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Descubre un mundo infinito de historias

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Dark Poutine / Curiouscast

True crime, legends, folklore, dark history and other creepy topics from the perspective of real live Canadians.

Dark Poutine - True Crime and Dark History

Episode 391: At dawn on December 26, 2004, a massive undersea earthquake off Sumatra’s west coast — one of the strongest ever recorded — triggered a devastating tsunami across the Indian Ocean. Waves up to 30 metres high struck Aceh Province within minutes, then swept across Thailand, Sri Lanka, India, the Maldives, and as far as East Africa. Entire communities vanished, and more than 227,000 people in fourteen countries were killed, making it the deadliest tsunami in recorded history.

At least fifteen Canadians lost their lives, and six more were reported missing, most while vacationing in Thailand and Sri Lanka. Survivors described the frantic searches for loved ones and the painful process of identifying and bringing home those who perished.

2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami - Wikipedia2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami: Facts and FAQsIndian Ocean tsunami of 2004 | BritannicaSouth Asia: Earthquake and Tsunami - Dec 2004 | ReliefWebThe Night the Earth ShookTsunami - Indian Ocean Boxing Day Tsunami, 2004 | Australian Disaster Resilience Knowledge HubThe Indian Ocean Boxing Day Tsunami, 20 years onTwenty years on: the Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami - British Geological SurveyNOAA Center for Tsunami Research - Tsunami Event - December 26, 2004 The Indian Ocean TsunamiRecovery Collection: 2004 Indian Ocean Earthquake and TsunamiWhat are the biggest tsunamis ever? How July 29 earthquake, tsunami compares.How a 1,000‑year‑old tsunami in the Indian Ocean points to greater risk than originally thoughtTsunami Eyewitness & Survivors ProjectList of tsunamisZORIAH - A PHOTOJOURNALIST AND WAR PHOTOGRAPHER’S BLOG: Asian Tsunami Anniversary - Thailand Tsunami Then and Now Comparison SeriesSumatra-Andaman Islands Earthquake - IRIS Special ReportHumanitarian response to the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake - WikipediaList of natural disasters by death toll - WikipediaTsunami Generation from the 2004 M=9.1 Sumatra-Andaman EarthquakeLisa BorgThe Devastating 2004 Tsunami: Timeline11 Facts About the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami | DoSomething.orgCNN.com - Tsunami tragedy: Your e-mails - Jan 3, 2005John Knill and Jackie KnillCamera holds instant of tsunami impactTsunami photos show couple's final moments | CBC NewsDiscovery of tsunami camera brings closureCamera shows 'last words' of tsunami victimsSchool built in memory of B.C. tsunami victims | CBC News
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Canadian Connections: The 2004 Boxing Day Tsunami

Episode 390: When most Canadians think of occult-related witch trials, their minds drift south to Salem, Massachusetts, or across the ocean to medieval Europe. The popular narrative suggests that Canada, with its reputation for tolerance and peace, remained untouched by the supernatural hysteria that gripped other nations. This perception, deeply embedded in the Canadian consciousness, paints our country as somehow above the dark chapters of witch-hunting that stained other societies. Even Dark Poutine listeners, well-versed in the country’s hidden crimes and forgotten tragedies, might be surprised to learn the truth.

The reality is far different from this comfortable myth. Canada has a complex and largely forgotten history of witchcraft accusations, trials, and legal persecution spanning over 350 years—from the earliest days of New France to as recently as 2018. From demonic possessions in Quebec City to fraudulent psychics in modern Ontario, the Canadian witch trial story is one of fear, prejudice, and the persistent human tendency to blame the margins of society for inexplicable troubles.

Sources:CBC Radio: “Quebec Demon Possession & Witchcraft in 1660”JSTOR / McGill-Queen’s University Press: The Possession of Barbe HallayCanada’s History: “Sorcery in New France”Kenton de Jong Travel: The Possession of Barbe HallayDictionary of Canadian Biography: Daniel VuilAcademia.edu "Sixteen and Possessed" PDFCanada’s History: Book feature, The Possession of Barbe HallayThe Medium: On Demonic Infestations in 17th century QuébecMysteries of Canada: Poltergeists in Canada, Part IIIJean Campagna, The Sorcerer74 – JEAN CAMPAGNA, THE SORCERERProcès de Jean Campagna, prisonnier, 45 ansJean Campagna (abt.1640-aft.1685) | WikiTree FREE Family TreeQuebec 1685: Part 8- The Charge is SorceryThe Kimble Witch TrialView of Backward Seasons and Remarkable Cold: the Weather over Long Reach, New Brunswick, 1812-1821 | Acadiensis“Native Witchcraft Beliefs in Acadian, Maritime and Newfoundland Folklore” – EruditConcerns move Indigenous ceremony meant to contact 'spirit realm' outside Quebec community | CBC NewsFolklore of Nova ScotiaMi'kmaw Shamans and Acadian Sorcerers: A Study in Cultural Transmissions, Transferences and TransformationsWitchcraft Act 1735Bill C-365 (Historical)Woman Charged With Fake Witchcraft, Days Before Canada Scraps Old Law‘Psychic’ charged with being a fake fights case after Canada decriminalises witchcraft
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Halloween 2025: A Brief History of Witch Trials in Canada

Episode 389: On a rain-soaked evening on June 13th, 1833, two young law students faced each other across a muddy field near Perth, Ontario, pistols in hand. John Wilson, a 20-year-old from humble farming stock, gripped his weapon with trembling fingers as rain dripped from his dark hair. Sixty feet away, 22-year-old Robert Lyon, handsome, aristocratic, and the son of a British officer, stood with the practiced composure of a gentleman born to privilege. Between them lay more than just distance: a bitter rivalry over the affections of Elizabeth Hughes, an English governess whose reputation had sparked this deadly confrontation. What had begun as whispered gossip in a lawyer's office in Bytown would end with one man dead, another's life forever changed, and a woman left to marry her lover's killer. This was Ontario's last fatal duel, a collision between Old World codes of honour and New World ambitions that would echo through Perth's streets for generations.

Sources:

A History of Perth | Perth RememberedPerth Military SettlementRobert Lyon 1812 - 1833 | Clark and Hogg Family HistoryWILSON, JOHN – Dictionary of Canadian BiographyWlison and Lyon Duel | Richmond HeritageDuel in Early Upper Canada by William Renwick RiddellARCHIVED - Criminal CodeDueling for Honour or (Il)legal Murder?: Two Case Studies | The Loyalist CollectionSword or Pistol: A Brief History of Duels | Believe it or Not | ÉducaloiEn Guard! A History of Canadian Duels - Academie Duello - Learn SwordplayDueling: the Violence of GentlemenLe matin du 22 mai 1838, le dernier duel du Canadapistol-provenance.pdfLast Fatal Duel Historical PlaqueHow a pair of men in St. John's survived the last duel fought on Canadian soil | CBC NewsUpdates to Canada’s criminal law will legalize duels and permit pretending to practise witchcraft
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Pistols at Perth: The Wilson-Lyon Duel

Episode 388: On the morning of August 5, 2013, Campbellton, New Brunswick, faced an unthinkable tragedy. Police and first responders were called to an apartment above Reptile Ocean, the town’s reptile and fish shop, where they found Connor and Noah Barthe, brothers aged six and four, dead after a sleepover with their friend Jayce Savoie. Sometime in the night, a 12-foot, 53-pound African rock python owned by shopkeeper Jean-Claude Savoie escaped its enclosure, slithered through a vent, and fatally attacked the sleeping boys. The official cause of death was “traumatic asphyxia by constriction,” a finding that shocked the small community and quickly attracted national and international attention. As investigators began their work, residents struggled to comprehend how a night of friendship ended in such horror. Savoie was charged with criminal negligence causing death, setting the stage for a legal and ethical debate that would raise tough questions and stir deep emotions far beyond Campbellton.

Episode Sources:Connor & Noah Barthe Obituary - Campbellton, NB2016 NBQB 205 (CanLII) | R. v. Savoie | CanLII2016 NBQB 135 (CanLII) | R. v. Jean-Claude Savoie | CanLIISnake kills two boys during sleepover, Canadian police sayBoys in python case lived life 'to a maximum' | CBC NewsMother of boys killed by python: 'I thought they would be safe'Mother of N.B. boys killed by python: ‘I thought they would be safe’Reptile Ocean | Facts, Fiction, & the MediaWhy Are People Afraid of Snakes? | Phobia, Evolution, & Facts | BritannicaPython deaths: 'This could have been prevented by a simple action' | CBC NewsPython made ‘growling noises’ after killing young brothers, trial of pet store owner hearsJuror dismissed in python deaths trial as Crown prepares to call final witness | Globalnews.ca‘Smell of food would really excite’ python, reptile expert tells N.B. trial | Globalnews.caJuror dismissed in python deaths trial as Crown prepares to call final witness | Globalnews.caJean-Claude Savoie | News, Videos & ArticlesCBC Player | Dramatic 911 calls over pythonEnfants tués par un python: Jean-Claude Savoie non coupable2013 New Brunswick python attackTragic photos emerge of brothers cleaning snake pen months before python killed them in their sleep
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The Campbellton Python Tragedy: Connor and Noah Barthe

Episode 387: On December 26, 2005, around 5:15 p.m., there was a gunfight outside the Foot Locker store on Yonge Street in downtown Toronto. Unfortunately, a fifteen-year-old girl named Jane Creba was shot and killed. She was an innocent bystander among hundreds of Boxing Day shoppers who were in the area at the time of the shooting. Sadly, she was caught in the middle of the gunfire and died from a single bullet that hit her in the back and pierced her aorta. In addition to Jane, six other people were injured in the shooting.

Sources:

Candlelight vigil set for tonight to remember Jane Creba | CBC NewsRobbery, fight led to Boxing Day shooting: affidavit | CBC News2008 CanLII 54975 (ON SC) | R. v. Smith | CanLII2008 ONCJ 123 (CanLII) | R. v. Woodcock et al. | CanLIIJeremiah Valentine interrogation - Police provided video | National PostJeremiah Valentine interrogation - Police provided video | YouTubeGuilty plea in Creba shootingCreba's parents describe 'tsunami of grief' after 2005 shooting | CBC News2012 ONCA 568 (CanLII) | R. v. J.S.R. | CanLII2015 ONCA 535 (CanLII) | R. v. Woodcock | CanLIICanadian Legal Information Institute | CanLIIBoxing Day shootingMan convicted in 2005 Toronto murder of Jane Creba faces first-degree murder charge in MontrealToronto Boxing Day killer granted full parole 7 months before fatal Montreal shootingGunman involved in Jane Creba Boxing Day killing arrested again, faces murder charge in Montreal
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Boxing Day Bystander: The Murder of Jane Creba

Episode 386: In the last episode, we explored the origins of Herbert Baumeister and the early days at Fox Hollow, tracing the stories of early disappearances of gay men around Indiana. The disappearances beginning in the late 1980s and into the 1990s signalled the start of a wave of heartbreak that swept through Indianapolis’s gay community, leaving families and friends desperate for answers.

 In this episode, we turn our focus to the other lives forever altered by Herb Baumeister’s crimes. We’ll share what’s known about the final days of Baumeister’s other victims. Among them were Jeffrey Allan Jones, Roger Alan Goodlet, Michael Frederick Keirn, Steven Spurlin Hale, Richard Douglas Hamilton Jr., Johnny Bayer, Allen Wayne Broussard, and Daniel Thomas Halloran. As their stories unfold, we’ll follow the determined police investigation, the pressure that began to close in on Baumeister, and his frantic flight from justice. This case, originating in quiet Indiana neighbourhoods, fades out across the border—coming to a haunting end here in Canada.

Episode Sources:

Who Was Herb Baumeister? Revisiting the Serial Killer's Crimes and Horrifying Post-Murder Rituals 29 Years After His DeathCrimeLibrary.com/Serial Killers/Sexual Predators/Herb Baumeister: Skeletons Beyond the ClosetBaumeister, Herb - fall, 2005Herbert R. Baumeister - Encyclopedia of IndianapolisHerb BaumeisterQUEER CRIME: The Double Life of Herb BaumeisterI-70 StranglerThe Mystery of the I-70 Serial Killer - Unsolved MysteriesThe True Story Of The Fox Hollow Murders30-year mystery solved: Missing man's remains among those found on suspected serial killer's estateInvestigators Uncover "Unimaginable" 10,000 Bone Fragments in Businessman's BackyardThis private investigator cracked the case of notorious serial killer Herbert BaumeisterJeffrey Allen “Jeff” Jones (1962-1993) - Find a...Roger Allen Goodlet (1960-1994)Michael Frederick “Mike” Keirn (1949-1995) - Find...Steven Spurlin Hale (1967-1996)Richard Douglas Hamilton Jr. (1973-1993) - Find a...John Lee “Johnny” Bayer (1972-1993) - Find a...Allen Wayne Broussard (1966-1994)Daniel Thomas Halloran (1972-1993)After 29 years, another victim of suspected serial killer Herb Baumeister identifiedCoroner: New DNA profiles completed for 2 of serial killer Herb Baumeister's victims10th victim identified in Fox Hollow Farm serial killer case in Indiana'I-70 Strangler' remains mysterious Midwest boogeyman, but private investigator has theoryHerb Baumeister’s killing field and the new effort to identify his victims: Forgotten at Fox Hollow'The Fox Hollow Murders: Playground of a Serial Killer' premieres Feb. 18 on Hulu
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All That Remains: Fox Hollow Farm — Part 2

Episode 385: The killings at Fox Hollow Farm are one of Indiana’s darkest chapters. In the early 1990s, Herb Baumeister, a husband, father, and thrift store owner, lived a double life in the upscale suburb of Westfield. Behind the facade of Fox Hollow Farm, he is believed to have lured young men, mostly from local gay bars, to his home, where police later uncovered the remains of at least 25 victims scattered across the estate. Hundreds of burned and crushed bones were found by investigators, revealing years of concealed brutality. As the net closed in, Baumeister fled to Canada and took his own life at Pinery Provincial Park, leaving unanswered questions and devastated families in his wake.

Sources:

Who Was Herb Baumeister? Revisiting the Serial Killer's Crimes and Horrifying Post-Murder Rituals 29 Years After His DeathCrimeLibrary.com/Serial Killers/Sexual Predators/Herb Baumeister: Skeletons Beyond the ClosetBaumeister, Herb - fall, 2005Herbert R. Baumeister - Encyclopedia of IndianapolisHerb BaumeisterQUEER CRIME: The Double Life of Herb BaumeisterI-70 StranglerThe Mystery of the I-70 Serial Killer - Unsolved MysteriesThe True Story Of The Fox Hollow Murders30-year mystery solved: Missing man's remains among those found on suspected serial killer's estateAllen Lee Livingston (1965-1993)Investigators Uncover "Unimaginable" 10,000 Bone Fragments in Businessman's BackyardThis private investigator cracked the case of notorious serial killer Herbert Baumeister'I-70 Strangler' remains mysterious Midwest boogeyman, but private investigator has theory
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All That Remains: Fox Hollow Farm — Part 1

Episode 384: Driving the prairie roads south of Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, your eyes adjust to an endless sea of grass and sky, where grain elevators rise like sentinels and ragged lines of poplar windbreaks whisper in the steady wind. It’s a landscape that makes you feel both small and free—until, in the middle of the wheat-coloured plains, you come upon a steel-hulled ship sitting high and dry on the grass. This is the Sontiainen, built by Finnish immigrant Tom Sukanen, who spent years constructing it here, hundreds of kilometres from salt water, in hopes of sailing it home to Finland. What sounds like the beginning of a folk tale is entirely true: the man, the ship, and his dream were real—and so was the heartbreak that followed.

Sources:

The Sad Story Behind the Prairie Ship of Tom SukanenThe Tragedy of Tom SukanenView of Little Steamship on the Prairie: Grass-Roots Preservation and Artistic Interpretation in the Construction of Ethnic, Local, and National Identities | Scandinavian-Canadian StudiesSukanen Ship Pioneer Village & Museum - A real location with a fictitious community.Dustship Glory - Athabasca University PressSukanen Ship Pioneer Village and MuseumDreams in the Dust: The Story of Tom SukanenThe tragic tale of Tom Sukanen
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Noah of Saskatchewan: The Tom Sukanen Saga

Episode 383: On June 18, 2023, five people boarded the experimental Titan submersible for what was meant to be a once-in-a-lifetime voyage to the wreck of the Titanic, resting nearly four kilometres beneath the North Atlantic. Less than two hours into the descent, all contact with the surface vessel was lost. Over the following days, searchers scoured the area, but hopes for a rescue faded quickly. When remotely operated vehicles finally reached the seabed, they found the Titan reduced to scattered fragments, the result of a catastrophic implosion. Aboard were Oceangate CEO and pilot Stockton Rush, 61; British businessman Hamish Harding, 58; French Titanic expert Paul-Henri Nargeolet, 77; and Pakistani father and son Shahzada Dawood, 48, and Suleman Dawood, 19; all were killed instantly.

Titan Submersible - Coast Guard Marine Board of InvestigationCoast Guard Marine Board of Investigation releases report on Titan submersibleSUBMERSIBLE TITAN MBI REPORT (04AUG2025)OceanGate CEO ‘completely ignored’ flawed Titan sub before deadly trip, report findsTitan sub firm used 'intimidation tactics' and 'critically flawed' safety practices, US Coast Guard report findsMeet the man taking submarine trips to the TitanicStockton Rush | WikipediaUS Coast Guard Report on Titan Submersible Implosion Singles Out OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush | WiredOceanGate's 'toxic workplace culture' was bad enough to contribute to the Titan submersible disaster, Coast Guard says | Business InsiderWho is Stockton Rush? The OceanGate CEO killed in Titanic tourist submarine | The IndependentA Deep Dive Into the Plans to Take Tourists to the 'Titanic'Titan submersible implosion final report critical of CEO's inadequate oversightCoast Guard releases final Titan sub disaster report: LiveOceangate's Titan whistleblower: 'People were sold a lie'
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The Darkest Depths – The Titan Submersible Tragedy

Episode 382: On April 2, 1885, the tranquil settlement of Frog Lake in what is now Alberta became the scene of a devastating tragedy. Known as the Frog Lake Massacre, this violent episode unfolded during the North-West Rebellion. Nine settlers, among them government officials, two Roman Catholic priests, traders, and a clerk, lost their lives at the hands of a group of Cree warriors led by Wandering Spirit. The attack stemmed from mounting desperation within the Plains Cree community, who faced starvation triggered by the near extinction of buffalo and the inflexible, often cruel administration of Indian Agent Thomas Quinn. While Cree Chief Big Bear advocated for peace and negotiation, tensions within his band and widespread hardship created a perfect storm. The violence not only shocked the young Dominion of Canada but also shaped the outcome of the North-West Resistance and left a legacy of sorrow and contested memory that resonates to this day.

Sources:

Parks Canada - Frog Lake National Historic Site of CanadaCanada A Country by Consent: Native Treaties 1871-1897: Big BearChief Big Bear MistahamaskwaMISTAHIMASKWA (Big Bear, Gros Ours) – Dictionary of Canadian BiographyBrowse by Subject: Mistahimaskwa (Big Bear) Plains Cree ChiefBig Bear — North-West Mounted PoliceThe Encyclopedia of Saskatchewan | DetailsBig Bear | WikipediaFrog Lake Massacre 1885 | Elk Point Historical SocietyA World We Have Lost: Saskatchewan Before 1905Two Months in the Camp of Big Bear., by Theresa Gowanlock and Theresa DelaneyBlood Red the Sun [The War Trail of Big Bear]KAPAPAMAHCHAKWEW (Papamahchakwayo) (Wandering Spirit, Esprit Errant) – Dictionary of Canadian BiographyBattleford Hangings, 1885 Riel RebellionKā-pēpāmahchakwēw = Wandering Spirit : Plains Cree war chief by Garry Radison.Narratives and Drama in 1885 | Our LegacyNorth-West Resistance - Indigenous Saskatchewan EncyclopediaNorthwest Rebellion - Frog Lake - Military HistoryCanada's Subjugation of the Plains Cree, 1879-1885 by John L. TobiasJohn McDougall publicationsA Redman's Viewpoint | Heinsburg HistoryEdgar Dewdney National Historic Person (1835–1916)Lac La Biche - History - Aboriginal Descendants - Big BearLost Harvests: Prairie Indian Reserve Farmers and Government Policy, 2nd Ed.PDF — Rethinking Treaty 6Big Bear | Creator - Land - PeopleA Tale of Two Massacres | Literary Review of CanadaBattlefords Agency Tribal Chiefs Hosts Wandering Spirit CommemorationThe Life Of Big Bear | Canadian History EhxAn infamous anniversary: 130 years since Canada’s Largest Mass Hanging 27 November 1885Battleford Hangings | SASKATCHEWAN INDIAN | JULY 1972
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The 1885 Tragedy at Frog Lake

Episode 306: This week, we discuss the shooting death of American Mark Harshbarger during a 2006 hunting trip to Newfoundland. The Meshoppen, Pennsylvania, man was shot by his wife, Mary Beth Harshbarger, who claims she thought he was a black bear. In 2010, Harshbarger was extradited to Newfoundland, where she stood trial for criminal negligence causing death. The prosecution cited insurance money as Mary Beth’s motive for the killing. After two weeks of hearings in September, the presiding judge found her not guilty. 
The shooting death of Mark Harshbarger has been a source of controversy since it occurred. Some people believe that Mary Beth Harshbarger was guilty of first-degree murder, while others believe that she was justified in shooting her husband because she thought he was a bear.
It is important to remember that this topic is very sensitive for many people. The family and friends of Mark Harshbarger are still grieving his death, and Mary Beth Harshbarger has gone through a great deal. Mark’s children have lost their father. We aim to be respectful of all parties involved when discussing this case.
Sources:
Hunting | The Canadian Encyclopedia
Fur Trade in Canada | The Canadian Encyclopedia
Town of Buchans Newfoundland & Labrador
Guide describes fatal shot in U.S. hunter's trial | CBC News
Official Newfoundland Hunter Safety Course | HunterCourse.com
Inside The Harshbarger Family Case | CBC — True Crime Canada
Public Advisory: 2023-24 Hunting and Trapping Guide Available Online - News Releases
Regulation Summaries - 2022-23 Hunting and Trapping Guide
Mark Harshbarger (1963-2006) | Find-a-Grave
2010 NLTD 152 (CanLII) | R. v. Harshbarger | CanLII
Another Fine Day Afield | Outdoor Canada
Extradition looms for hunter who shot husband | Outdoor Canada
Harshbarger's father speaks out about widow's upcoming shooting trial - News - The Times-Tribune
Judge throws out PFA order that had been lodged against Mary Beth Harshbarger - News - Daily Review
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The Tragic Death of Mark Harshbarger

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