The Vogue Theatre – Vancouver

Built in 1941, the Vogue Theatre was the hottest ticket in Vancouver. With nouveau art deco and acoustics, it soon became the place to go for one’s entertainment dollar. Canadian and international stars of the day were all seen parading across its stage. Dramas and dance numbers, Broadway musicals, and one-man shows were all housed at the Vogue. All of the best-known entertainers of the period performed there, displaying their craft to enthusiastic audiences and, rumor has it, some remain to this day. The main theater section features rows of plush, red seats, and ornate wooden carvings hearken back to a time of Vaudeville and stage drama. Row upon row of chairs sit like silent sentinels in the dark thick air of the theater, and the balcony box windows seem blind and gaping.

Though the Vogue Theatre is old by Vancouver’s standards, perhaps others may consider the building not old enough for tales of ghosts, phantoms, and specters to take hold. Perhaps people would only believe in spirits finding a home in a location after centuries have passed? Maybe, but it seemed that from the start, odd things have been happening in the Vogue. The earliest stories were about a young woman who may have been an actress forced to suicide by the rejection of her lover. Pregnant, alone, and unwanted, this young woman ended her life and returns to the theater to haunt the lower dressing room located under the stage. Wispy, shadowy entities are seen from time to time in the projector room. A strange, dark male image sits in there, sometimes alone, and sometimes with other spectral figures. The smells of alcohol and cigars have also been known to fill the air. There are stories of empty chairs filling with misty forms, and distant laughter and applause have also been heard. On more than one occasion, ethereal actors move across the dusty stage. An encore from beyond? Both patrons and employees have claimed to come across these unknown spirits who haunt the Vogue. From Vancouver Paranormal’s investigations inside the theater, we have experienced the thick, unrelenting air which, like an invisible net, makes walking difficult. We have heard disembodied voices that seem to call out, but no one is there. We have also seen dark shapes gliding past, glimpsed quickly from the corner of our vision. The washrooms downstairs also seem to have a “Peeping Tom” kind of spirit, who seems to enjoy scaring and spooking both men and women alike. An e-mail we received from one patron claimed to have been using the washroom, and beside him another gentleman was peering into the mirror and combing his hair. The patron was astonished to see the fully developed apparitional image slowly fade away, and the washroom became intensely cold. —Jan Gregory Founder, Vancouver Paranormal

THE VOGUE THEATRE 918 GRANVILLE STREET VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA TEL: 1 (604) 331-7900 WEBSITE: www.voguetheatre.com
Taken from the: Encyclopedia of Haunted Places -Ghostly Locales from around the World – Compiled & Edited by Jeff Belanger – Copyright 2005 by Jeff Belanger