Books We Love Insider Blog: Stately Ghosts

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Stately Ghosts

Vacationing on Vancouver Island is always a very relaxing and rewarding experience, and for the last couple of years I have also been able to define it as “work” as my new paranormal series, based around my main character Detective Carol Ainsworth, is set on that beautiful island and mostly in Victoria.

Victoria is reportedly the most haunted city in Canada, which is my main reason for setting these novels there, but also I suppose because it is close enough for me to do real research for a change, instead of relying on that good old staple Google. Tagging along of course is my very helpful wife, whose analytical madness I have become to rely on.

The Rogers’ Chocolates store, near the Empress hotel, is one supposedly haunted site so obviously well worth a visit (and for my wife to enjoy a girl’s best friend too of course!). The very wonderful and chatty lady that had been working there for the last ten years had known of ghostly goings-on, an example of which is that one morning all the boxes of vanilla chocolates from one shelf unit had been knocked onto the floor. Funny thing, it was only the vanilla chocolates, not the plain or toffee or nut, which were all still in their place. These were well known to be Leah Roger’s favorites. A rather colourful street person outside also had a story for me, in that his friend would walk by with his dog most evenings and the dog would, on many an occasion, stop and stare at the upper window, growling and barking at something which he only could see. Of course, this is where the living quarters for the Rogers were situated!

We spent the first two nights in the Emily Carr suite at The Pendray Hotel on the inner harbour, which is supposedly haunted by two male ghosts. This is precisely why we stayed there but unfortunately they did not think us worth a visit. (I could tell you that when I awoke at five in the morning and swore I got a vague whiff of oil paint).

After a relaxing three nights at the Point No Point resort in Sooke (no, no ghosts or ghost stories; however a pod of Orca did grace us with its presence) we spent our final night at the Fairmont Empress. I wanted to get a real feel for the place, especially during the wee hours. Our last evening was spent in the wonderfully appointed bar, The Q, which overlooks the harbour. A very morose young lady dressed all in black finished her glass of wine and left her window seat up for grabs. (Maybe more of this sad figure to come; she did have an effect on me.) Our very attentive waitress was happy to be quizzed and was very knowledgeable having worked there for some time. On asking about weird goings-on she did have one story, in that a customer came down to the bar rather pale looking and after downing his scotch in one said his wife and daughter had just seen a ghost and were currently moving rooms.

Whilst waiting for our vehicle the next morning I asked the valet the same question. His story was more compelling. He had a man report that his wife’s luggage had been opened when they got to their room and her clothes had been taken out and “ghost clothing” (his words so I presume they were old fashioned) had been put in their place. (This valet had been working there some years too; I guess Victoria is a great place to work!).

There are reports of several ghosts in the Empress; some old employees that rather enjoyed their jobs never seem to leave, even after death, and on occasion wander the halls. During recent renovations, two workers quit, claiming to see a man hanging from a noose. It was later discovered that indeed, in the fifties, a man had hanged himself in that very same suite.

It is also reported that the man that built the Empress and the parliament buildings, Francis Rattenbury, frequents his old glories, looking for recognition after dying in an unmarked grave.

So although we didn’t actually have any ghostly experiences ourselves, our trip was invaluable for information gathering, sight-seeing and just generally soaking up the atmosphere. Perhaps the story of book three in this series will find it is being told in Victoria too.

Have I ever seen a ghost, you ask? Well not as such, but I have had what I call a spiritual encounter that was rather spooky. A friend had hiked into the Stein Valley a few times and claimed to have some very spirit-based encounters. After taking a small ferry and parking my vehicle I hiked in a couple of kilometers to a campsite, passing some petroglyphs on the trail, and pitched a tent at a campsite near the river, all alone. That night I encountered weird voices outside the tent and something scratching the tent’s awning. After working up the courage I turned on my light and took a look around; nothing but the water flowing past in the Stein River. It happened a couple of times and after I fell asleep I felt as if I was flowing into the earth, becoming one with it. Very grounding. I had the sensation that whatever spirits were out there had checked me out and thought I was okay. Now I knew why the old native shamans would go into this valley to learn their craft. Although, when you’re alone in the pitch-black wilderness under only a thin layer of canvas, and something is scratching at your tent, it’s definitely time for new clean underwear!

Sincerely

Frank Talaber

twosoulmates@shaw.ca

My webpage

http://twosoulmates.wixsite.com/frankt-author-blog

Frank Talaber’s Writing Style? He usually responds with: Mix Dan Millman (Way of The Peaceful Warrior) with Charles De Lint (Moonheart) and throw in a mad scattering of Tom Robbins (Even Cowgirls Get The Blues).
PS: He’s better looking than Stephen King (Carrie, The Stand, It, The Shining) and his romantic stuff will have you gasping quicker than Robert James Waller (Bridges Of Madison County).

Or as is often said: You don’t have to be mad to be a writer, but it sure helps.

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