For 10 years, I’ve unknowingly lived in the most haunted city in British Columbia.
It should have been obvious. Victoria is home to castles, like Craigdarroch and Hatley, built in the late 1800s and early 1900s, not to mention around 20 cemeteries.
As an avid listener of true crime and a lover of horror movies, I brainstormed ways to get into the Halloween spirit—as well as some ways to give me a spook—this October. And what better way to do this than a ghost walk around downtown Victoria after dark?
I brought my boyfriend for some moral support. That way, we could both bounce up and down with anticipation outside the dark abyss of Market Square, wondering what the night could bring as we embarked on one of Discover the Past’s many Ghostly Walks tours around town.
Our guide for the night was Brynne. She shared the ghost’s stories in such a captivating way that my surroundings—unlit alleyways, noisy bar-lined streets—melted away.
The first stop was right beside Market Square (I let out a breath as we walked back into the streetlights) at a brick building once known as the Empire Hotel. This building now holds office spaces and, oh yes, is haunted by murder victim Charles Kincaid.
Kincaid’s head had been partially severed with a razor by a woman named Belle Adams, whose mugshot was taped to the doorway for us to examine. Her hair was done up pretty for the mugshot, and it even looked as if she had worn her best hat for the occasion.
A shiver ran up my spine, and the wind seemed to blow a bit colder as our guide introduced the culprit in a low tone. Her eyes in the photo were fixed on the street, but my skin crawled as if she was watching us listen to her story.
To finish this tale, Brynne delivered the classic yet haunting ending to every ghost story: “And locals say, to this day, that they still see the ghost roaming this building…”
This was a great way to start the walk.
On the way to our next stop (which we all hurried over to), Brynne shared the shocking news that settlers used to place bodies along the riverbank that once ran through downtown. Are you surprised to hear that it didn’t work out too well? To sum it up, wildlife had a different plan for those bones. That’s where Ross Bay Cemetery came in: Victoria’s third attempt at a cemetery. I’ll remember this next time I walk downtown at night.
The most frightening part of the walk, however, took place in Commercial Alley on Yates.
It wasn’t the ghost story about the one ghost who didn’t let death stop him from getting his whiskey. Or the one about Mr. Pickett, a ghost who haunted a book at Bastion Books.
No, the ancient horrors barely compare to what we encountered in that pitch-black alleyway… A drunk 20-something man who kept interrupting our ghost story and harassing our guide. Oh, the joys of downtown on the weekend.
Our next stop was the abandoned yet somehow illuminated Maritime Museum. This chilling sight did nothing to get rid of my goosebumps.
During the entire ghost story, my eyes were trained on the museum’s windows. I swear I saw the shifting of shadows… Or maybe it was just the light?
Finally, the walk was over. I let out a breath.
That night, I slept with the lights on, but knowing myself, I will still have a Halloween movie marathon this year. However, I know they won’t make me tremble as much as the haunting stories that live underneath the streets I walk on almost every day.
After all, facts are scarier than fiction.