Things That Go Bump in the Night – the Ghost of the Ward Store

Well, it’s that time of the year again: Halloween.

And Halloween wouldn’t be complete without the Chronicles’ annual telling of spooks ‘n’ goblins and things that go bump in the night...

The old store at the corner of Quadra and North Park Streets, for 80 years a Victoria landmark, is long gone, another victim of progress. But it wasn’t forgotten by its former owners who cherished memories of barley sugar sticks, hooped skirts, hand-blended teas–and of locked doors that slammed in the night when no mortal walked its darkened hallways.

The late George and Madelaine Larrigan lived in the store for years and, later, even had kind words for the invisible tenant with whom they shared residence.

In fact, so strongly did they become attached to their “ghostie,” that they invited it to join them when they moved to their new water-view home in Oak Bay, where I met and interviewed them.

Their invitation, as it turned out, might well have been accepted!

That’s next week in the Chronicles.

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PHOTO: The John Ward store as it appeared in its heyday. —Author’s Collection