(Alex_Agrico/Pixabay)

Last Saturday, I was meandering about the annual Langley Good Times Cruise-In car show when I noticed a peculiar figure in the crowd. Amongst a sea of retired men wearing Berkenstocks sandals, I saw what appeared to be a clown. But this wasn’t your run-of-the-mill clown; this was a creepy clown. What she held in her hand was terrifying, but not in the way you’d expect: a large sign reading “Spirit Halloween”. That’s right, Spirit Halloween is back in Metro Vancouver, and I couldn’t be more excited!

Renowned for its ability to sneak its way into every recently vacated shopfront in a given city, Spirit Halloween is a staple of the spooky season. It’s been an institution for nearly 50 years, a one-stop shop for costumes, decor, and those massive animatronic figures you throw in a Rubbermaid every November 1st. Since I was a child, I’ve always loved Spirit, not just for the Halloween decor, but because it gives visitors a behind-the-scenes look at closed retail stores. Remember Future Shop? Home Outfitters? Zeller’s? Even if you don’t, you’ve probably been inside one, just with a Halloween makeover. Speaking of shuttered stores, Hudson’s Bay notably shut down its retail operations earlier this year, a sad end for a 355-year-old business. But if you’re like me, the first thing you thought when you saw your local Bay was gone was whether they’d put a Spirit in there. Well, we’ve got our answer.

Without further ado, here’s Metro Vancouver’s Spirit Halloween location list for 2025:

-Surrey: Former Best Buy

10025 King George Boulevard

-Coquitlam: Former Independent Grocers

455 North Road

-Tsawwassen: Former Saks

5000 Canoe Pass Way E

-Richmond: Former Toys R Us

5300 Number 3 Road, 314

-Vancouver: Former Bed Bath Beyond

1740 West Broadway

But that’s not all, because North Vancouver and Burnaby are also getting locations soon, and in Burnaby’s case, Spirit, for the first time in Metro Vancouver history, will be occupying a former Hudson’s Bay. Truly a melancholic moment.

However, there’s still one question that remains unanswered. Why was the creepy clown promoting Spirit at the Langley car show? At first, I couldn’t figure it out, because as a Langley resident, I was under the impression that there would be no Spirit here this year. I couldn’t think of anywhere in the city that’d be fit to have one. But then I looked beyond the city, and I’m glad to report that the community of Aldergrove has a store next to Home Hardware at 3111 272 Street. I guess I should’ve connected the dots earlier. I mean, the car show where they were promoting Spirit was in Aldergrove… Never mind.