DTCP 058 - Vanishing Hitchhiker

Send us a text, tell us your canadian creepy!On a rainy night near University Boulevard, a driver picks up a quiet young woman wearing a light coat.She says little, handing over a piece of paper with the address of UBC’s Main Library written on it.But before the car ever reaches its destination, the passenger is gone.In this episode of Down the Crooked Path, Amanda Joy explores the legend of the vanishing hitchhiker said to haunt the roads around the University of British Columbia.The story has been repeated for decades, but unlike many ghost legends, there is no known police report, newspaper account, or historical record confirming that a young woman died in a fatal accident matching the tale.So where did the story come from?We look at the isolated UBC campus of the 1960s, when students regularly travelled along dark, forested roads and hitchhiking was a common part of getting to and from campus, and examine how those real conditions may have helped one of British Columbia’s enduring ghost stories take hold.Sometimes the history behind a legend is just as interesting as the ghost.🌱 PayYourRent.ca is an Indigenous-led grassroots initiative calling on settlers to engage in ongoing, voluntary financial redistribution in support of Indigenous land defenders, sovereignty, and community well-being.This foundation supports urgent needs like housing, food security, legal defense, and cultural revitalization—all grounded in the principle that land back also means resource back.If you live, work, or benefit from life on stolen land, consider learning more or making a monthly contribution at PayYourRent.ca.Justice isn’t a moment—it’s a commitment. Your next creepy obsession starts here. ✨ This episode is brought to you by Fable & Frame Creative ✨Fable & Frame Creative offers Niagara Region portraits and at-home newborn sessions, capturing not just how life looks — but how it feels. Because your life isn’t ordinary. It’s a fable, and it deserves to be framed like one.🦴 And don’t forget our boo-tiful friends at Back From the Dead Goods—resurrecting your wardrobe with creepy streetwear on Etsy & Poshmark.👻 Use code CANADIANCREEPIES for 10% off!🕯️ You can find new episodes of Down the Crooked Path every Thursday, wherever you get your podcasts.Canadian content airs right here on the Canadian Creepies feed—so stay tuned, and stay on the path.Edited by Kyle McDonnell