A Local's Guide to the Ghoulish
Seeking out the ghosts of Victoria
words by Matthew sMith / imaGes by bryAnne GeAry
The sun is setting, darkness is spreading. At Market Square, a small group gathers for an hour-long pilgrimage—a ghost hunt. They’re setting off to visit places around Victoria where paranormal activities have been reported in the hopes of personally meeting a spirit.
This hunt has been organized by Ghostly Walks, a local guided tour company, who claims to have gathered over 500 accounts of experiences with ghosts in the city. With so many paranormal run-ins, one would think ghost hunting was an easy business. Apparently, that isn’t always the case. “A lot of the public spaces are more lively than they used to be, so ghost sightings are less than they were in the ’70s and ’80s,” explains Brynne Croy, a guide for Ghostly Walks.
Ghostly Walks’ founder, John Adams, wasn’t personally invested in ghosts when he first conceived of the tour company. “I did it because there seemed to be an interest, but after I started I became intensely interested in them.” Adams has since become an authority on Victoria’s apparitions.
He has a few words to share with those looking to engage in the spooky pastime: “First, it really helps to be taking it seriously, and doing it sober.” For some, ghost-hunting is a form of boisterous make-believe, and Adams doesn’t mean it needs to be done with a stern attitude. He simply recommends a respectful mindset to ensure everyone involved stays safe.
The Songhees Walkway that runs around the back of the Delta Ocean Pointe Hotel is reported to be the haunting grounds of a ghost that Croy describes as a “reliable occurrence.” The spirit in question is believed to be Agnes Bings, the victim of a famous murder in September 1899. Bings was found, as Croy politely puts it, “disassembled” along the shoreline. Her killer’s identity was never discovered.
Bings' body was found, as Croy politely puts it, “disassembled” along the shoreline. Her killer’s identity was never discovered...
Another haunting in the harbour is caused by one of Victoria’s greatest tragedies: the Point Ellice Bridge Disaster. In May 1896, an overcrowded streetcar crossing the bridge connecting Victoria to Vic West (now known as the Bay St. Bridge) was tossed into the waters below when the structure collapsed. Of the 143 passengers on their way to Esquimalt for a naval re-enactment for Queen Victoria’s 77th birthday, 55 were killed. Croy shared that she’s had guests on her tour who reported orbs hovering above the water near the restored bridge. Local ghost experts believe these to be the souls of those who died in the disaster.
Fairfield’s Ross Bay Cemetery fits the haunting bill perfectly, like the backdrop to a typical scary movie. The cemetery is bustling with wildlife and, reportedly, a number of interesting departed residents.
Prominent among them is acclaimed Victoria-born author and painter, Emily Carr. Living from 1871 to 1945, Carr is renowned worldwide as a major figure in the Canadian Modernist art scene of the twentieth century. Her name can be found on many buildings here, such as the Emily Carr Public Library, but she is remembered as more than just a ground-breaking artist: “She haunts no fewer than three different places at three different ages. There’s no end of colourful stories with that woman,” Croy jokes.
Ross Bay Cemetery is named after Isabella Ross, the first woman and the first Indigenous person in British Columbia to be a registered landowner. She came to own the land after the passing of her husband, Charles Ross, who oversaw the construction of Fort Victoria. Eventually, Ross was forced to sell sections of the land to buyers, but she was buried on the property. Reports state that her ghost is seen more often than any other in the cemetery.
The Old Cemeteries Society is a Fairfield group dedicated to the preservation of historical burial sites across Victoria, including Ross Bay Cemetery. As a founding member, Adams has some unfortunate news for those thinking about ghost hunting in the graveyard after sunset: “We don’t actually go into Ross Bay Cemetery at night. All our tours are all in the daytime, including our ghost tour.” It is forbidden by city bylaw to enter the cemetery after dusk to discourage vandalism.
Hatley Castle in Colwood was built as a retirement home for James Dunsmuir, his wife Laura, and five of their children. James Sr. was the premier of British Columbia from 1900 to 1902, in addition to being the province’s eighth lieutenant governor. The home was designed with luxury in mind, with the exterior replicating a medieval castle. However, after the Dunsmuirs sold the property to the Dominion Government to transform it into a naval training base during the 1940s, reports of strange phenomena began to surface.
A popular story is that cadets bunking in the castle would be shaken awake by the spectral figure of an elderly woman “assumed to be Laura Dunsmuir. She’s the only person that I know for sure died at the castle,” says Jenny Seeman, former archivist of Hatley Castle. Seeman also confirmed that this was the first ghost sighting on the grounds, though there have been many others over the years.
Cadets bunking in the castle would be shaken awake by the spectral figure of an elderly woman “assumed to be Laura Dunsmuir. She’s the only person that I know for sure died at the castle...”
Another tale revolves around a great loss to the family. James Dunsmuir Jr., the couple’s second son, was eager to fight at the outbreak of World War I but was killed when the RMS Lusitania was sunk by a German U-boat. The grief of his parents is well documented. James Sr. would play the sombre hymn “Where Is My Boy Tonight” by Robert Lowry on repeat. The song tells of a mother searching for her son, and members of the security crew have reported hearing it around the castle after dark. When it comes to the Dunsmuirs’ grief over young Jim, Seeman states, “For me, that’s the most haunting story of all.”
If you strike out on an encounter for yourself, see if any of the castle staff have an anecdote to share. Seeman confirmed that most of the stories come from current or past employees, especially the security crew.
There are countless sites of paranormal encounters in Victoria, and it would be impossible to do them all justice. If you decide to take part in this delightfully eerie activity, don’t be discouraged if you don’t get lucky right away. Even Adams struggles when it comes to experiencing ghosts: “I have seen them, but maybe not as clearly as some others claim.”
BC’s Halloween spirit has returned to pre-pandemic levels, proven by an increase in spending. In 2022, finance-comparison site Hello Safe anticipated a 28 percent increase in the average resident’s Halloween budget. While costumes or candy have their place in the celebrations, ghost hunting offers a uniquely Victorian and low-cost spooky experience.