Strange Truths and Tall Tales: Product of Newfoundland

Part 1: Peter Easton In the early 1600s, Peter Easton turned Newfoundland into something few would expect — a pirate stronghold. Operating out of Harbour Grace, Easton commanded a powerful fleet, raided ships across the Atlantic, and built a reputation that reached from England to the Mediterranean. For a time, he was nearly untouchable and earned the moniker ‘Pirate Admiral’. His presence on the...

A man leaves for his trapline and doesn’t come back. At first, it’s nothing. A delay. Bad going. Weather turning the trails to slush. In a place like Bonne Bay, that’s part of life. But Sarah Singleton knows her brother, and as the days stretch on, the waiting starts to feel wrong. So she does what has to be done—she goes looking for him. What follows is a journey up the coast toward Shallow Bay,...

Newfoundland has its share of strange Christmas stories — but not too many involve hand-to-hand combat with a supernatural house cat. There’s only one I can think of, and it comes from the shores of Bonavista Bay. In this tale one unlucky soul finds out that not every creature stirring on Christmas Eve comes bearing gifts; some come looking for a fight. Read more at: Product of Newfoundland

If you want to see whales, Newfoundland and Labrador is the place to go. More than 20 species routinely pass through our waters, and the world’s largest population of humpback whales —numbering about 10,000 animals — spends the summer months feeding on our shores. A humpback whale seen near Eliston, NL in July. When fall arrives, most — but not all — begin a long journey south. A small number of w...

In this haunting Halloween episode, Robert digs into Newfoundland’s eerie world of death omens — the strange signs and superstitions that once foretold disaster, sickness… and death. From flickering corpse candles and spectral fetches to howling dogs and loaves of bread that spelled doom, these stories offer a chilling glimpse into how Newfoundlanders once understood death — and how they tried to...

Some stories rise from the sea and never quite settle again. The Charles Haskell was a New England schooner, built to survive the brutal waters of the North Atlantic. But after a terrible storm on George’s Bank in 1869, she gained a reputation no ship would ever want. Sailors claimed that in the years that followed, the dead returned — climbing from the sea to finish the work they’d started in lif...

This Halloween, we’re unlocking the doors of one of St. John’s most infamous ghost stories — the haunting of J.W. Foran’s Atlantic Hotel. A mysterious knocking echoed through its halls in the 1880s, leading to whispers of restless spirits… and one unexplained death. Then, we turn from ghostly fiction to real-life horror — the true tragedy of William Shea, a porter whose final night at the hotel en...

Part One: The Sinking of the SS Caribou A ferry packed with families, soldiers, and crew. A midnight crossing through enemy waters. And a German U-boat waiting in the darkness. On October 14, 1942, the SS Caribou was torpedoed in the North Atlantic, sinking in just minutes. What followed was a desperate fight for survival in freezing waters—and an unforgettable story of bravery, tragedy, and resil...

Newfoundland’s Valentine’s traditions range from playful greetings to daring card deliveries, but love on the island isn’t always lighthearted. The story of Fanny Goff , said to be the most beautiful woman in Newfoundland, is one of romance and tragedy, proving that love can be as fleeting as winter frost. And sometimes, love isn’t just for people but for place—like the deep connection Newfoundlan...

In this episode I’ve got all kinds of Candlemas lore from Newfoundland -- everything from weather predictions to bear stories and card games it’s pleasant distraction from the winter weather. (PS... I'm not old enough to have read a newspaper in 1902, no matter what I say.) I also share the story of The Little Candlemas Bear . On Candlemas Day, Little Bear wakes to find his shadow missing. His...

If you’re from Newfoundland, you probably already know that Tibb’s Eve means December 23rd. It’s the unofficial start of Christmas—when the holiday buzz really kicks in and everyone’s back home, ready to reconnect with old friends. But Tibb’s Eve didn’t always mean celebration. Once upon a time, it was actually known as a day that would never come—a day ‘neither before nor after Christmas,’ in oth...

Part One: Jailhouse Jannies In this episode, we’re diving into the spirit — and  mischief — of Christmas in Newfoundland. First, I’ve got an old story from Trinity, where one group of mummers wound up in jail… but that was far from the worst thing to happen to them. I call the story Jannies in the Jailhouse. I’ve come across this tale a number of times in my travels but I based my retelling on a v...

Part One: Newfoundland Adopts Right-Hand Drive On January 2, 1947, Newfoundland made a switch that had everyone—drivers, pedestrians, and even horses—feeling a bit jittery. Just past midnight, the colony's roads transformed as Newfoundlanders were suddenly required to drive on the right side of the road, leaving behind decades of left-side driving. The change symbolized a shift away from Briti...

When nights grow long and familiar paths suddenly lead you astray; when fog shrouds the coast in deathly gloom and strange lights flicker in empty bogs, that’s the time when ghosts and ghouls explore this new found land. Welcome to part three of the Strange Truths & Tall Tales Halloween Special. The Restless Corpse of La Poile This episode features an old story concerning a corpse in La Poile...

Halloween is getting closer and Newfoundland has no shortage of seasonally appropriate stories. This instalment features an old folktale set near St. Bride’s, NL. It concerns a strange black Stag seen on the roadside and a series of unexplained deaths that plagues a family soon afterward. Continuing on with the theme, I share some legends of other ghostly creatures from Newfoundland, starting with...

It’s October and the nights are getting noticeably longer. As darkness takes a hold. I’ve decided to embrace the ‘spooky season’ for some short Halloween episodes drawn fromNewfoundland history and folklore. This instalment is a true story from the small town of Elliston (once known as Bird Island Cove). It’s the story of an unwelcome visitor who turned up some 200 years ago. Get the full story (a...

Part One: Mildred Baxter Legend has it that folk-hero Mildred Baxter came to Harbour Breton in the mid-1840s to settle a score with her cheating fiance. In order to make the trip from her home in England, she adopted a secret identity. She disguised herself as a man and took up life in Harbour Breton alongside her fiance and his new bride. It’s a fascinating tale of love, lies and revenge that str...

Part One: Mummers & Murder Newfoundland has a lot of interesting traditions but few are as celebrated as mummering. Mummering is a Christmas tradition that dates back hundreds of years. It came to Newfoundland from England and Ireland with the first settlers. In it’s best known form, it involves costumed people visiting house-to-house during the 12 days of Christmas.  Once invited inside, the...

Part One: What is Tibb’s Eve? For me, and a lot of other Newfoundlanders, the 23rd of December is Tibb’s Eve. It is Christmas Eve Eve and the unofficial start of the holiday season. For some people, Tibb’s Eve has become synonymous with a good time, full of partying and alcohol. The connection with drinking is so strong that, for some people the day is known as Tipsy (Tip’s) Eve. In this episode w...

Part One: It Came From Outer Space There's no shortage of Newfoundland and Labrador stories connected to outer space. There are Martian craters named for Gander, Nain and Nutak, local airports were alternate space shuttle landing sites for NASA, and there are plenty of unidentified flying object reports in the province including the much discussed 'Gander Incident' and the Random Islan...

Part One: Newfoundland Devils If you believe the tall tales, the devil has left his mark all over Newfoundland. There are hoof prints in the resettled community of Flat Islands, Bonavista Bay and more in Keels on the Bonavista Peninsula but, perhaps, his most celebrated scar is in Fortune Harbour where a rock supposedly bears his handprint. Visit Product of Newfoundland to see pictures. This episo...

Bell Island, in Newfoundland’s Conception Bay, is full of mystery. Once home to an immense iron ore mine, the community drew people from all over the world. Over the years its been home to many strange sightings, happenings and unexplained events. It has even been called one of the most haunted islands in North America. This episode scratches the surface of some of Bell Island’s lore starting with...

The story of a horrific lightning and hail storm over Lumsden (and the entire east coast of Newfoundland) in 1930. It resulted in smashed windows, the destruction of property and the death of several people. Read the blog post here: Frightening Lightning & Horrific Hail in Lumsden

It was June 21st, 1720 and the sun was just rising over Trepassey, Newfoundland. The fishermen listened to the songbirds and gentle surf on the rocks as they readied their boats. Everything indicated a beautiful day ahead. Then the birds stopped singing. In the distance, there was a rumble of canon fire. On the breeze came the sound of trumpets and drums. Everthing was about to change… Black Bart,...

This is the strange and semi-true story of a miraculous (?) iceberg that appeared outside the harbour of St. John's, NL in 1905. Read the blog post: Like A Virgin: NL's Madonna Iceberg