This totally true ghost story took place in the West End’s Mole Hill. The full story, and those of other haunted houses appeared in Sensational Vancouver
Mole Hill:
In the 1960s, the City of Vancouver started buying up a mixture of Queen Anne and Edwardian houses along Comox Street in the West End, intending to bulldoze them and double the size of Nelson Park.
If the idea of demolition wasn’t enough to rattle a few ghosts, one of the living residents, Blair Petrie set about spearheading a five-year campaign to save the houses in Mole Hill an area that stretches in a square around Comox, Thurlow, Bute and Pendrell Streets. As part of his research, he made a couple of ghostly discoveries.
Built in 1903:
The Thurlow Street house was one of four built in 1903 by a doctor who went into real estate speculation, the favourite sideline of almost anyone with a few bucks at the time. He likely flipped it right away, and it changed hands over the years to a number of different, mostly working class residents.
When Blair started his research, the house was a bed and breakfast where strange things happened. The two young guys who ran it would find lights turned on after they had turned them off, and once found a room locked from the inside.
Most convincing though, were the actual sightings. “They had both witnessed this ghost and had many of their customers over the years come down to breakfast totally freaked out,” said Blair.
The Ghost:
The ghost only showed herself in one bedroom and always wore a high-necked nightgown. The owners found old markings on the floor and figured out where the original furniture sat. From the placing they could imagine her brushing her long blonde hair in front of the dresser mirror.
Most of the sightings were by women who generally chose to stay in that particular room. Once the ghost asked a guest: “Are you being taken care of here?”
Blair couldn’t find anything in the house’s history to explain the ghost. Now that the house has changed owners, been stripped to its studs, and remodelled into rental suites, he says he doesn’t know whether the ghost stayed or moved somewhere more accommodating.
For more ghostly stories check out these podcasts:
S1 E9 Three Ghost Stories and a Murder
5 comments on “The Ghosts of Mole Hill”
I lived on Pendrell Street for several years – in a small apartment building and lived elsewhere in the West End for many years. Mole Hill is such a triumph. I saw it go from dilapidated to stunning. This area was part of the architectual walking tours so I learned something about those houses. Looking at the house across Nelson Park reminds me of those famous houses in San Francisco (the Pink Ladies?) I wonder if Mole Hill gets the same recognition by tourists in Vancouver … if not, it should. The West End still has a number of gems that were saved from the wrecking ball.
I love Mole Hill, we are so lucky that it was spared the fate of most of the West End. https://evelazarus.com/our-missing-west-end-residential-heritage-what-were-we-thinking-part-7/
The houses in San Francisco that you refer to are called Painted Ladies. I also love Mole Hill and was so glad to see these homes saved. They define the historical character of the whole area.
I love that it’s now social housing – the city did a good job!
It’s only partially social housing…there are also market rate units