Victoria, British Columbia: The Haunted City

Victoria is the unbelievably stunning capital city of British Columbia, home to some of Canada’s finest Victorian architecture and lush designated parklands. However, behind Victoria’s glamourous façade lies some truly haunting landmarks.

Whether it’s the ghostly sightings of the infamous ‘Hanging Judge of Victoria,’ the haunting sounds of a distant, mysterious piano or the phantom sunrise spectator, it’s no wonder many consider Victoria, B.C. the most haunted city in Canada. Let’s explore Victoria’s supernatural experiences.

The Beacon Hill Park Silent Screaming Doppelganger

Created in 1882, for many, Beacon Hill Park is the stunning park in downtown Victoria. However, legend has it that two different female ghosts have haunted this now infamous park.

For years Beacon Hill Park visitors could catch sight of a ghostly blonde lady standing on top of a huge boulder, admiring the early morning sunrise. Then suddenly, just a few decades ago…the mysterious figure was never seen again! Located a short walk from Victoria’s Best Western Plus Inner Harbour Hotel, nowadays, a different ghostly vision is often reportedly seen.

This new sinister apparition no longer appears to be blonde, but instead has distinctive long dark hair. Believed to be the ghost of a female murdered at the time of the blonde ghost’s disappearance, she emerges close to the very same boulder. Yet far more terrifying, she surfaces with her mouth wide open as if about to cry out in pain, which has earned her the local nickname, ‘The Woman with the Silent Scream’.

The Phantom Piano of Craigdarroch Castle

Craigdarroch Castle was originally built for the wealthy coal-mining millionaire and resident Victorian Robert Dunsmuir. However, his untimely death before its completion is alleged to be the reason for the castle’s modern-day supernatural occurrences.

Over the years, many guests to Craigdarroch Castle have claimed to hear the mysterious sounds of a distant piano playing throughout the building’s great halls. It’s understood to be Robert Dunsmuir himself enjoying his home in the afterlife; however, he certainly isn’t alone. Other frequently reported sightings claim that a ghostly female figure dressed all in white is seen gazing through the castle’s windows as visitors are leaving.

The Ghost of Sir Matthew Baillie Begbie, “The Hanging Judge” of Victoria

Infamously known as ‘The Hanging Judge of Victoria’, many believe that Sir Matthew Baillie Begbie currently resides in the halls of the Maritime Museum of British Columbia, located in Victoria’s Bastion Square.

This impressive Maritime Museum was the site of Victoria’s judicial courts, a notorious prison, and the city’s hanging gallows, and is located just a short walk from Victoria’s Best Western Plus Carlton Plaza Hotel. It’s believed that if you’re lucky enough to be in the building at the right time, you’ll see Sir Matthew Baillie Begbie’s ghostly figure descending quickly down the museum’s main staircase.

Other Ghostly Victoria Landmarks

For visitors searching for other paranormal sightings in Canada’s most haunted city, head to Hatley Castle. Here you may see a ghostly revelation of a woman dressed all in white. Legend has it she used to taunt Victorian resident army cadets by banging pots and pans and pulling on their blankets as they slept in the castle dorms at night.

Or, if you’d like to meet the famous ghost of writer and painter, Emily Carr, you should head to St. Ann’s Academy. Rumor has it that Emily Carr now haunts this former convent school along with many of the previous nun residents and even has an on-site graveyard where many of them are buried.

Alternative Canadian Haunted Hotspots

Of course, Victoria isn’t alone when it comes to haunted Canadian attractions, so here are a few additional options you should consider.

Starting in another part of British Columbia, a trip to the Tranquille Sanatorium near the city of Kamloops is a worthy contender. This former mental institution is believed to be haunted by many of its previous patients, who reappear as eerie glowing orbs, chiming in with distant moans and groans. It is definitely worth making a trip of it when staying nearby at the Best Western Plus Kamloops Hotel.

Possibly one of Canada’s most haunted houses is Government House in Regina, Saskatchewan, not far from the Best Western Plus Eastgate Inn & Suites. It is alleged that Government House is haunted by ‘Howie,’ the ghost of the former cook to Lieutenant-Governor of Saskatchewan, Archibald Peter McNab. Howie has been frequently spotted in the kitchen of the building and is known to open and close the internal doors, as well as slowly move objects around the building.

Our final otherworldly destination can be found near the Best Western Plus City Centre/Centre-Ville at the Plains of Abraham in Quebec City. Site of the famous Battle of the Plains of Abraham, there have been consistent sightings over the years of ancient ghostly figures in the surrounding fields and tunnels. These are believed to be the ghosts of British and French soldiers continuing to battle in the afterlife.