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Courthouse hangings to abandoned opium dens: Victoria’s most haunted places

Have you seen any of these ghosts?
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The ghost of Francis Rattenbury, the architect behind the Parliament buildings, still roams the hallways seeking the recognition he craves after he was savagely bludgeoned to death by his wife’s lover in Bournemouth, England. Rattenbury, a thin mustached man, has also been seen walking the halls of the Fairmont Empress, another building he designed. (File Photo Black Press Media)

A new list, released by Tourism Victoria, cites Beacon Hill as one of the most haunted place in the city. ‘The Screaming Doppelganger’ is said to appear on a outcropping of rocks near the corner of Douglas and Superior streets, at sunrise revisiting the place where her body was found.

Bastion Square and Helmcken Alley is ‘easily the most haunted part of Victoria’ according to the list of most haunted places. A ghost or two is known to occupy each building and alleyway around the square, especially the old Supreme Court building — built on the city’s jail and first gallows. Men who were hanged in the tree beside the old courthouse still lie, buried under the foundation.

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Around Market Square and Chinatown are ghosts who used to frequent the saloons, brothels and gambling dens lining Johnson Street — once known as Victoria’s red light district. Fan Tan Alley is said to have a different sort of energy surrounding the abandoned opium dens, luckily the symbols on the Gates of Harmonious Interests scare evil spirits away.

Ross Bay Cemetery is known for having a few ghosts, but the most notable resident is Isabella Ross — the first woman in the province to own land. Her farm stood on the land where the cemetery is now.

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The ghost of Francis Rattenbury, the architect f the Parliament buildings, still roams its hallways seeking the recognition he craves after he was savagely bludgeoned to death by his wife’s lover in Bournemouth, England. Rattenbury, a thin mustached man, has also been seen walking the halls of the Fairmont Empress, another building he designed.

Also seen at the Empress is the ghost of a maid cleaning on the sixth floor, along with an elderly woman dressed in pajamas knocking on guest’s doors. The elderly woman asks for help finding her room, but vanishes before anyone can help her.

While Craigdarroch Castle doesn’t admit to the ghosts roaming the halls, staff have reported the apparition of a little girl and a maid, along with seeing a woman’s feet running down the stairs.

To read the full list of the 11 Most Haunted Places in Victoria, visit www.tourismvictoria.com/blog/top-11-haunted-places-victoria



kendra.crighton@blackpress.ca

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