Billy Bishop Legion Hall

Billy Bishop Legion Hall is a haunted hall in Vancouver, British Columbia. Unlike most places whose hauntings are attributed to violent or unhappy events, the Billy Bishop Legion Hall has no history of trauma, yet is quite active. It may serve as an example of the influences of place—perhaps a sort of geophysical energy—that facilitates the eruption of paranormal phenomena. The site is near the former location of an old Squamish village that gave way to the development of the city.

History

The hall, built in 1929–1930, originally was a clubhouse for the Meralomas, an athletic group. The Canadian Pacific Railway bought it in 1936, but could not make the mortgage payments on it due to the Great Depression. The city of Vancouver took it over. It became a veterans’ club in 1947, when it was purchased by the Air Force Association (AFA).

The AFA became part of the Canadian Legion in 1958, which in turn became the Royal Canadian Legion in 1960, the organization that owns and operates the hall today. In 1964, the hall was named after Billy Bishop, a World War I aviator who shot down more than 70 enemy aircraft and became a national hero.
The hall is full of war artifacts and memorabilia.

Haunting Activity

Most of the paranormal phenomena occur upstairs: footsteps, the sounds of heavy furniture being dragged around, bangings and hammerings, and lights flickering on and off.

The Ghost of a woman has been sensed, but not seen, by a window. Downstairs, an unfinished painting hangs near a corner of one room. People report feeling “weird” there, as though the ghost of the artist is still around.

FURTHER READING:

• Belanger, Jeff. The World’s Most Haunted Places. Franklin Lakes, N.J.: New Page Books, 2004.

Source:

The Encyclopedia of Ghosts and Spirits– Written by Rosemary Ellen Guiley – September 1, 2007