history of dept. bay/hammond bay?

[redrose85]

I've had some strange encounters (think paranormal) recently at my home off of Hammond Bay Rd, and told a friend about it, she is much older than I am and knows about the history of Nanaimo. She said that my area used to be coal mines and native settlements, and there was a lot of small pox and some coal min explosions right in the area. I'm curious now, just doing some research, and was wondering what your two cents are as far as that area, and if you can recommend any good books or websites that can help me.

[shane_mueller]

what kind of paranormal encounters did you have?? tell us what happened. im really curious to know.

[redrose85]

It's very long, very hard to cut this sort of thing down... I moved into the place, just a regular house, last fall. Around November or December I had a really weird experience where I woke up in the morning, feeling that I was not alone. I was in some sort of trance, and couldn't move as this thing I couldn't see moved towards my bed, and crawled onto the bed. I really got the impression of a cat, as it crawled towards me the way a cat would, but then it got menacing, like a racoon. I remember claws, and I really remember feeling like my space had been violated. It made me angry. It was under my covers and got bigger until it was a man. Somehow, I knew right off the bat that it was male. It swirled (yes, swirled) around me, and at that point, I felt a lot of pressure on my chest, like I couldn't breathe. At some point, I came out of the trance and could move again, and was able to tell it to leave.

I know this sounds totally bizarre and unbelievable, but it's true. I told my boyfriend about the experience I'd had the next morning, but he brushed it off and said I was dreaming or had one of those half-awake half-asleep dreams. I knew that it wasn't a dream. I had been awake, but stuck, the whole time. Anyways, I was able to put it out of my mind, and though I never felt truly comfortable there, things were fine, appliances got replaced, one after the other.

I should mention that from the get go, there were problems with the house. Appliances would crash out one after the other, almost to the point where I could predict what would happen before it did. I went through two fridges, a washer, an oven, and when I moved out, the dryer was starting to act funny. Later on, the plumbing started acting up. At first, I thought it was just bad luck, but even my landlord was starting to wonder what was really going on, and if perhaps someone was trying to get my attention, or contact me. I still was feeling angry, because this was the first time I'd been brave enough to live on my own, and this was ruining it for me. I was starting to stay at my boyfriend's place, or at my friend's place a lot.

In May, my boyfriend and I fell asleep at my place, and he had an experience himself. I slept fine, didn't notice a thing, but in the morning after I had gotten back from the gym, he told me that a man had been in my room that night, around 2-3 AM. But he said, it wasn't a man, it was some sort of shadow, or spirit that tried to get closer to the bed, but couldn't. He described it as being blacker than black, and hooded. So cliche, but when I talked to the owner of the house about it, she said she'd had a similar experience, where her and one of her daughters had seen something similar. She also confided that she can't sleep alone in that house, and got a funny vibe from day 1. When my boyfriend told me what happened, I suddenly got the impression that this was not a good thing, and not a well meaning spirit. Needless to say, I was beyond freaked out. I tried to deal with it, but was losing so much sleep and getting so stressed out and just plain paranoid, that I moved out in June. I guess in reality I did deal with it for quite awhile, because I remember always feeling the need to be super quiet at night, and would just feel really on edge, even though it's a great neighborhood and no one else in the house could ever hear me. A lot of the time, I felt like I was disturbing someone/something. The only time I felt at ease there, really, was when I was studying really hard, and had all my concentration on what I was doing. It was a real nightmare, and something that I'd never have thought I'd have to deal with, but I don't regret moving at all, because I know that for whatever reason, I was not wanted in that house. Just couldn't shake that feeling at all.

[Smokey©]

There have been stories of haunted houses in that area for quite a few years. I think that all of them have been torn down and replaced so maybe the ghosts moved nearby.

Apparently there is a boy ghost at Beban House that is a bit mischievous, moving things and taking apart door knobs. (if you use the bathroom, make sure you have someone outside in case the door knob breaks)

[islandgal]

Just curious....in which part of Hammond Bay was this house located?

Carol

[Smokey©]

Not sure if you were asking me, Carol, but the one of the haunted houses was in the area of Hammond Bay west of the Biological Station. Beban House is located in Beban Park.

[islandgal]

The message was meant for either of you Smokey...thanks for your reply.

Carol

[riverrat]

Scary! Especially when other people corroborate your evidence.

Were there really mines that far north? I thought they were all downtown-ish, under Newcastle/Protection, and inland at Wellington/Diver Lake. Anyone?

Departure Bay has seen all kinds of stuff. Native villages, canneries, a bottling plant, and of course mining and forestry.

What was Departure Bay like in the 50's and 60's? I have this old map of Nanaimo circa 1960, and there aren't any roads to what we would now call Kin Beach, but it looks like there was some kind of settlement there. A resort?

[riverrat]

What was Departure Bay like in the 50's and 60's? I have this old map of Nanaimo circa 1960, and there aren't any roads to what we would now call Kin Beach, but it looks like there was some kind of settlement there. A resort?

ACK! I just looked at the map and I realized I was so wrong when I said the above; there WERE roads in and out of the Kin Beach area.

[Smokey©]

Does the map extend as far north as where the zoo was? I have been looking for a map of Nanaimo in the 60's for a long time .. .. How can I get a look at it?

Departure Bay used to be where the trains would bring Coal to the ships waiting for shipments to England. (look at the mural alongside the 7-11)