For some, it’s little more than a local oddity. For others, it’s a mystery that demands to be solved. But once we uncover its solution, we may find that it comes with more questions and some unsettling implications. Join me as we solve a century old puzzle, and learn about the curious history, fascinating folklore, and dubious medical advice that are part of the story of one of Canada’s strangest gravesites.

Fireside Canada is a podcast about Canadian legends, lies and lore. Focused on both the storytelling and the historical aspects of folklore, each episode includes a creative retelling or story inspired by the folklore as well as an exploration and analysis of its history and cultural significance: the story behind the story. You can learn more at FiresideCanada.ca.

David Williams is the host, writer and researcher behind the show. You can find him on Instagram and X (formerly Twitter).

The final part of my four part series about “Ghost Town Ghosts,” another story from my own home province of British Columbia and arguably the most famous ghost town in western Canada. The story is about friendship—about a connection that can pierce the veil between this world and the next. It’s also a tale mystery, of true crime, and of how historic facts and figures can take the shape of legend.

Fireside Canada is a podcast about Canadian legends, lies and lore. Focused on both the storytelling and the historical aspects of folklore, each episode includes a creative retelling or story inspired by the folklore as well as an exploration and analysis of its history and cultural significance: the story behind the story. You can learn more at FiresideCanada.ca.

David Williams is the host, writer and researcher behind the show. You can find him on Instagram and X (formerly Twitter).

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.

This is Part Three 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.

Fireside Canada is a podcast about Canadian legends, lies and lore. Focused on both the storytelling and the historical aspects of folklore, each episode includes a creative retelling or story inspired by the folklore as well as an exploration and analysis of its history and cultural significance: the story behind the story. You can learn more at FiresideCanada.ca.

David Williams is the host, writer and researcher behind the show. You can find him on Instagram and X (formerly Twitter).