The name
Hell's Gate arose from
Simon Fraser's 1808 description of passing through this section of the river as "
a place where no human should venture, for surely these are the gates of Hell". At a large pullout along the west side of the Trans Canada Highway, the
Hell's Gate Air Tram was built in 1970 to carry passengers over Hell's Gate, down the gorge and across the river, for a superlative view of the river and the canyon. The airtram consists of a pair of aerial trams on cables, one going down as the other goes up, the two driven by a 140 horsepower electric motor.
While most wouldn't expect such a place to be, it seems that the Hell's Gate Air Tram is haunted by various spectres, becoming known as one of the
most haunted places on the Fraser River. It turns out that one of the buildings at the bottom of the airtram was once used as a cookhouse for Canadian Pacific Railroad workers and is much older that other buildings on the site, having more time to accumulate ghosts and such.
Have a Paranormal Experience at Hell’s Gate Airtram! Trust Us… you’ll feel what we mean!
The haunted stove awaits and while your visiting you’ll get goose bumps and strange feelings as you visit all the locations that have “come to life” through ongoing paranormal investigations on our property.
Spirits such as Edward, The Smoking Man, the lady behind the gift shop door, just to name a few will be here to meet and spook you.
From the Hell's Gate Air Tram
Word had gotten around of the hauntedness of the airtram, sufficiently that a TV series,
Ghost Hunter's International, even checked out the place, the episode airing in April of 2012. Following is a local news article on the investigation carried out by members of Ghost Hunter's International.
TV show investigates paranormal activity
at Hell’s Gate Airtram
Episode of Ghost Hunter's International to air in April
KERRIE-ANN SCHOENIT | March 22, 2012
Hell’s Gate Airtram will be featured in an upcoming episode of Ghost Hunter’s International.
Last October, Pilgrim Films & Television Inc. chose the Fraser Canyon attraction as one of two Canadian locations to shoot their popular paranormal TV show.
“They hunted us down,” said airtram general manager Debbie McKinney. “It was a pretty exciting time. They said it was one of the most spectacular places that they have ever filmed in.”
A crew of about a dozen people arrived in the Fraser Canyon two days after Hell’s Gate Airtram closed for the season. Misty and foggy weather provided the ideal backdrop for two nights and one day worth of shooting. Accompanying the crew were popular cast members/investigators Barry Fitzgerald, Joe Chin, Paul Bradford and Kris Williams.
“Hopefully it will bring awareness to the paranormal activity that does go on there, to our attraction as a whole, and more people will come up and see us this summer,” said McKinney. “With all the history in the Fraser Canyon – the Fraser Canyon War, the building of the railway and the Chinese labourers that were killed during that time – there’s lots of elements of spirits that could be possible.”
Hell’s Gate Airtram has been the subject of numerous unexplained paranormal activity since the winter of 2006, when guests and staff starting coming forward with testimonials of disembodied incidents.
The Ghost Hunter’s International episode is set to air on OLN at the beginning of April. Hell’s Gate opens for 2012 on April 20.
From the Hope Standard