Victoria, BC Ghost Tours: A Dark and (Almost) Stormy Night

October 19, 2011 in Family Time, Festivals & Events, Guest Writer, Mindy Halleck, Guest Writers, Travel Victoria by Mindy S. Halleck | No comments

Did you know Victoria, BC is considered one of the most haunted cities in North America? Well, whether you believe in ghosts or not, taking a Ghost Tour around Victoria BC is a blast! There are several to choose from, but the Victoria Clipper has a Haunted Victoria Package deal that makes it effortless to visit the ghostly city.

I’m not too sure about ghosts, but I love history and these tours are walking history lessons – histories that apparently won’t stay in the past.

We went on a Tuesday night. Since it was warm – a balmy 58 degrees, and not raining, we chose a walking tour instead of a bus tour. There was just enough of a breeze off the harbor to kick the fallen leaves around and gust them up and down the streets – a perfect night for ghost stories. So we left the Empress Hotel lobby and ran across the street at 7:30 for one of the walking tours. We joined a group of 20 or so participants just in the nick of time. They all huddled together by the Tourism Center overlooking the harbor with the Parliament Building in the backdrop lit up with glistening white lights against the black sky. I have to say it; it was a black and (almost) stormy night…

The tour leader donned a fedora and with his British accent had a flair for the dramatic and was a gifted storyteller. He wore a microphone so everyone could hear him. We headed out for the walk, crossing streets, stopping in alleys, entering old buildings and learning about the history of one of the most haunted cities in all of Canada.

The tour guided us through the old streets of Victoria while the guide shared tales of bygone days and peculiar happenings. Apparently Bastion Square, Old Town, Chinatown, St. Ann’s Academy and the historic waterfront have more hauntings than any other part of the city. Even one of my favorite Victoria restaurants, The Bard and Banker on Government Street, is haunted. And apparently Mr. Rogers of Rogers Chocolates can’t quite let go either. And then there’s the Empress Hotel, our home for the week, where legend holds that a sweet old lady named Lizzy McGrath roams the halls on the 6th floor. Poor thing.

We walked through an alley near Bastion Square where I really felt spooked, and a little sad. I felt the energy of the chain gang prisoners passing through the narrow cobblestone passageway. It was creepy. That’s all I’m sayin’. There are weird white squiggly things in my pictures from there. The tour guide said that would happen, and that those white squiggles were ghosts.

At the end of that spooky alley was the Maritime Museum of British Columbia in Bastian Square. The guide explained that the Museum was one of the most haunted buildings because it was once the jail and hanging house where from the Museum’s upstairs the “Hanging Judge” Matthew Begbie hung criminals in front of crowds that gathered in the cobblestoned courtyard for the ‘show’. We all stood there in the dark looking up to where men were hung to their death. Again, creepy.

We ended up our evening in an office where we met this ugly mannequin guy in the photo with me. His eyes followed us around the room; I swear they did. Anyway, I wouldn’t get close enough for a hug and told my husband to hurry up and take the picture. I was freaked out. So much for not believing in ghost – I guess by the end of the night I was a convert. Creepy!

The Victoria Clipper runs their annual Haunted Victoria Tour on the last two weekends of October, the 21st , 22nd and the 28th and 29th. The bus leaves at 6:30 PM from 811 Government Street and will pick up at Clipper Terminal, Harbor Towers, Royal Scot, Hotel Grand Pacific and Marriott Inner Harbour. Hotel pick-ups may be slightly earlier and drop-offs may be slightly later. In this tour you’ll journey off the beaten path with historical ghosts and spirits and tales of the supernatural. The two (2) hour guided tour is specially routed to take in the very best in creepy locations. Purchase early as tickets will sell quickly and seating is limited.

Victoria Clipper Haunted Victoria Package Details:

Tour departure dates October 21, 22, 28 and 29, 2011
Round trip Clipper, Victoria, BC Hotel & Ghost tour packages start at $153.25 pp/do for adults and children (2-11) $22.50
Haunted tours are 2 hours
Book your Haunted Tour + Victoria BC Hotel Package online or call 800-888-2535. Seating is limited.

Ghost Tour Option May-October: