QUALICUM/PORT ALBERNI, BC

For whatever reason, some places seem to be meccas for the strange and otherworldly and Vancouver Island’s Cameron Lake is certainly one of those places. 

Located 20 kilometres west of Qualicum Beach down Highway 4, the lake and surrounding area hold tales of everything from ghosts to Sasquatch to even an elusive monkey prowling nearby properties. The lake itself is rumoured to be home to a cryptid water monster and UFO sightings have been reported in the area. 

With so many stories swirling around the place, it’s hard to know where to begin. Given the bulk of our content here at Coastal Shadows though, we may as well dive in with ghosts. 

The most well known phantom of Cameron Lake is that of “Grandpa Bonny” [Bonney say some sources]. It’s told that many decades ago the old timer inhabited one of the cabins surrounding the lake, which were built for workers on the nearby railway.  Over the years many have reported smelling the long deceased Bonny’s pipe smoke in the woods near the now derelict cabin he once lived in, as well as feelings of unease. Strange lights have also been reported in the trails at night. 

One witness relayed an encounter they and a friend had at the lake in 2017. The pair had decided to make a trip out there on a day when the weather was nice. After exploring the trails and beach, the pair returned to their car. Before leaving the witness stepped out of their vehicle for a minute. As they returned, they watched the driver’s door they’d left ajar, slowly close by itself. The witness claimed that it was a windless day and that there was no way their friend could’ve done it.

Another reported phantom is that of an apparition on the nearby highway—believed to be a drowning victim who died in the lake after their car went off the road. Though the specifics on this particular spirit end there, it’s said the ghost appears only on nights when the moon is full. Indeed, there have been many accidents along that stretch of Highway 4 over the years, where the winding roadway hugs closely to the water below.  

Perhaps more prevalent than ghosts are the strange creatures spotted in the area.

The best known is “Cammy.” For the past two decades a number of witnesses have reported seeing a large, dark, serpent-like creature plying the lake’s frigid waters. In 2007, a woman snapped a photo of the alleged monster(s) after claiming she saw three creatures plying the water’s surface. During subsequent surveys of the lake, the British Columbia Scientific Cryptozoology Club did in fact encounter large masses moving far below the surface with sonar. Skeptics chalk Cammy up as nothing more than giant eels or sturgeon. Regardless, it may make those looking to cool off on a hot day think twice about what’s moving in the depths beneath them. 

Numerous Sasquatch sightings have also been reported near Cameron Lake over the years. One of the best documented occurred in August 1987. 

A group of friends had driven out to a nearby gravel pit in Whiskey Creek one night after hearing rumours of a party taking place there. While the party turned out to be just that, what the friends encountered that night instead was something that will likely stay with them for the rest of their lives.

Seeing the gravel pit was deserted, the driver began to turn the car around to head back to the highway. Before he could do so though, one of his friends stated that he could see a pair of eyes staring out at them from the darkness at the edge of the pit. Thinking at first that it was a bear, the driver repositioned the vehicle to get a better look. After doing so however, it became quickly apparent that what they were seeing was definitely not a bear. They described the creature as bipedal, standing roughly seven feet tall, having long arms, and being very muscular. Long dark hair covered its entire body, save for its head which had eyes that glowed a “distinct orange” in the headlights.

Moments passed as the three young men sat staring at the creature, which watched them right back. As panic set in, his friends suddenly began to shout hysterically to get them out of there and the driver wasted no time in turning around and racing back towards the highway. The last glimpse he caught of the creature was it retreating back into the treelike.

In 2004, a report on CHEK News told of a pair of witnesses who claimed to have seen a similar large, bipedal creature cross the section of highway near the lake in front of their car. 

If Sasquatch and water monsters aren’t strange enough, there have also been reports from area residents claiming to see a lone monkey wandering their properties—described as being 2 1/2 to 3 feet tall. Checks with conservation officers have found that no one anywhere near the area is licensed to own such a pet. Sasquatch’s distant cousin perhaps? Or merely an irresponsible (and undocumented) primate owner?

Tragedy hasn’t bypassed Cameron Lake either. In May 1968 a small plane crashed into its waters. It wasn’t until 15 years later that the wreckage was finally discovered. The frigid, glacial waters had helped to preserve the remains of those onboard, however conditions allowed for only part of the remains to be salvaged. Countless cars are said to be in the lake from highway accidents, as well as rumours of a submerged train wreck in the purportedly bottomless lake.

What is it about Cameron Lake that draws so much lore? Are the supernatural tales about it simply that, snowballed by generations of retelling? Maybe the only way to draw the line between fact and fiction is to go out and see for yourself. 

Sources in links.

Additional source: Ghosts: More Eerie Encounters, Robert C. Belyk, 2006, TouchWood Editions