19 Deserted and Forgotten Towns in Canada

Ghost towns are fascinating. Although most people may think of ghost towns as old abandoned buildings in the wild, wild west of the United States, there are hundreds of forgotten and abandoned communities in Canada! Sadly, not much is left, if any, of many of the ghost towns in Canada. If you don’t know where to look, or why, you may even miss it! Follow along to learn more about 19 deserted and forgotten towns in Canada.

1. Gagnon

Starting our list of Canadian ghost towns is Gagnon in Quebec. This ghost town was a former mining town in the Côte-Nord region. The Québec Cartier Mining Company founded this settlement to provide a town for workers mining iron ore at Jeannine Lake. Although settled in 1957, the town was gone by the 1980s. At its peak, this mining town was home to over 4,000 people and had important buildings like churches, a hospital, an airport, and schools. The biggest reason for the abandonment of the settlement was the iron crisis of 1982. By 1985, nearly all buildings and streets were gone, almost as if no one had ever lived there. Now, all that remains is a sign marking the site of Gagnon.

2. Val-Jalbert

A more well-known forgotten and abandoned town in Canada is Val-Jalbert in the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean region of Quebec. You can find this unique ghost town about five miles northwest of Chambord. This stunning ghost town is a tourist attraction that fascinates visitors. It’s considered the most well-preserved ghost town in the country.

So, how did this town with over 70 structures decline? It all started in 1901 when Damase Jalbert from Lac-Bouchette built a pulp and paper mill. This town developed even more after Jalbert’s death. American investors purchased Jalbert’s company and continued developing houses, electricity, sewer, waterworks, and telephone service. By 1929, only 26 years after the town’s founding, few people remained. The mill closed in 1927, but some workers stayed, hoping the industry would turn around. This didn’t happen though, and the company boarded up the buildings. Now this abandoned village is an excellent place to visit and walk back in time. The buildings are at different levels of decay. You can walk through the village or take a guided historic tour.

3. Luscar

Third on our list is Luscar in Alberta. This ghost town was once a coal mining community in the foothills of the Northern Rockies. The town formed and boomed because of an underground mine which opened in 1921. Just one year after the opening of the mine, the town had 25 to 30 homes, a small cottage hospital, a school, a general store, and other shops. The mining industry quickly declined by the 1950s, and by 1956, nearly all residents had left. Eerily nothing of the town remains.

4. Alexo

Also on our list of deserted and forgotten towns in Canada is Alexo in Alberta in the foothills of the Canadian Rockies. Although originally a coal mining town, the site is now a summer camp by YouthHQ. Like many of Canada’s old ghost towns, this one grew quickly because of the booming mining industry. The Alexo mine opened in 1920 and was very successful. By 1948, the town was home to a hotel, a cookhouse, a bunkhouse, a store, and 30 cottages for the miners. The Alexo Mine though closed after about 35 years of service because of declining markets for steam coal. After the mine’s closure, the town was quickly dismantled.

5. Sandon

Another ghost town in Canada is Sandon. Sandon isn’t a complete ghost town as it’s home to about 6 residents. However, it’s worth a mention because of the interesting abandoned structures throughout this southeastern British Columbian town. This scenic town is also in the foothills of the Selkirk Mountains, serving as a unique backdrop to the town’s spooky feel. Sandon has a long history. It was incorporated on January 1, 1898. At its peak, this town was home to about 5,000 residents and included 29 hotels, 28 saloons, three breweries, and a massive red-light district. Despite the town’s incredible amenities, the population declined quickly.

The town suffered from quite a few disasters. For example, in 1900 a fire broke out destroying a large part of the downtown core. Just seven years later, an avalanche swept through causing damage to buildings. However, one of the last straws for this near ghost town was in 1955 when the creek overflowed and destroyed most remaining structures. Soon after, thieves and treasure hunters swooped into Sandon, looking for silver.

6. Phoenix

The ghost town of Phoenix, not to be confused with the large city in Arizona, was once a bustling mining town with a lot of potential. Not much remains of this ghost town. However, at its finest, it was nicknamed the “highest city in Canada” by locals. The town sat at 4,633 feet above sea level.

This copper mining town lasted for nearly thirty years. It first started growing as a town in 1891 when copper was discovered. The boom though didn’t happen until 1895. At its peak, this town was home to over 1,000 residents and contained an opera house, twenty hotels, a brewery, and its own city hall. By 1911, only about 662 residents remained. Once the mining industry died, residents left in large waves. By 1920, the buildings were dismantled except for a few. All visitors find now at this town site are a flag pole, a World War I cenotaph, and a cemetery.

7. Pine Point

It’s hard to imagine that the town of Pine Point once existed, especially since nothing is left behind. This town was in the Northwest Territories of Canada near the south shore of Great Slave Lake. Pine Point is another town that relied on the mining industry, although the locality didn’t form until 1962. Pine Point was incorporated as a town on April 1, 1974, but officially dissolved on January 1, 1996. According to population estimates, Pine Point had 1,915 residents in 1976 and only nine by 1991. This town’s only industry was mining, so when the mine closed in 1987, most people were gone by the next year. The last mayor of this town was Mike Lenton.

8. Bankhead

Did you know that a ghost town exists within Banff National Park? Bankhead was a small mining town near Banff. The mine used by the workers was at Cascade Mountain. Mining operations started in 1903 and the town grew quickly after, however, only two decades later, the mine closed. At the town’s peak, it was home to around 1,000 residents.

Although most of the town was destroyed or relocated, a few remains still stand. Visitors can admire this old ghost town by hiking a Bankhead ghost town hiking trail. Technically though, multiple trails can give you views of the abandoned site. The more popular one starts with a walk down 70 steps. This lovely interpretative trail takes you to several buildings and coal mining rail cars and motors. You can learn more about the remaining buildings by reading the plaques throughout the trail.

9. Gold Hill

Next on our list of deserted and forgotten ghost towns is Gold Hill in the West Kootenay region of southeastern British Columbia. Gold Hill was another mining town in the community that perished after the mining industry declined. At its peak, this town/community operated a hotel, several stores, and a post office. The hotel may have operated as late as the 1950s. Not much is known about this forgotten community.

10. Saint-Jean-Vianney

The tenth ghost town to make it onto our list is the Saint-Jean-Vianney in the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean region of Quebec. Unlike most of the abandoned towns on our list, it wasn’t left behind because of the mining industry, but instead a devastating landslide.

Saint-Jean-Vianney was a parish officially designated a village on December 29, 1951. The village was near the shore of the Saguenay River and atop a bed of unstable Leda clay. So, what happened to this village? On May 4, 1971, the ground where the village stood caved in, creating a 3,490,000-square-foot crater. Sadly, during this landslide, thirty-one people were killed. The town was declared unsafe after and the remaining residents were relocated.

11. Canyon City

Next on our list of Canadian ghost towns is Canyon City in Yukon. Although a Yukon Government Heritage Site, not much remains within the old ghost town. Long before the gold rush, the First Nations people lived on and used the land. Experts have found archeological evidence of seasonal fish camps above and below Miles Canyon and the Whitehorse Rapids.

The city formed after the Klondike stampede began in late 1897. This community was an important traveling stop, although its history was short-lived. By 1900 the White Pass railway was completed to Whitehorse. There was no need for Canyon City anymore. The few things that remain in this town site are old tin cans and part of Macaulay’s tramway.

12. Parkhurst

If you can find a way to visit Parkhurst, you should take the chance! This colorful ghost town is very photogenic and features old buildings, blasted with color and graffiti. Parkhurst is a former logging settlement on the shores of Green Lake. You can take a thrilling hike to the ghost town and admire the few remaining buildings. The trail takes 2 to 3 hours to complete. Although a relatively easy walk, it’s considered moderately challenging because finding a direct path is difficult.

According to AllTrails, the most common and mapped-out path to the Parkhurst Ghost Town is a 4.7-mile loop with an elevation gain of 754 feet. The hiking trail is near Whistler. Although popular, because of its length, it’s a quiet path. There is even a chance while hiking you won’t run into any other hikers. The best time to visit this trail is from spring through fall. While the hiking trail isn’t extremely hard to walk, experienced hikers recommend using hiking boots and taking caution. Sometimes the hiking trail is overgrown. After rainfall, it can also be slippery because of the mud. Still, even with these slight challenges, the unique Parkhurst ghost town is worth a visit!

So, what’s left of Parkhurst? While visiting, you can explore abandoned cars, collapsed buildings, and stunning artwork. Although not much is known of this ghost town, it was likely abandoned in the 1960s, but some items left behind suggest that it was temporarily used in the 1970s by squatters. The town grew because of the Parkhurst Mill, which employed 60 to 70 workers. However, during the Great Depression, work was slow, and many of the men left.

13. Grand Forks

The thirteen ghost town on our list of deserted and forgotten towns in Canada is Grand Forks in Yukon. This is not the same town as the Grand Forks in the Boundary Country of the West Kootenay region of British Columbia.

The ghost town, Grand Forks, was a mining community settled around 1896. It was the second-largest settlement in the Klondike with a peak population of about 10,000. However, this number also includes people who lived in the region near Grand Forks. One of the most important points in this old town was the Grand Forks Hotel. Although this gorgeous and large hotel had excellent amenities, it didn’t last long. The hotel was destroyed in 1911. What remains are just a few run-down buildings.

14. Balaclava

In Ontario, once stood the growing town of Balaclava. Now, Balaclava is an unrecognizable ghost town, although one resident remains. This honorary mention is easy to label as a ghost town as the site has many old, deserted, and crumbling buildings. It’s hard to imagine what this town looked like in its heyday.

Balaclava was established in 1859. There is conflicting data as to when buildings were built, although some sources state that the Balaclava Mill was erected in the year 1855. Because of the mill, this pioneer town quickly grew. This once-thriving lumber town was once home to a post office and a hotel. It’s been nearly completely vacant since the 1950s. Now, all that remains are a few stores, houses the mill, the dam, and a blacksmith shop.

15. Arrowhead

Also in Canada, was Arrowhead, a former steamboat port and town at the head of Upper Arrow Lake. This town was very short-lived and is now almost entirely submerged beneath Upper Arrow Lake. The only sign that this ghost town once existed is the name, as Arrowhead is sometimes used to refer to the general area of the lake. At its peak, this mysterious ghost town was home to a hotel, general store, drug store, bank, two churches, a school, and a hospital. Most residents worked in one of the two large sawmills on the site.

16. Whiskey Gap

Another deserted and forgotten ghost town to make it on our list is Whiskey Gap. This former town and community is in Cardston County, Alberta. It’s about 50 miles south of Lethbridge on Highway 501. The origin of this ghost town is often debated, but it’s likely existed since the 1860s and 1870s. This town was a popular route and stop for American traders. Many traders used this town to smuggle alcohol back and forth during both the Canadian prohibition and the American prohibition. Very little remains of Whiskey Gap except a few foundations and a historic plaque. Many of the town’s storefronts were moved to Del Bonita.

17. Ewart

Ewart is another Canadian ghost town left completely bare and abandoned. All that you can find in this locality are a cairn, an abandoned house, and a former schoolhouse. Technically, Ewart was never an official town though, just a settlement in a locality in southwestern Manitoba. The railway brought settlers, especially families to the Ewart School District. However, when the railway closed, so did the school district and the post office, driving residents away to better opportunities.

18. Beaubassin

Continuing our list of deserted and forgotten ghost towns is the Acadian village and trading center, Beaubassin. This settlement was significant. It’s also very old, first established in the 1670s. Experts estimate that in 1671, the site was home to 127 inhabitants. This number increased significantly within a century. In 1784, the site was home to 2,800 people.

19. Wayne

Last but not least is Wayne, a near ghost town in Drumheller, Alberta. This mysterious and fascinating ghost town is around 6.2 miles southeast of Drumheller’s main townsite in the Rosebud River valley. Wayne is a true ghost town, although technically considered a community. Stepping into this site can make you feel like you’ve gone back in time, especially with how well-preserved some of the buildings are!

While in Wayne, you can visit the Last Chance Saloon and the still-operating Rosedeer Hotel. The old ghost town was first formed in the early 1900s when the Red Deer Coal Company built the Rose Deer Mine, in 1912. At its peak, the town was home to around 2,000 residents. Sadly, as the Great Depression caused mines to close across Alberta, the population of Wayne steadily decreased. By the 1930s, only 300 residents remained.

Not only can you visit this old ghost town, but you can also stay a night at the hotel, for a price! Dave Arsenault owns and operates the hotel, which he purchased from the Dayman family in 2013. Before this switch, Fred Dayman ran the business, which was in the family for at least two generations. The town’s colorful history is easy to note when stepping inside the saloon and hotel. According to Dayman, the previous owner, the saloon was once called the Bucket of Blood because of the amount of fights. You can even find bullet holes in the walls in the saloon.