocolates, Victoria (open) Claims that the apparitions of Charles and Leah Rogers have been sighted. Also, an unexplained child’s handprint was found.
Bedford Regency Hotel, Victoria (open) Two apparitions are reported by employees. Staff call them “Lady Churchill” and “Brady.” Lady Churchill has also been seen across the street at Camillo’s restaurant.
Bastion Square, Maritime Museum & surrounding buildings, Victoria (open) An apparition of a bearded man is reported believed to be Sir Begbie the “Hanging Judge.” A lady in white is reported here as well. Bastion square in general, and Helmcken Alley, generate reports of various levels of activity. Tour guide John Adams gives downtown ghost tours every evening. Bastion square is the epicentre of many of these tours.
Old Morris Tobacconists, Victoria (open) Poltergeist activity has been reported. Unexplained sounds have been heard.
Pounders Restaurant, Victoria (open) A female apparition has been witnessed on the stairs. Items have also been inexplicably moved.
McPherson Playhouse, Victoria (open) A male apparition and a lady in grey have both been reported at different times. Items are moved, and audible unexplained voices have been reported. Apparition of a “Frenchman” is seen on the outside corner of Government and Fisgard on October mornings.
St. Andrew’s Cathedral, Victoria The Skull-Faced Bishop and the spirit of David Fee are believed to haunt this location. For the full story, click on the image above.
Fan Tan Alley, Chinatown, Victoria A ghostly presence pushes people aside. Sources claim that the entity is Chung, who once murdered a sing-song girl who scorned his affections.
Gorge Road Hospital, Victoria The apparition of a lady in white has been reported. White lights have also been seen.
Point Ellice House, Victoria (heritage site) The apparition of a woman in a blue dress has been reported believed to be Kathleen O’Reilly. The apparition of an older woman has been reported on the property believed to be Carolyn O’Reilly. A man’s voice has been heard. Poltergeist activity is often reported.
Old Point Ellice Bridge, Victoria Ghost lights are reported at the tragic scene where the old bridge collapsed. This incident claimed 55 lives. A red light is reportedly seen, hovering “18 inches” off of the ground.
The Princess Mary Ship Restaurant, Victoria (closed – no longer exists) An apparition of a woman had been reported. Unspecified unexplained occurrences had also been claimed at the time.
Spinnakers Pub, Victoria (open) An apparition of an older woman with longer grey hair has been reported along with unexplained noises. Presence is said to have become less active in recent years.
Ye Old England Inn, Esquimalt (open) An apparition of a man with a beard has been reported as well as that of “a beautiful woman.” Unexplained music has been reported and items have inexplicably been moved.
Royal Roads University/ Hatley Castle, Colwood (open) most activity is reported in Hatley Castle (aka Hatley Park). This includes the apparition of an old woman who is possibly Laura Dunsmuir. “Freezing cobwebs” have also been reported as well as the apparition of a man.
Craigflower Elementary School, View Royal (closed 2013 due to road work) Doors are said to open on their own. Bells have been said to ring inexplicably. According to sources, manor is also said to have activity.
Four Mile House Bar & Grill, View Royal (open) The apparition reported in the gardens is believed to be that of Margaret Gouge. Another apparition of a man in a suit is also reported. Also, a ghost said to be Jake Matteson is seen. This is also the pub mentioned “near Christie Point” by authors who wrote of the apparition of a soldier crawling across the highway. Noises and poltergeist activity has been reported, as well as people claiming to have been touched. There is also a connection to the Thetis Cove Lady in White.
Thetis Cove, View Royal The apparition of a lady in white is reportedly seen on the beach. She is said to be a woman who died awaiting her husband’s ship to return. Apparently, she’d often spent time at the old Four Mile House Inn (above) where there’s actually a stain glass image of her. There is a stain glass image of the White Lady of Thetis Cove at the Four Mile Pub.
Six Mile Pub, View Royal (open) An apparition of a man has been reported. Unexplained footsteps have been heard.
East Sooke Road, Sooke An apparition of a lady in black has been seen along the side of the road and is believed to be May Stiff – although some have said it cannot be her. A pretty young woman in white has also been reported.
China Flats Highway, Sooke The highway described in accounts is likely #14 Highway, Sooke Road. An apparition of a Chinese man has been reported and is said to jump into traffic. No one is present when vehicles stop to investigate, however. He is believed to have been a man who was struck and killed in the 1940s while trying to get medical attention for his wife.
Ma Miller’s Goldstream Inn, Langford Retrocognition has been reported at this site. Old Inn has been seen, even though it was no longer physically there.
Other Miscellaneous Reports from the Victoria area:
Burning Ghost Ship, South of Vancouver Island A burning fishing vessel with a UFO-type object above it was observed and reported by the Japanese ship Meitetsu Maru in 1957. There were also several other reports of unidentified lights in the area at that time. No missing boats were ever reported, nor was any wreckage ever found, even after a large-scale American and Canadian Coast Guard search.
Thetis Lake Monster Victoria, Vancouver Island Generally believed to have been a hoax, a monster was reported similar in appearance to the Creature from the Black Lagoon. I so want to believe this actually happened!
Sea Serpent Caddy, Vancouver Island Coastline A sea serpent is said to haunt the coasts of Vancouver Island, having been reported by multiple witnesses since at least 1932. Some speculate that the sightings may be of a surviving creature such as the plesiosaur, others that it might be an oarfish (video) There have been multiple reports of the serpent from all around Vancouver Island. “Caddy” is named after Cadboro Bay in Victoria following an early account. The bay was named after an early HBC vessel the Cadboro.
For a list of other Vancouver Island Haunted Sites please visit Haunted Locations on Vancouver Island. This other list includes Sasquatch Sightings (which have also occurred in the Victoria area), and UFO reports as well.
If you know of any other haunted locations in the Victoria area, leave a comment, or send me a private message. Thanks to you who already have!
Until next time, darkest nods!
According to wildlife biologist Dr. John Bindernagel, a process of discovery has been occurring throughout North America for well over 150 years. This process of discovery validates the belief that there is an uncategorized great ape living in the wilds of North America that is commonly referred to as Sasquatch. Primate footprints that have withstood scientific scrutiny in all but a few cases have corroborated thousands of unrelated sightings. The taboo nature of the Sasquatch, however, as well as a media focus on exposed hoaxes, uninformed and unqualified statements made by sceptical scientists, and an unwillingness of the scientific community to exam existing evidence has continued to delay this discovery process to date.
“Considering the way the sasquatch has been portrayed in the mass media, it would be surprising if anyone in North America at this writing in 2010 was not skeptical regarding the proposition that the Sasquatch is a North American mammal.” – The Discovery of Sasquatch by John Bindernagel.
Continue reading “Wildlife Biologist Dr. John Bindernagel on the existence of Sasquatch”
(True Reflections. James UuKwaqum Swan)
Ahousaht is located on Flores Island, off the west coast of Vancouver Island. The community is only accessible by boat or air, but as anyone who has ever been there can tell you, it’s well worth the journey. With mountains jutting out of the sea, foggy mists, monstrous trees, majestic whales and proud circling eagles, Ahousaht is truly nestled in god’s country. With an oral tradition believed to stretch back thousands of years, some of the Nuu-chah-nulth people (previously Nootka) remember a time when their ancestors lived in harmony with nature and with the spirit world. They also speak of an age when humans were able to harness great powers that lived inside their bodies and existed within their minds.
I first met James UuKwaqum Swan several years ago. We were actually in the army together and it was there where we became friends. Still, it was with a certain degree of hesitancy that I approached James with a request to interview him for this post. I did not want to impinge on our friendship. Despite being a hereditary chief and an amazing artist, James had humbled himself to the position of Private in the Canadian Forces infantry. Truly, we had slept in the mud and had eaten dirt together. We had broken bread and had become good friends. Perhaps, it was our shared reverence for nature that had brought us this close, or the fact that we were both a lot older than your average 20-year-old infantry soldier? Regardless, by the time we prepared to leave for Afghanistan we had become quite close.
Unfortunately, in the infantry injuries are usually inevitable. Sometimes, the timing of that injury can be completely life altering. When James suffered a back injury – which he didn’t recover from quickly enough – he was ordered off tour and back home to B.C. He could barely stand, but had met with every officer who would listen and had pleaded to go on tour instead of home. Despite his tenacity, the request was ultimately denied.
It has never been spoken aloud to me, but I sense that there was a silent wave of relief from James’ relatives and the elders at this news. Despite now being a Corporal in the military at the time, James’ other role, as hereditary chief of Manhousaht, made him an important man. I think many people were relieved that he wouldn’t be going to Afghanistan where soldiers were still dying. James, on the other hand, was more than a little disappointed after all that training. In fact, it was the most upset I’ve ever seen him.
We kept in touch, but a lot happened over the next few years such as my return and battle with cancer. We lived in separate cities but tried to watch out for one another as best we could. Being sick, I was quite self-absorbed to be honest. James was the one who kept in touch with me and kept asking if he could come to Vancouver or do anything at all to help. He was a true friend during a very difficult time. James, during this period, continued to raise a family, create art, work, volunteer, parade as a military reservist (still by choice not an officer) and to honour his ancestors in the role of hereditary chief of Manhousaht. The title of chief is a role he takes quite seriously.
According to James, Manhousaht had actually joined Ahousaht at a time of great need in order to avoid an “extinct” classification from the government. As a part of the Ahousaht Nation, the lineage of the Swans is one of artistic vision and respect for the old ways. It was this other life of James’ that I had always wanted to ask more about. His heritage fascinated me. Anything I had ever read on the Nuu-chah-nulth (Nootka) was awe-inspiring. Some had called them “the Vikings of the Pacific.” They were known for their intricate art, fishing abilities, navigational skills, fierceness in battle, and long-range coastal raids. Today, their oral traditions have somehow survived, their art is recognized around the world, and they have learned in many ways how to exist in a new age using the old Nuu-chah-nulth ways of living.
When I first asked James if I could interview him he responded, “I always need a fishing partner.” As fishing was another shared passion, I quickly jumped at this opportunity. After all, being from Northern Saskatchewan I’d never even fished in the ocean before! What I didn’t know at the time, however, was that I would be welcomed into his mother Mrs. Rosie Swan’s home on the Ahousaht reserve, that she would also tell me about their culture, that I would meet many of his relatives and friends, that I would be fortunate enough to witness a great ceremony to honour Chief Shawn Atleo, that I would get to go to his feast, that I would have the fishing trip of a lifetime, and that I would be told some of the old stories that I had asked about in the first place. In short, I was humbled that James had trusted me enough to let me into his private world. It was one of the greatest experiences of my life.
I could write a book based on how much I learned over the course of this one weekend, but it’s James’ voice that can tell these stories much better than I ever could, and this is why I interviewed him in the first place.
During our conversations, James often referenced his grandfather’s (Luke Francis Swan) 250 reel-to-reel tapes that were filled with the old stories. Dave Ellis, who had initially recorded them, had then written a book titled the Teachings in the Tides which is credited to both men. While we spoke, James also often recounted his mother Mrs. Rosie Swan’s words and spoke of the cultural spirit of the Ahousaht Nation in general.
I feel honored to be able to share some of these stories over the next three posts. In this first one, James will speak of First Nations legendary creatures and explain his understanding regarding the spirits of animals. This week will be shorter, due to this introduction. The following post – next week – will be in regards to spirits (ghosts), prayers and the belief in black magic. The third and final post in this series will be on the thunderbird (and how some people have contemplated the possibility of it being a sort of unknown aircraft). Finally, I will end with some closing thoughts. As much as possible, I will share the exact words used by my friend, Artist and Chief James UuKwaqum Swan, during these conversations:
James, there’s been a lot of speculation about the possible existence of Sasquatch or Bigfoot on Vancouver Island. Do your people believe that this creature could possibly exist?
The short answer: yes (laughs). My grandfather used to talk about a man or creature that had one big foot and one regular foot. He lived at a hunting place up the Watta Creek past the big boulder. We never went past there after the footprints were found. We left it alone. We never bothered it and we gave it space. After we stopped going we never saw it or heard of it anymore. My grandfather – on the old tapes – says that it was actually pretty scary. That is the only story I know of a Bigfoot or Sasquatch.
Do people believe in sea serpents or lake monsters, anything like that?
We believe in them, that’s why we draw them, that is why they’re in our art. One man (says his name) was fishing alone on a herring skiff when he saw one.
When you see something that’s not normal you are actually not supposed to talk about it for 4 years. When a creature or sea serpent or anything shows itself to you, you are supposed to ask why it showed itself to you, because a lot of the things we see out of the normal are something special. That person needs to go find it. That person needs to go fast (not eat), to go up to the mountains, to pray to the creator and find out why that creature, that animal appeared to that one individual or many.
(Says his name again) was fishing alone and he saw a sea serpent. He said that it was so big it could have taken out his herring skiff no problem! He did not talk about it for four years after.
Do animals have spirits? You have told me before that in your culture you thank the animal when you kill it, much like other First Nations people?
We are taught that you pray for an animal when you kill it. Any time you take a deer or elk or anything you thank it for its life, even a tree.
We believe because it is alive there is something existing within it so we thank them, we will actually say a prayer and it will give us good luck. When part of the tree is used to catch sea urchins for example. In modern times when you are getting a pole for your trawler it will give you good luck and help you catch fish if you ask it.
My mom (Mrs. Rosie Swan) will also pray that I catch fish, she is my “backer” if you will, that the fishing will be good. One man stopped being a “highliner” (a person who catches a lot of fish) when his grandmother passed away. It might be psychological but when you hear my mom talking about the creator this is what she means.
When we thank the salmon we don’t throw away their bones in the garbage we throw it back in the ocean. It doesn’t matter where we are we throw it back in the ocean. But we use most of it. When we put it back in the water that’s when we thank the fish so that more fish will come back.
My mom was once very upset with me because I shot a deer and put it in my vehicle and moved it before I cleaned it. It was supposed to be cleaned right there, where it had been killed. My mom said that you bring the water you are going to use after to wash your hands… you don’t move it!
My mom is very strict. She is adamant about our teachings. My mom is strong. She’s culturally strong.
I’m not sure if you’ve heard about the wolf hunt taking place in some of the American states this year? In Wisconsin for example, the wolf was taken off of the threatened list this year. The DNR has now declared that ¼ of the 800 wolves need to be killed by sport hunters. What are your feelings about this?
There is a saying in my culture Hishuk ish tsawalk. It means that everything is one. If you interfere with one thing, you will interfere with everything else.
My dad (James Francis Swan Sr.) said that we couldn’t have caught the fish they used to catch before with the fishing line we use today. They were too big. They would break the line today. That’s how big they were.
Hishuk ish tsawalk. Everything is one.
More stories from Artist and Chief James UuKwaqum Swan next week regarding spirits (ghosts), the power of prayer, and the belief in black magic…
