With Halloween rapidly approaching, all the little ghouls and goblins prepare excitedly for a fun night of tricking and treating.  I, myself however will be thinking of the darker side of Halloween.  This is the perfect evening to sit back and contemplate all that goes “bump in the night.”  I have witnessed many unexplained phenomena myself, and while growing up, I was lucky enough to visit some very haunted locations in my own neighborhood.  I have listed the top three favorites here in this article, and I hope you enjoy them.  At the bottom, will be a list of signs and symptoms which could indicate if you, yourself live in a haunted house. 

The Burquitlam Funeral Chapel  

I lived practically right next door to this funeral home most of my young life.  Unbenounced to me, I later discovered that it was famous for being haunted.  The apparition of a very old man has been seen inside the funeral chapel by numerous people.  He has apparently been at that location long before the home even existed there.  The little white house w which used to belong there has long since been replaced by a much larger, tasteful house. 

I suppose business must be booming?  I never did enter the building myself, but sometimes as I passed by, thought I saw old tired eyes peering out at me from one of the large picture windows which looked onto the busy road.  I had many dreams of the funeral home in my adult life, and still pass it from time to time.  

Perhaps one day, you too will have the chance to visit this strange and interesting BC landmark.  I know I’m dying for a look around myself…

 Burnaby Village Museum

Burnaby village museum is one of the most historic landmarks in the lower mainland of BC.  I once visited it in my late twenties, and was pleasantly surprised.  As I strolled the perfectly preserved grounds, I was launched back into the past….around the turn of the century where one would visit a Chinese medicine shop, telegraph office and quaint teahouses.  There is even a beautiful antique Carousel which is still ridden today by squealing, delighted children.  And of course…you guessed it, one dead man who refuses to leave his earthly comforts behind.  Who can blame him…even if he is a monk?  Benedictine monks occupied the area from the 1930s to the 1950s.  There is at least one who refuses to enter the pearly gates….for reasons I simply cannot entertain.  A security guard had spotted him once, when he turned and walked away from her only to fade into thin air.  The guard quit her job never to return again.  Who can blame her?  The Cepereley House is famous for its sightings and if you are brave enough….come for a tour.  You will learn about the unique and interesting history of the museum, and perhaps if you’re extremely lucky you might even run into some of its former residents…that is, if you dare.

Riverview Mental Hospital

When I was just a teen, I remember visiting the old, spooky cemetery adjacent from one of the oldest and scariest mental wards in Canada.  I just live a few minutes away from that haunted location today, and even thinking about it gives me shivers.  Many ghosts have been seen wandering the empty hallways and corridors at night in the famous West Lawn and East Lawn buildings of Riverview Hospital which have long since been closed down.  Many films have been made there, and you most likely have had a glimpse into this very haunted hospital simply by watching your favorite movie.  The cemetery is known for its forlorn apparitions who wander the grounds long after most of us have tucked ourselves into bed.  As a teenager, I remember walking along the paved pathway, hoping to capture even a glimpse of an orb or misty white light.  Although most of the hospital has been shut down due to a lack of funding, a portion of it still remains in use for severe cases.  Many of the hospital’s poor patients received horrid treatments in the past, such as electroshock therapy.  Many were abused and tortured in the name of science…West Lawn and East Lawn are known to be haunted as many people say they have seen lost patients who seem to never find what they are truly searching for. Some of the staff which still work there, swear they hear the elevator opening and closing in the old abandoned buildings, even though the elevators have long since stopped working.  Riverview Hospital is also known for its astounding horticultural collection of rare and exotic trees and shrubs.  It lends a strange sense of serenity to a place which held the whispers of tortured souls and forgotten dreams of long ago.

Have you ever wondered if your house is haunted?  Here are some classic symptoms of a haunting:

• Black shadows in vague human shapes darting in your peripheral or immediate vision.  These are known as “Shadow People, and are very common.  Nobody knows exactly what they are, but many believe they are spirits of people who have passed. 
• Cold drafts where there shouldn’t be any drafts at all.  If you are in a room which suffers from “cold spots” that is the spiritual energy robbing your atmosphere of heat energy to remain.  Animals behaving in strange ways, such as dogs barking at nothing, pets hiding, or even dying suddenly and for no reason. 
• Strange sounds at night such as footsteps, scratches on the walls, faint sounds of people talking, and the like.  Other common sounds are knocking on doors and banging on objects or walls.
• Objects moving, falling off of shelves for no reason, lights being turned off and on by no one, and electronics such as televisions and radios switched off and on with no explanation. 
• Seeing apparitions in the form of orbs (little balls of light) or pale, translucent mists.  These are rare, but do occur in some circumstances.  On rare occasions, full, solid human shapes have been witnessed.
• Symptoms of residual energy:  Houses are much like a tape recorder.  They will record any events which happen within their walls any events that are tragic or extremely emotional.  Sometimes, the house will “Play back” the event in a type of haunting called “Residual haunting”.  The good thing about these types of haunting, is that they tend to fade away the longer time has passed from the event which initially sparked it to begin with.

So if you find yourself alone this Halloween and you feel eyes upon you, or you feel someone tap you on the shoulder but no one is behind you, you may in fact be living in a house where the former residents have refused to vacate.

Happy Halloween!