POWELL RIVER, BC

Just a block from the Rodmay is another very haunted hotel, The Old Courthouse Inn. Once the town’s provincial building, the historic inn served as the local police station, jail, clerical offices, and courthouse, hence its namesake.

Built in 1939, it operated as a government facility until 1974, when more modern facilities were built. Afterwards it served as lodging, before becoming a hotel in 1997. Beautifully restored, the historic Tudor style building features period rooms, an eclectic assortment of antiques, and gorgeous views of the nearby Strait of Georgia. And, maybe, the chance of a ghostly encounter.

There are a number of ghosts believed to call the historic inn home, including a young boy who likes to play pranks, a woman who gives off the distinct scent of rosewater, and a man who is described as “portly.” There’s also a piano-playing woman in the hallway and a male spirit who makes his presence known through the scent of cherry tobacco pipe smoke near the stairs. 

Of the eight rooms available for guests, rooms 1, 3, 6, and 9 seem to be the most active. 

Room 1 is where the phantom boy likes to play pranks on patrons. The pint-sized spirit, affectionately known as “Leo,” enjoys moving and hiding items, as well as poking and pulling hair.

Room 3, which was previously the old police station, is known for its temperature fluxes, the feeling of being watched, and the sensation of someone sitting on the bed. One particularly unnerving event, relayed to The Paranormal Road Tripper’s in their 2022 investigation of the inn, tells of a female guest who was speaking on the phone with a friend while staying in the room. In the midst of their conversation, the woman suddenly heard a loud male voice say “shut up” through the earpiece of her phone. Her friend on the other end of the line heard nothing. 

The door to Room 6 is known to open on its own. The bathroom door inside the room is also known to move on its own accord. During the course of their investigation, one of the Road Tripper’s claimed to have seen a shadowy figure appear in one of the room’s mirrors. They also recorded footsteps moving in the unoccupied room. 

Guests in Room 9, the former jury room, have described feeling the sensation of somebody sitting on their beds and having items move on their own accord. 

Before writing this article, Coastal Shadows was relayed the second hand account of a man who claimed to have seen a full-bodied apparition while staying at the inn. The source explained that the man awoke in the middle of the night to a woman in period clothing sitting on the end of his bed. As the reality of what he was seeing set in, the figure proceeded to vanish before his eyes. Though the account cannot be verified, it’s worth mentioning.

In a March 2023 article in qathet Living, one guest told of having two necklaces she wore intricately tied together by unseen hands while taking part in a ghost hunt at the hotel.

The inn’s restaurant staff have experienced items being thrown at them. This area of the building, which served as the former clerical office, is where the rose scented woman is most often smelt.

Indeed, The Old Courthouse Inn is no stranger to the strange. Anyone wishing to spend a night at the historic inn can rest assured they will not only get plenty of history and hospitality, but also a chance of encountering the otherworldly!

All sources for this article provided in links.