Indulging in pumpkin spice lattes while admiring fall foliage perfectly sets the stage for embracing the Halloween season with a thrilling fright night.
Canada boasts a rich collection of spine-chilling campfire tales that are sure to keep you wide-eyed with fear — as shared by expert tour guides known for their eerie narratives that often intertwine with real ghostly encounters. To mark the spooky season, five of these guides reveal their top chilling stories, many of which are linked to reported ghost sightings. Brace yourself for a hair-raising read.
For clarity, these stories have been edited and condensed.
Encounters in Blood Alley
Shared by Lydia Williams, proprietor and storyteller at Ghostly Vancouver Tours
Among the spectral figures I discuss, the Woman in Black and the Man in Black of Gaoler’s Mews hold a special place in my heart.
The Alhambra Hotel, erected in 1887 after the Great Vancouver Fire, was renowned for its opulence and comprehensive amenities. The hotel, like many aged establishments, is believed to harbor several ghosts, but its most prominent spectral visitor frequents the back stairs in Gaoler’s Mews. Often appearing on dark, rainy nights, she materializes as a striking woman in a long black dress with dark hair, often seen clutching her waist before gliding down Gaoler’s Mews and vanishing into Blood Alley. Speculation surrounds her, with some suggesting she is a widow heading towards the former hangman’s noose in Blood Alley — though the existence of such an execution spot is uncertain.
Accompanying her is the Man in Black, a dapper gentleman in a long black coat and bowler hat. Frequently seen entering the restaurant adjacent to the alley — now L’Abattoir — he appears so corporeal that staff attempt to offer him a menu before he effortlessly passes through the restaurant and disappears into the atrium’s alley. The relationship between these two enigmatic figures remains a mystery, with theories ranging from protective companionship to lingering affection or patronage.
During a tour with a mother and daughter from Calgary earlier this year, the young girl spotted a man in an old top hat gazing down from a window above the Twisted Fork in Gaoler’s Mews. Despite my inability to see anyone, the girl described the man in a manner reminiscent of the Man in Black. This figure’s frequent disappearance into a nearby building adds to the intrigue, especially considering the building’s past as a brothel on the second floor.
Experience it firsthand: Ghostly Gastown Tour, 90 minutes, $27
The legend of the headless nun
Recounted by Shawn McCarthy, co-founder of Character Matters Miramichi
The tale of the ghost in French Fort Cove dates back to around 1758, involving Sister Marie Inconnue, who met a tragic end while crossing a footbridge over Crow Brook. Confronted by either vengeful sailors or a deranged trapper seeking hidden treasure, the young nun refused
