James Bay Inn - Haunted Hotel in Victoria, British Columbia

Built in 1911 and designed by architect Charles Elwood Watkins, the James Bay Inn holds the distinction of being the third oldest hotel in Victoria, British Columbia. Located at 270 Government Street, this historic property previously operated as St. Mary's Priory before its conversion to a hotel. While it may not possess the grand scale of the Fairmont Empress down the street, the James Bay Inn harbors one of Canada's most famous artistic spirits—and she is decidedly unhappy about recent renovations. Emily Carr, one of Canada's most celebrated painters, was a patient at the building when it functioned as St. Mary's Priory. In March 1945, Emily Carr died in her room, ending the life of an artist who desperately wanted to be as unforgettable as her paintings. In a twist of fate that would have surely appalled the distinguished painter, her death room was later rebuilt and converted into the men's washroom at the hotel's pub. This indignity appears to be the source of the continuous paranormal activity that plagues the James Bay Inn. Emily Carr's spirit manifests her displeasure through persistent, unsettling phenomena. She phones guests' rooms in the middle of the night; when they answer, nobody speaks on the other line. Guests report waking to find her standing silently at the foot of their beds, watching them as they sleep—a chilling experience that has become disturbingly regular at the property. She moves items around rooms, leaving guests to discover their belongings relocated without explanation. Staff at the hotel's bar have learned that merely mentioning Emily Carr's name can summon her apparition—she will reportedly appear as soon as anyone speaks of her, as if she's constantly listening for recognition of her presence. Her manifestations are so frequent that the hotel's paranormal activity is described as "continuous," with regular incidents keeping both staff and guests aware that Emily Carr refuses to be forgotten. The combination of her fame, the indignity done to her death room, and her strong personality in life has created one of Victoria's most reliably active hauntings, where the spirit of a great Canadian artist continues to make her presence unmistakably known.