VICTORIA, British Columbia -- In the most haunted city in Canada, no one is safe from its uneasy spirits.

“The ghosts are everywhere,” said our theatrical Ghostly Walks tour guide as we traveled the streets of Old Town and learned about Victoria’s many hauntings.

For some reason, we seem drawn to haunted locations in the Salish Sea this time of year. A couple of years ago, we were in Port Townsend, across the Strait of Juan de Fuca from Victoria, where many of the town’s historic buildings are haunted, including Manresa Castle and the Palace Hotel.

We’re big fans of Fort Worden Historical State Park in Port Townsend and Fort Casey Historical State Park on Whidbey Island, where the turn-of-the-century military bunkers are notorious for being haunted by spirits.

And one fall, we found ourselves at Roche Harbor on San Juan Island, where the spooky Afterglow Vista Mausoleum has tales of the McMillin Family haunting its grounds.

But Victoria might be ground zero for ghost stories in the Salish Sea. The city was once a rough-and-tumble capital of West Coast vice, known for smuggling, opium dens and brothels. Murders were common.

So who are some of the ghosts of Victoria?

The “Beacon Hill Park Doppelganger”  whose mouth is stuck in a terrifying silent scream after she was murdered and buried in the park.

Chan, who killed his lover in 1880s-era Chinatown, and whose ghost is said to roam Fan Tan Alley, shoving visitors out of the way as he runs -- and runs, and runs -- in a forever chase from police officers.

Belle Adams, the well-dressed, diminutive ghost of Market Square, who used a straight razor to slice the throat of her unfaithful partner Charlie and now haunts the historic structure.

And then there’s Victoria’s Pioneer Square, once called “The Old Burial Ground,” where between 1855 and 1873, 1,300 bodies were interned. In the early 1900s, the tombstones were simply removed and Pioneer Square became a park -- which upset the spirits of its previous inhabitants, who are said to haunt the park grounds at night.

You’d think the historic Fairmont Empress hotel would be a safe haven from ghosts. Not so, our tour guide said.

“Every hotel in Victoria is haunted,” she said emphatically. The Empress has several ghosts, she said, including a teenage boy who hangs out in the hotel’s spa area. Hmmm. Better keep that robe handy.

And we recently visited the lovely 1890s Pendray Inn and Tea House, where we had a perfectly executed afternoon tea service. We enjoyed our scones, sweets and savories and took in the atmosphere of the beautiful old building. Yup -- it’s haunted too, they say.

RV option in Victoria

We are traveling Vancouver Island without our motorhome, but we’re always keeping an eye out for camping opportunities. We found an excellent spot on Victoria Harbor across from downtown: The Salish Seaside RV Resort and Marina.

You can’t beat the location in the community of Esquimalt, with views of Victoria and the busy Inner Harbor. The RV park sits next to a recreation path that leads to the city, so you can easily walk or bicycle downtown from there.

Check it out on your next visit to Vic!

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