Nowadays we know Gastown as one of the most beautiful and historic neighbourhoods in Vancouver. Truth be told, the history of Gastown can be quite scary and sometimes bloody.

Blood Alley got its name back in the days when most of the shops there belong to butchers in the area. At the end of the day, store keepers will clean their stores and blood would pour onto the streets. That’s how Blood Alley got its name.

Oh yeah, there’s also the public executions that took place.

What you didn’t know? Blood Alley Square was the site of the city’s gallows. The first person to be executed was Stakia, a Salish native  who killed a man with an axe. Gaoler’s Mews, was the site of Vancouver’s first jail. The bathrooms at the Irish Heather on Carrall St, a popular Gastown pub, used to be jails.

There’s also the theory that Gastown is haunted by the ghost of First Nations people, angry at having their land taken away.

Moving on to West Hastings, you’ll find the Dominion Building. Built in 1909, it is said to be haunted by the ghost of its architect, who fell down the stairs – or was pushed to his death, depends on who’s telling the tale.

One of the most active haunts in Vancouver is the site of The Old Spaghetti Factory. Staff has seen the ghostly figure of a man sitting on the trolley car in the middle of the restaurant. Sometimes it calls their names. This naughty ghost has also been seen in the ladies’ washroom area.