Six Creepy Canadian Stories
· 9 min. read
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During the past few months, I've been very interested in Canadian folk stories. Part of this is because of the podcast I co-host called Unsolved Canadian Mysteries, but my interest really took off after my trip to Peru and the myriad of stories I heard while there.
However, perhaps it's just the social circle I am part of, but nobody seems to talk about folk stories anymore. Nobody talks about fairies outside of Tinkerbell or the Tooth Fairy, and you don't hear about elves outside of Christmas. Even dwarves are goblins are seemingly exclusive to The Lord of the Rings. But there was a time when these stories were part of our society, and they weren't just "stories" either, but lessons, teachings, metaphors, and even warnings.
Although there are still some esoteric people who believe in things like fairies, dwarves, elves, and the like, for the most part, the stories of things that go bump in the night aren't bumping as loud as they used to. Yet, some of these stories still exist, and are worth exploring.
I've encountered several strange, blood-curdling stories these past few months and I thought it would be fun to share them all with you. However, after writing them all down, I realized it would be better to share them individually. So, instead, I have put together a series of articles and I'll be releasing them throughout the next few weeks. Some of these you may have heard before if you're a fan of Unsolved Canadian Mysteries, but others are unique.
Here is a teaser of what to come. I hope you enjoy them!
Story 1: The Vampires of Wilno
The town of Wilno, Ontario is the oldest Polish community in Canada. It was established in 1858, primarily by settlers from an area of Poland called Kashubia. Denizens of Wilno pride themselves on their Polish heritage, and still dress, dance, eat, and talk in their traditional Polish ways. The former Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk even visited Wilno in 2012 and said it was just like visiting his home.
However, Wilno has a much darker story, one that came to light when Jan L. Perkowski visited the community between 1968 and 1969. He would publish his findings in 1972 as part of the Mercury Project on behalf of The National Museum of Canada (now The Canadian Museum of History). His claims were so wild and outrageous that they were even debated in the House of Commons. So, what did the report say?
According to Perkowski, Wilno has a vampire problem.
Story 2: Saskatchewan's Devil Church
It was 1992 and the small police force of Martensville, Saskatchewan was on red alert. Officers were told to carry every gun they could on their persons. Rumour had it that several busloads of Satanic occultists were descending upon their community. When they arrived, they would light torches, burn down churches, and kidnap the children. People were terrified, and the police were anxious.
But the busses never came, not that night, nor the next, nor the next.
What caused this outburst of paranoia? It was during the zenith of a local investigation into claims of Satanism that would lead to a dozen people, including five police officers from three different forces, facing over 100 charges.
Some refuse anything ever happened, yet others believe the children.
Story 3: The Last of the Wendigo Hunters
In 1907, Zhauwuno-geezhigo-gaubow and Pesequan, also known as Jack and Joseph Fiddler, were arrested by RNWMP officers for the murder of Wahsakapeequay. Neither of them denied the accusations, but they were surprised the RNWMP officers had arrested them. For decades these two men had been killing people, and their father had been doing before them as well. After all, that was their profession.
During the trial, various witnesses illuminated the interesting lives of Jack and Joseph Fiddler. Jack had killed over thirteen people during his lifetime, and each time was to protect the people he loved. What about Wahsakapeequay? Well, the witnesses said, if she hadn't been stopped, she would have tried to eat their children.
This story shows an interesting part of Canadian history where the past and future collide, with claims of human sacrifice, devil worship, and and the legend of the Wendigo.
Story 4: The Mystery of Dagg's Demon
It began with accusations of theft. In 1899, George Dagg believed Dean, a local boy they had hired, had stolen money from their bedroom drawer. Although it was only $7, it still upset Dagg enough to give Dean a tongue-lashing. However, Dean vehemently claimed he was innocent of the crime.
Soon, other events began to unfold around the farm. Milk buckets would be emptied on their own, butter disappeared from jars, and somebody was smearing waste from the outhouse on the kitchen floor. Dean was the immediate suspect, and George had him locked up in the local jail. However, although he was incarcerated, more troubles started afflicting the family. Rocks smashed through windows, hair was pulled, items levitated... and then finally the children claimed they saw a giant black monster.
Story 5: The Abduction of Davy Mercer
"To see this person would quickly lead one to believe that he had experienced a great shock of some sort. That look of terror was painted on his face. Dad explained what happened to turn a perfectly normal man into such a horrible specimen."
In the 1920s, Davy Mercer and his friends were playing in the woods of Bell Island, Newfoundland. As they were playing, they heard a strange giggle from the nearby trees. Although they couldn't see anybody, they decided it would be best to run out of the forest. Once they left the woods, they realized Davy was missing. They returned to the Mercer house to tell his parents, and a search party was assembled to find him.
What they found -- or didn't find -- became one of the most famous Newfoundland urban legends.
Story 6: The Possession of Barbe Hallay
In 1660, Quebec City was only a small town on the banks of the St. Lawrence River. It had a population of 800 but contained nearly half the citizens in New France. It was a troubled community, with threats of violence from the Haudenosaunee, paranoia of false Catholics among their ranks, and a significantly colder climate than what they had in France. Additionally, for nearly half the year the community was isolated from the world thanks to the harsh winter freeze.
It was here that Barbe Hallay's family immigrated. Hallay was between the ages of twelve and fourteen when she arrived in Quebec, and was of the legal age to marry. Her hand was promised to a miller, Daniel Vuil, in exchange for land. However, when Vuil came to collect his bride-to-be, Hallay declined. This upset Vuil greatly.
Some say, he was so upset that he brought forth the minions of hell to convince her otherwise.
Coming soon!
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Categories: Canada, Dark Tourism, History, Paranormal
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