Urban Legends in Nova Scotia

Considering Canada's wide expanses of wild and uninhabited land, it's no wonder the country inspires a considerable amount of myths, ghost stories, and urban legends. Not to say creepy stories don't come out of Canada's major cities - Toronto and Montreal both feature supposed paranormal presences as well. From lake monsters to wolf people, traditional Inuit legends often mix with more recent stories to create some of the most terrifying tales in the world.

Like creepy myths and urban legends from across the globe, Canada possesses its own brand of scary stories. An infusion of French and Inuit culture gives Canada's urban legends a distinctly regional twist. The country has many ghost stories and legends about terrible beasts who may have slain people and wreaked havoc long ago. Canada's history includes some compelling UFO stories as well, due to its remote landscapes. It's known for its maple syrup, hockey, and moose, but you might be surprised by what creepy creatures and legends Canada might hold

Headless Ghosts And 'Titanic' Passengers Roam Old Montreal

The historic neighborhood of Old Montreal in Quebec's largest city draws numerous locals and tourists each year thanks to its history and old world charm. People believe Montreal is the most haunted city in Canada and many of Montreal's ghosts live in Old Montreal.

The city's oldest road, Saint-Paul Street, supposedly becomes a walkway for the paranormal at night. Visitors often report seeing ghostly horse-drawn carriages or an apparition of Marie-Joseph Angélique wearing the same white robe she had on when was terminated. The former lady of the evening Mary Gallagher is also reported to appear on William and Murray Streets every seven years - looking for her head, taken off by her onetime best friend.

Visitors can also find hotbeds of ghostly activity in Old Montreal's graveyards, especially in North America's largest intact cemetery, Mount Royal. People claim to see apparitions wandering around the plots at night and hear giggling, creaking, and other eerie noises. Ghosts supposedly include several people who perished on the Titanic and an often-seen Algonquin man who looks over the cliff to the city below.

Haunted graveyards in Old Montreal aren't limited to outside the city. Dorchester Square park lies above a grave said to hold around 70,000 skeletons who passed from cholera.

A Mysterious Ghost Ship Burns In The Northumberland Strait

The Northumberland Strait lies between Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia and has reportedly been home to a phantom ship for many years. Numerous people claim to have seen a vessel catch fire, burn for several minutes, and then mysteriously disappear. One woman said she saw crew onboard scrambling to douse the flames.

Entire groups of people have supposedly witnessed the burning ship when riding the ferry between the strait. Rescuers have tried approaching the phantom vessel, but find nothing there. One sailor even remembers sailing through flames before they mysteriously disappeared.

Divers have failed to find any wreckage in the area.

The Spirit Of A Girl Haunts The Screaming Tunnel

Although the Grand Trunk Railway closed down long ago, one tunnel below the tracks is allegedly quite active. According to urban legend, if a person stands in the middle of the so-called Screaming Tunnel and lights a match, a strong wind will blow out the flame and visitors can hear a woman's scream.

Multiple stories explain the eerie sound. One explanation says a young girl was caught in a barn fire and tried to escape, but ended up stuck within the tunnel. Another version of the legend claims the girl was severely mistreated and burned to hide the evidence. A third version alleges the girl's father got rid of her by setting her ablaze.

Dozens Of People Met Their End In The Headless Valley

In 1908, people began finding headless forms in Northwest Canada's Nahanni Valley. Some attributed the suffers to the Waheela, a giant, wolf-like creature that hunts in packs of two or three. An estimated 44 cadavers have turned up in the valley since then, including a prospector whose cabin burned to the ground in 1917 and an unknown miner found still in his sleeping bag in 1945. The area appropriately became known as the Headless Valley.

While the slayings could also be attributed to native groups, competitive prospectors, or hungry grizzlies, many still believe the mysterious packs of Waheela are to blame.

A Slain Lighthouse Keeper Wanders Outside Gibraltar Point

Built in 1808, the Gibraltar Point Lighthouse is the oldest lighthouse on the Great Lakes. During the War of 1812, lighthouse keeper JP Rademuller kept a careful watch on the harbor until he mysteriously disappeared in 1815. Although details differ from story to story, soldiers allegedly slew Rademuller and hid his remains around the lighthouse. Years later, another lighthouse keeper began digging up the area and discovered what's believed to be Rademuller's jawbone.

The lighthouse became a popular local tourist destination for both its history and potential for the paranormal. Some people claim to hear phantom moans, while others say they've seen Rademuller's ghost wander the area. When visitors approach the door to the lighthouse, they sometimes detect loud banging noises coming from inside.

The Ghost Of Richard Christie's Mistress Lingers At Regis College

The building that now houses Regis College in Toronto used to be the private mansion of Richard Christie, the son and heir to the founder of Mr. Christie's Cookies. The building contains a windowless room hidden within the inner structure of the house complete with its own bathroom and entrances located behind wood paneling. According to legend, Christie's mistress lived in this space, and they conducted a secret affair.

Although he bribed a servant to bring the woman food, Christie failed to spend as much time with her as she wanted. Supposedly, she grew so distraught with his absence that she garrotted herself in the secret room. Christie and the servant buried her in secret, but he found himself unable to deal with his grief and ruined the family business.

Students and other visitors to the secret Room 29 have seen doors opening and closing on their own, and some women claim to have entered only to find themselves mysteriously locked inside.

The Thetis Lake Monster Struck Several Teenagers

Sometimes referred to as the Canadian Lizard Man, the Thetis Lake monster first appeared in 1972, when it allegedly came out of the lake and went after two teenagers. The kids claimed the five-foot-tall monster looked like the Gill-man from The Creature from the Black Lagoon. While they were trying to escape, the cryptid managed to scratch one across the hand with its barbed, webbed claws.

A few days later, others claimed to witness the beast:

Its body was silver and shaped like an ordinary body, like a human being body, but it had a monster face, and it was all scaly with a point sticking out of its head and great big ears and horrifying eyes.

The second set of witnesses eventually admitted they made up their story, but the first two never went back on their claim. People forgot about the monster for many years, until, in 2011, another person claimed to have been charged by a beast with claws and scaly skin.