At Halloween Alley, we’re proud to be a Canadian owned and operated company. As Canada’s largest independently-owned Halloween retailer, we love to bring Halloween cheer to our communities because that’s where we live, too.
We love the many weird and wondrous ways our country stands out on the map. Here’s just a few of the creepy, cool things you may not have known about Canada.
Horror Movie Destinations
Who doesn’t love a good horror flick — especially the hit movies filmed right here at home? According to Booking.com, Canadians love their horror movies so much they’re jumping at the chance to visit and stay at some of the most renowned places where they were filmed.
You probably won’t have to worry about a killer clown stalking you during your stay at the Ivy at Verity in downtown Toronto. But it’s thrilling to stay at the restored 1850s chocolate factory knowing it played a role in the movie adaptation of Stephen King’s IT.
Deep in the woods of Halfmoon Bay, northwest of Vancouver, B.C., there lies a cabin that was the setting of Joss Whedon’s horror comedy The Cabin in the Woods. Secret Cove Cottage Suites has two deluxe suites and offers guests a hidden getaway.
Zombie Walks
Canadian cities have had their fair share of zombie invasions — particularly Ontario’s capital. For years, the undead descended upon Toronto every October. The 2007 Toronto Zombie Walk even had the honour of being the biggest zombie walk on record with more than 1,100 undead — later overtaken by more than 1,300 zombies who descended upon Pittsburgh the following year. And although Toronto’s Zombie Walk died for the last time in 2015, the undead continue to invade cities across Canada, including Montreal, Calgary, Edmonton, and Saskatoon.
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Towns with Creepy Names
Canada is home to a number of places with ominous names. They include Dead Creek, New Brunswick; Gore, Quebec; Skull Creek, Saskatchewan; Devil’s Gate, Alberta; and Phantom Lake, B.C. There’s even a Sleepy Hollow in Saskatchewan.
There are interesting — and sometimes conflicting — stories as to where many of these places have gotten their names from. Like the Alberta hamlet of Dead Man’s Flats. One theory is the name came from a murder in the area in the early 1900s, when a farmer was killed by his brother. Another theory is that the name stems from beaver trappers, who, while trapping in nearby Banff National Park, played dead to avoid being caught by the park warden.
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Haunted Hockey Hall of Fame
Even our favourite national pastime comes with it’s own chilling stories. The Hockey Hall of Fame in particular is home to a ghost named Dorothy. The historic building was once a Bank of Montreal branch, and in the 1950s a young bank teller took her own life there, heartbroken over her boyfriend leaving her, according to the Toronto Star. Over the decades, there have been many reports of lights flickering, doors suddenly closing, screams, footsteps late at night, and even sightings of a ghostly female figure on the second floor.
A Plethora of Sea Monsters
Sure, we’ve all heard of the legendary Loch Ness Monster. But did you know the Scottish serpent has a few Canadian counterparts? There’s the Ogopogo, with tales of sightings in British Columbia’s Okanagan Lake dating back over a century. Then there’s the Manipogo, a mysterious creature said to live in Lake Manitoba. And Cressie, another described serpent-like creature, calls Crescent Lake in Newfoundland and Labrador home.
Every summer, there is typically at least one reported sighting of one of these majestic lake creatures somewhere in Canada — and nowadays this often comes with footage captured on a cell phone. Unfortunately, the quality of these recordings isn’t high enough to determine exactly what has been captured.
Halloween Alley is proud to be 100% Canadian owned and operated. Our staff at our many store locations across Canada would be happy to help you find the perfect costumes, accessories and decorations to make this Halloween one for the books.
