POWELL RIVER, BC

There are no shortage of reportedly haunted locations in Powell River. Whether it’s the area’s abundance of historical structures or the land in which they sit upon, this isolated community of 13,000 on the northern Sunshine Coast is home to at least four well known paranormal hotspots, which we will be featuring in a series of articles over the next weeks.

This week we start with the historic Rodmay Hotel, or Rodmay Heritage Hotel, as it’s officially named. Located in the historic Townsite area of the community, the Rodmay (originally named The Powell River Hotel) was built in 1911 to meet the needs of the then flourishing lumber town. Built to house associates for the Powell River Paper Company, the hotel was well adorned for its time, featuring ornate hardwoods, private rooms, and stately gabled windows. It’s also very haunted, with at least five spirits known to roam its halls.  

Most famous of the ghosts is that of Mrs. McKinney [often mistakenly referred to as “Mrs. Rodmay”] the hotel’s original matron. Though she’s been witnessed in various parts of the hotel, she seems to favour the Rodmay’s lavish ballroom/lounge, known as ‘The Rainbow Room.’ 

According to one account relayed to Youtuber’s, The Paranormal Road Trippers, in their 2022 investigation of the Rodmay, a man walking by the Rainbow Room one day caught sight of something he first attributed to “an ornate beachball” from the corner of his eye. After doing a double take however, he realized what he was seeing wasn’t a ball at all, but rather the rotund figure of a woman in old time attire leaning against the bar.

It appears Mrs. McKinney has a particular fondness for younger men. There’s an account of a young tradesman who, while working in the diner in the lower level of the building, felt something smack him on his behind. Whipping around, he saw he was alone in the room.

Another ghost at the Rodmay is that of a young German girl, who died in a fire in the 1930’s. This spirit is often witnessed on the second floor holding a teddy bear. During the course of the Road Tripper’s investigation, the young girl’s spirit was quite active, frequently triggering a motion sensor set up nearby on command.

The third spirit is that of a Chinese cook named “Charlie”, who haunts the lower floor of the building. The ghost is known to frequent the restaurant located on that level. It seems Charlie has a certain affinity for music. There’s a story of a young employee who, while waiting after closing one night for his ride, had a particularly unnerving encounter with Charlie. As he sat alone at one of the tables with headphones, he began to sing along to the song playing. From out of nowhere, he suddenly heard a phantom voice comment on his “beautiful voice” over the music. The young man was left quite shaken from the experience. Trades people working in the area have had their tools moved and restaurant staff have witnessed items moving before their eyes. Stools have been turned and lightbulbs unscrewed in their sockets. 

In its early years, the Rodmay housed many Chinese workers who were housed in the basement of the Rodmay and it’s believed that Charlie died in a poker fight in that area of the building.

The other two ghosts are a “woman in white,” believed to have come with a set of antique doors brought in from another area building that burned down, and a dapperly dressed man known as “Frank.” 

There are many stories about the Rodmay. Any readers seeking further information are suggested to check out the sources used in this article, listed below.

Would you stay at the Rodmay?

Sources:

 Our Haunted Heritage, Hotel Rodmay: Ghostly Guests/Ghost Hunting Documentary, 2023

Ghostly Activies, Hotel Rodmay: Ghostly Guests. Jacob Rice, 2022. 

Townsite Heritage Society: The Rodmay Hotel, tourism-Powell River.ca

qathet Living, Blast from the Past-Ghost Stories, JOËLLE SÉVIGNY, October 2021

Hotel Rodmay Investigation in Powell River, BC, The Paranormal Road Trippers, 2022, Youtube.com