There is a spot on one of the inlets near Vancouver that has somewhat of a creepy reputation. It used to house the town of Barnett, which was razed during the 1950's to build a park. It had been a lumber town, squeezed between the slopes of Burnaby mountain and the shores of Burrard Inlet, it shipped lumber to American clients from its buzy sawmill. But the sawmill burned down, lumber got too expensive to barge in, and then they wanted to expand the highway around the mountain. In the end, all but a few houses were demolished, and little but subtle reminders remain of this once small town.
In the crisp autumn twilight of 2003, two friends hiking through the trails of Belcarra looked across the waters of Burrard Inlet to see lights through the evening mist. Knowing the area well, they were sure they were not seeing Port Moody nor the lights originating from nearby oil refineries. As they studied the area further, a silhouette of a small town came clearly into view -- dim lights flickered in the windows.
The hikers had every right to be concerned, for they knew the mirage they were experiencing couldn't be real. The town of Barnet was abandoned and torn down over forty years earlier. Still, they saw homes, small commercial buildings, smokestacks and what appeared to be movement along a far off street.
Thinking that perhaps a local studio had constructed a movie set, they hopped into a car and travelled along the Barnet highway to investigate. They found nothing but darkness and a closed park.
The area known as Burrard Inlet has been a hotbed for unusual sightings. Ancient legends tell of the coastal mountains transforming before people's eyes. Perhaps the most famous documented story is Pauline Johnson's account of a "lost island" not far from the old Barnet town site that is said to appear and disappear.
In a way, nature has presented its own unique epitaph to the town of Barnet. Look to the grassy fields and you'll witness a strange phenomenon. Spring gardens planted long ago still pop through the grassy fields and line the perimeter of long demolished homes like grave markers. Reminders of the town are everywhere if you know where to look.
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Nearby lies a beach with its own hidden secrets. Once, a 12 foot long, tentacled monster washed up on it. Now thought to be the remains of a giant pacific octopus, this was not the only strange thing that lurked in these waters. In 1915, another secret monster prowled these waters.
An enterprising american, forbidden from building submarines for an Imperial Russian contract while in America, secretly built a manufacturing facility along the shores of the Burrard inlet. During the dark of night the vessels would be tested on the waters of the inlet, while during the day they would lurk deep in the depths. It was only after the war ended that anyone knew what was going on in this facility. Even the Canadian government had been kept in the dark.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_H ... submarines
PH.D candidate -M.U. Western Annex