Halloween Canadian Style

Halloween Canadian Style
Photo of a scarecrow in a corn field ? Louise Tanguay

Scary Tales

As the days get shorter and the weather grows cooler, Canadians of all ages get ready to celebrate the festival known as Halloween. We know that this pagan celebration was previously associated with the harvest, but its exact origins are lost in the mists of time. In fact, the original aspects have become so transformed that little remains — except perhaps the Celtic practice of carving the fruits of the harvest into lanterns. Interestingly enough, those ancient tribes used turnips rather than pumpkins.

These days, the celebration means candy for the little ones and scary thrills for older revellers. In fact, almost every story associated with Halloween contains some element of mystery or fear. To honour the tradition, hair-raising activities — complete with spiders, witches and vampires — are planned from coast to coast, and you don't have to wait until October 31 to enjoy it all.

Haunted Houses

Ghosts are an important part of our collective image of Halloween. Every town or city claims to have at least a few, to the delight of curious visitors eager to uncover some carefully guarded secret.

  • Local tour company Discover the Past boasts that Victoria is the most haunted place in all of British Columbia. Why not test their claim during the Ghosts of Victoria Festival that provides many spine-tingling opportunities to explore the city’s haunted locales. 
  • The Vancouver Trolley Company invites you to tour the city’s spookiest haunts as you listen to sordid tales of revenge and betrayal. 
  • Only the bravest of the brave could spend a night at Madison’s Haunted Inn, the name given to the one-time residence of the Gentle family and now home to a host of “earthbound, restless spirits.” 
  • A Toronto company, Muddy York Walking Tours, thrills visitors by uncovering past crimes and long-hidden secrets. It offers 14 different tours, many of which go through cemeteries and expose some of the more obscure aspects of the city’s history. 
  • The city of Hamilton invites visitors to tour its many haunted sites on foot… lit only by a lantern held by a guide from Hamilton’s Ghost Walks. In order to make these scary thrills available to all, the sites on the tour are wheelchair accessible. 
  • Haunted Walks Inc. presents the darker side of Ottawa’s and Kingston’s history year-round. For Halloween, the company offers special extended versions of certain tours: of an old jailhouse, for example, or the Fort Henry National Historic Site. 
  • Criss-cross the city in a luxury motor coach with the trained guides from Haunted Winnipeg 2007. If you dare, they are ready to take you to a number of buildings where mysterious events took place. 
  • Fantômes Montréal Ghosts has organized nothing less than a ghost hunt! If the wandering spirits elude you, try looking for clues to some of New France’s dark crimes and murky secrets.
  • Within Québec City’s old stone walls, many historical buildings house the well-kept secrets of celebrated criminals and merciless executioners. Let the enthusiastic guides from Ghost Tours of Québec thrill you with these lesser-known stories from Québec’s history.
  • From local gossip to urban legends, the guided tours offered by Ghost Walk of Historic Halifax spare no effort to raise your hair and tingle your spine. The Cursed Bridge, the local Titanic victim and the first murder site are just a few of the secrets you will unearth.

Thrills and Chills

A number of Canadian cities that do not possess any “real” haunted places of their own have turned to other means to scare visitors. From make-believe haunted houses to events organized in places with questionable pasts, no effort has been spared to give visitors a deliciously spooky thrill.

  • The Moran family initially started The Reapers’ Haunted Attraction to keep their own and neighbourhood children involved in a constructive activity. Thirteen years later, not only is the project still going strong, but it also collects a great many items for the Chilliwack, British Columbia, food bank.
  • The Saunders Farm in Ottawa, Ontario, really gets into the Halloween spirit! Their night-time activities — haunted hayrides, barn of terror, field of screams — are definitely not for the faint of heart! The farm also offers a daytime program for younger revellers. 
  • Old Montréal’s Haunted House promises that you will “Love it to death.” It offers Haunted Supper Shows, Murder Mystery dinners and special Magic Shows for adults. For a truly memorable evening, organize a custom event in this 18th-century house in the heart of Old Montréal. 
  • Just in time for Halloween, Riverbreeze Farm in Truro, Nova Scotia, has turned its giant corn maze into a place where you can lose your way… and maybe your friends as well! Seriously spooky fun for the whole family.

Other Must-do Canadian Activities

Halloween activities for big kids:

Halloween activities for little kids:

Now, to make this the best Halloween ever, review these ten safety tips, put on your best Halloween costume and join in the spooky fun!

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