From witches to satanic cults: British Columbia has a secret history of supernatural activity

The slogan "Super, Natural British Columbia" refers to this outdoor adventurers' paradise, but is there something more otherworldly to the tourism tag line? It might surprise many people to learn that B.C. is home to a rich occult community and history and has long been rumoured to be a hotbed of metaphysical activity. 

The capital city of Victoria is known for its historic architecture and quaint British charm, but it's also renowned for being one of the most haunted towns in Canada.

One notable site is Craigdarroch Castle, commissioned by the coal baron Robert Dunsmuir, who tragically died before its completion. It is believed that he and his wife, Joan, still wander the halls of the castle from the afterlife.

Another haunted location is the James Bay Inn, where artist Emily Carr spent her final days. Carr's room, where she died, is said to be haunted by her spirit, adding to the inn's eerie reputation.

Victoria's Satanic Panic focus of a CBC documentary

In the fall of 1982, allegations surfaced that a satanic cult was sacrificing babies stolen from a Victoria hospital, which led to a police investigation. 

Watch | In the 80s, it was feared that babies would be stolen from Victoria hospitals

How Victoria, B.C. once became terrified that a Satanic cult was planning to steal babies | Satan Wants You

2 years ago

Duration 0:52

"It was in the paper that Satanists were going to take a baby." Watch Satan Wants You on CBC Gem: how a young woman and her psychiatrist in B.C. sparked a global panic that devil-worshiping cults and satanic ritual abuse were everywhere.

Two years prior, the bestselling memoir Michelle Remembers had been published. It was written by psychiatrist Larry Pazder and his patient-turned-wife Michelle Smith and recounted Michelle's alleged repressed memories of satanic abuse. The book triggered a wave of allegations, arrests and widespread outrage across North America, leading to what is now known as the Satanic Panic, which is explored in the CBC documentary Satan Wants You. 

The book was later debunked and it erroneously listed Victoria as the official headquarters of the Church of Satan, fostering rumours of high-level satanic activity at Ross Bay Cemetery and elsewhere in the region. Here are some of the more infamous tales that connect the province to occult activity: 

• One of B.C.'s earliest connections to the occult can be traced back to 1915, when famed philosopher and ceremonial magician Aleister Crowley visited Vancouver. Crowley founded a spiritual movement called Thelema and established its first North American branch, Ordo Templi Orientis (OTO), in North Vancouver, which still operates today. Acclaimed B.C.-based author Malcolm Lowry frequently fraternized with the OTO and was known to partake in ceremonial magic and the mystical teachings of the kabbalah. This influenced his book Under the Volcano, which is considered one of the great works of the 20th century (Number 11 on the Modern Library's 100 Best Novels).

• It is believed that "ley lines" in Victoria link the B.C. Parliament Buildings and the Empress Hotel to other iconic coordinates on a worldwide grid that harnesses an ancient, powerful energy. The idea was developed in early 20th-century Europe, with ley line believers claiming that these alignments were recognized by ancient societies. 

• British Columbia has played host to many cults, including the Aquarian Foundation, which was led by the enigmatic Brother XII and active during the 1920s and 1930s on De Courcy Island. It dissolved due to Brother XII's tyrannical leadership and misuse of cult funds.

• B.C.'s association with witchcraft traces back to the founding figure of Wicca, Gerald Gardner. Heather Denise Botting, the original high priestess of Canada's first Wiccan coven, was initiated by Gardner's high priestess in the 1960s and served as a professor of anthropology at the University of Victoria before she retired in 2014.

• Not only is B.C. renowned as the film location for Netflix's Chilling Adventures of Sabrina (an adaptation of Sabrina the Teenage Witch), but it is also home to a vibrant witchcraft community. Every summer, the province hosts a well-established Witch camp, attracting practitioners from around the world who convene to practice spells and engage in rituals during the full moon. 

One thing is certain: B.C.'s association with the occult isn't mere gossip. It's a captivating tale woven through its breathtaking landscapes, ghostly locations and the rituals of its inhabitants.

Watch Satan Wants You now streaming on CBC Gem.