Photo courtesy of Fairmont Hotel Vancouver.
Lady in Red by photographer Dennis Gocer.
Words by Dennis Begin
Across from the church, I attended with my family as a young boy, there was an old Victorian-style house across the street that was rumoured to be haunted. My father often joked that either the devil or the ghost would take my soul. My preference was the ghost, because how scary could Casper the Friendly Ghost really be? As an adult, some of my favourite movies have centered on the paranormal, including Ghost (1990), Ghost Busters (1984), Field of Dreams (1989), and Pirates of the Caribbean (2003 to 2017).
A ghost is an apparition or an image of a person who has passed away. It is believed that the spirit or the soul is trapped between the living and the dead. Ghosts remain in a lost world on the way to the other side. The usual depiction of a ghost is a shadow or translucent figure that displays an eerie feeling. Despite no scientific evidence that ghosts exist, there are some generalizations about ghosts.
One - ghosts are usually found in former hotels, restaurants, vacant buildings and historical places. Two - many ghosts died from murder or tragic accidents. Three - ghosts are seen by numerous people in the same locations over many years. Four - ghosts return to places where they were the happiest when alive.
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Dennis Begin
Royal Lounge on 14th Floor.
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Dennis Begin
Elevator Door on 14th Floor that ghost walks through.
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Dennis Begin
Royal Bedroom on 14th Floor.
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Dennis Begin
14th Floor with fresh orchids
Castle in the City
The Hotel Vancouver began construction in 1939, and took 11 years to complete because of financial problems during the Great Depression. The hotel was constructed by the Canadian National Railroad (CNR), with the Canadian Pacific Railroad (CPR) joining to operate the hotel. John Smith Archibald and John Schofield were the architects using the architectural style called ‘Chateauesque.’ In the 1940s, the hotel resembled a castle and was an engineering miracle with 17 floors, a unique copper roof and a cost of $12 million. Today, this downtown five-star hotel is located on West Georgia Street, between Burrard and Hornby.
This year marks the 80th anniversary of this elegant hotel (1939-2019). Walking up the ramp to the front desk, the wall is lined with ‘Iconic Moments’ - large historic pictures by Vancouver photographer Dennis Gocer. One of the photos is of housekeeper Ethel Ferguson, who hid 200 pieces of traditional Chippendale and Mahogany furniture rather than have them sold. The furniture was later used to redecorate 32 rooms. In 1940, actor Roy Rogers and his horse Trigger showed up for a photo op in the Panorama Ballroom (The Roof), upstaging Dal Richards and his orchestra. A baby elephant was even smuggled into the hotel. There is also a collection of black and white photos of famous visitors in the lower lobby. Former hotel guests include Bob Hope, Pierre Trudeau, Indira Gandhi as well as Queen Elizabeth 1 and King George V1. More recent celebrities include Elton John, Celine Dion, Halle Berry, and Joe Biden.
Now known as the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver, the hotel underwent a five-year renovation project (2014-2019), which cost $75 million. A new lobby, up-scale boutiques, Notch8 Bar and Restaurant and the luxurious Fourteenth Floor Heritage Suites were added. All guests in the Fourteen Floor Suites receive the Fairmont Gold privileges with access to a private lounge. Fairmont Gold is a hotel within a hotel, offering private check-in, continental breakfast and concierge service.
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Photo courtesy of the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver.
Fairmont Hotel Vancouver.
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Photo courtesy of Scott Graham.
Haunted Hotel Vancouver with Lady in Red in window.
The Lady in Red
One of my favourite songs is ‘Lady in Red’ by Chris de Burgh, but the real Lady in Red is Vancouver’s Jennie Pearl Cox. Jennie and her husband Harold frequented the hotel’s ballrooms during the 1940s. She was known as a Vancouver socialite who loved tea dances and other hotel events.
The legend begins when 25-year-old Jennie Cox was killed in a car accident in the summer of 1944 near the corner of Burrard and Georgia. Her ghost appeared soon after. Over the years, hotel guests and employees have seen Jennie’s ghost in the lobby, stairways, ballrooms and especially along the 14th floor. When the hotel was originally built, two of the eight elevators were never completed, leaving empty shafts behind locked doors. This has not changed. Jennie’s ghost has been seen walking through locked elevator doors before disappearing. There are numerous stories of how she turns lights on and off, opens and closes closet doors and has been seen sitting in a bedroom. Jennie has made her home on the 14th floor.
On May 27, 2017, Scott Graham of Vancouver photographed what he thought was a woman dressed in a red dress, wistfully looking down on West Georgia Street from the 16th floor. Here was concrete proof that the ghost of Jennie Cox truly existed. Further investigation revealed that the 16th and 17th floors are offices and, at the time, were undergoing renovations. That red dress in the window was merely a red tarp.
The X-Files, an American science fiction drama, ran for 11 years. The show involved two FBI Agents who investigated paranormal phenomena, such as ghosts. Hotel Vancouver was used in numerous episodes with one of the crew members encountering a ghostly woman dressed in a red dress. Considering the supernatural themes featured on X-Files, truth is often stranger than fiction.
The question remains, do ghosts exist? Some would argue that Jennie Cox never existed and was a marketing tool to promote the hotel. Questions remain about her death, gravesite and family left behind. Maybe the Lady in Red is only an urban myth, made popular by social media and local television. Visitors to the hotel are fascinated with the ghost story and immerse themselves in the paranormal. Research at the Vancouver Archives might reveal relevant facts, but both believers and skeptics would prefer to see the ghost, including myself.
Speaking with Rebecca Macdonald, Marketing and Public Relations Manager, she talked freely about The Lady in Red, adding “…our resident ghost has added to the spirit and soul of the hotel.” Rebecca is correct.
Every October the Notch8 Bar and Restaurant features a ghostly cocktail called Jennie Cox. Time for a drink.
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![Dal Richards, Roy Rogers and his horse Trigger in the Panorama Ballroom [The Roof].](https://suncruisermedia.com/downloads/23099/download/Dal%20Richards%20with%20Roy%20Rogers%20and%20Trigger%20in%20Hotel%20Vancouver%20Panorama%20Roof%201940.jpg?cb=f47d93c49292ac3afb5037b1599aa47e&w={width}&h={height} "Dal Richards, Roy Rogers and his horse Trigger in the Panorama Ballroom [The Roof].")
Photo courtesy of Fairmont Hotel Vancouver.
Dal Richards, Roy Rogers and his horse Trigger in the Panorama Ballroom [The Roof].
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Photo courtesy of Fairmont Hotel Vancouver.
Queen Elizabeth and King George V1 Official Opening Hotel in 1939.