In January of 1947, in the depths of a record-breaking winter, beloved Canadian writer Pierre Berton, then a fledgling reporter with the Vancouver Sun newspaper, boarded a plane  and ventured into the frozen wilds of the Nahanni Valley, a chain of towering mountains and ancient vales carved into the southwestern reaches of the Northwest Territories. The trip was a harrowing one, punctuated by severe winter storms and more than a few narrow escapes. The weather was so cold that he and his companions had to literally cook the plane’s battery in a cast iron oven and thaw its engine with a blowtorch before takeoff. At nearly every stop along the way they were warned to give up and turn back, lest they add to the region’s tally of tragic deaths and disappearances. Why would they risk their lives to come to such a remote, inhospitable place at such a treacherous time of year? Like countless others before them, they had gone to the north looking for fame and fortune. But unlike all the others, it wasn’t for gold, or valuable furs, or even a hunting trophy. They were searching for a legend, and for answers to a mystery that was over 40 years in the making. 

Hear the legends and learn the history of the devil's routine visits to Cape Breton Island, and priest who, in an effort to fight him, waged a one-man war against the region's most beloved music.

A tale about two lovers, Eric Cobham and Maria Lindsay, who just might be the most successful pirates in history.

A close look at the strange story of a gravestone that has baffled people for over 150 years. Learn about highly suspect diploma mills, fake "doctors," unsettling burials, and the strange folklore of Waterloo County.

Mystery, true crime and a ghostly apparition mix with historic facts and figures in this tale from the Cariboo Gold Rush.

For decades, a mysterious pair of spirits—a horse and its rider—have been said to haunt a long-vanished stretch of train track that once cut through the northern expanse of the Great Plains. Some said they were little more than a trick of fog in the moonlight, but that was before human remains were found nearby. Figment or phantom, it’s an excellent piece of folklore from the Canadian west, with ties to a community and a history that’s in danger of being forgotten.

Would you live in a haunted house if the rent was cheap enough? That was a question that one couple faced in the summer of 1957. Once a rough-and-tumble lumber town, now a drowned town at the bottom of a man-made lake, Waldo, BC is the unexpected location for this classic story about a haunted house that makes us wonder: when the houses are long gone, do the ghosts remain?

Saint Leonards, Newfoundland, is a community with more than its fair share of ghost stories. Headless dogs are said to wander the abandoned churchyard at night. A phantom ship was seen gliding through the eastern reach. And some believe that long ago, an unearthed skull taught the town a powerful lesson about honouring the past, and respecting the dead. Tonight, we unpack the myths, legends and lore of this once-thriving coastal town. This is Part One in a four-part series called Ghost Town Ghosts which explores the phantoms and spirits once said to haunt Canadian communities that no longer exist.

Found in every province and territory of the country, the Canada Jay has inspired countless stories in many different cultures from coast to coast. Hear how this one little bird is a camp companion, a hero, a hunter, a star in the sky, and even a vessel for the souls of the dead.

The story of Anson Minor is a classic campfire tale that has been terrifying Canadian campers for decades. The spooky story is most often told from the lakeshores and backwoods of Ontario, and while, on the surface, it might seem like any other summer camp legend, this story is special because it can help us understand how urban legends are made, and the nature of summertime scares. So, grab a snack and get cosy to learn all about the Legend of Anson Minor.

She stalks the swamps and marshes of Bell Island, seeking revenge for her own tragic death. Learn the legend and history of one of Canada's most terrifying ghosts.

Hear the legend and history of this infamous drink from the Yukon garnished with a preserved human toe.

The story of a mysterious red UFO named Charlie, and the people who named him.

The shocking story of what has been claimed to be the first criminal case ever solved by a psychic.

What do pro-slavery sentiment, a long-forgotten Chicago obituary, a 1990s Hallmark movie, and one of early Toronto's most successful Black business owners have in common?

According to Indigenous tradition, local legend, and eye witness accounts going back nearly two centuries, something mysterious is lurking in BC's Okanagan Lake.

Hear a tale of two Joes: one, a mythical giant lumberjack, the other a French Canadian folk hero and strongman who fought with violent gangs early in Ottawa's history.

A flaming phantom ship has haunted eastern Canada's waters for centuries.

Just in time for Christmas, here are two spine-tingling stories of the frozen Canadian north.

Canada's easternmost province is rich with stories of "the fair folk," but they're a far cry from Tinkerbell.