The following story is from Robert C. Belyk’s book
Ghosts II: More True Stories from British Columbia.
(Victoria: Horsdal and Schubart, 1997).

The Phantom of Highway 1

In the spring of 1975, John and Janice Bradley left Vancouver to visit John’s brother, Dave, and his wife, Judy, who were living in Kamloops. The decision to go had been made at the last minute, and it was not until after dinner that they finally loaded their suitcases into the trunk of their automobile and got under way. For the young couple, the trip was particularly exciting for neither John nor Janice had ever been to Kamloops. Although there was a chill in the air, it was a beautiful night for a romantic moonlit drive. They reached Hope a little before midnight, and took the north fork along Highway 1 that follows the eastern edge of the Fraser Canyon. They had planned to stop for the night at the small town of Spences Bridge, beyond the end of the canyon, but in the few motels scattered along the highway, all the lights were out. John and Janice had little choice but to push on to the junction town of Cache Creek where they were sure a motel room would be available.
By now it was after one a.m., and there was almost no traffic on the road. Even the drivers of the big transport trucks had pulled over to get a few hours sleep. The couple had been on the road more than three hours, but they were not particularly tired – the view of the glittering night sky in this part of British Columbia kept them awake.
John was behind the wheel as they approached the brow of a small hill about half way between Spences Bridge and the turn-off to Ashcroft. Along one side of the road Janice noticed an number of shacks, obviously abandoned. No lights were visible in the windows, the walls leaned crazily in one direction or the other and on most, the roofs seemed to be falling in. Suddenly their high beams illuminated the back of a woman walking along the edge of the highway. As they drew closer, John and Janice could see she was short, with black hair cut bluntly above her shoulders. Janice estimated that she was less than five feet tall, which, combined with her straight, black hair, made it seem likely that she was of Asian descent. Her clothes, though, did not look like anything John or Janice had seen before. She wore short, dark pants that came down only as far as her calf, and a dark vest over a puffy-sleeved white blouse. On her feet, she had flat, black leather shoes.
Even though it was a beautiful night, it seemed strange to Janice that the woman was out in this lonely spot without a coat. The way she was walking was also unusual. She was moving quickly, taking short, mincing steps, with her elbows bent, and arms swinging rapidly back and forth. Janice’s first thought was that the woman had had car trouble and was forced to walk for help, but she hadn’t noticed any vehicles parked at the side of the highway. Another possibility, Janice reasoned, was that her car had slid off the road and was now out of sight. “Pull over closer to the shoulder, John,” Janice said, “and I’ll see if she needs help.”
As John drew up beside the walker, Janice rolled down her window. “Excuse me, madam,” she began, “do you need…” The woman jerked her head in their direction. The movement of the head was strange, as though the motion was not altogether human. The face, which was as white as porcelain, lacked eyebrows, but was defined by a mouth twisted into a vicious snarl, and eyes so electrifying that Janice was later unable to find words to describe their appearance. The pupils were incredibly large and darker than anything she had ever seen. Both John and Janice were sure that whatever it was they were looking at was not human.
John uttered an oath, pushed his foot down on the gas pedal, and the automobile sped away. Janice quickly turned around to look out the rear window, but no one was there. The woman seemed to have vanished. John did not slow down until he could see the lights of Ashcroft in the distance. “What the hell was that?” he finally said. Janice had no idea.
The following day, Janice phoned the Ashcroft detachment of the R.C.M.P. to enquire if there had been an accident along that section of the highway. Nothing had been reported to the police. Still unsettled, she asked the clerk whether there were any Oriental families living in the area. No, came the reply, not for some time. Once, though, the woman said, there had been a number of Chinese people living on a few farms, but the old dwellings had long been abandoned and were falling down. They could be still seen beside the highway.

Chapter Five, pp.89-91

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Janice’s description of the walker’s apparel is certainly consistent with what a Chinese woman might have worn almost one hundred years ago. An examination of the newspapers around the turn of the century reveals that Ashcroft indeed had a small but active Chinese population. “A marriage in Chinatown was an event a day or two ago,” stated the Ashcroft Journal on December 22, 1900. “The groom is known in business as You Lee. … The bride’s name could not be learned. She has been a resident of the coast for some time.” Could this person, or another woman in a similar circumstance, be the ghost who haunts Highway 1? While it is possible, there is little likelihood of ever knowing for sure.

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Robert C. Belyk has written two books about ghosts in British Columbia in which he recounts a wide variety of tales from all parts of the province. Both books are in print and can be obtained through your local book shop.

BELYK, Robert C.
Ghosts. True Stories from British Columbia. Horsdal & Schubart Publishers Ltd. Victoria, 1997 159pp.
Ghosts II. More True Stories from British Columbia. Horsdal & Schubart Publishers Ltd. Victoria, 1997 159pp.
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For more information about ghosts in British Columbia, and about Mr. Belyk’s books, readers are invited to e-mail Bob at rbelyk@shaw.ca.

Also, visit the website of The Old Cemeteries Society, of Victoria, for some other excellent stuff.

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