Unsolved Canadian Mysteries: Recent Episodes
Kenton de Jong & Dylan Fairman
Behind every feel-good Canadian story is another that is dark, twisted and mysterious. Come listen and learn about the stories that shook the nation -- or maybe didn't -- in our new podcast series, Unsolved Canadian Mysteries, with co-hosts Kenton de Jong and Dylan Fairman.
In our twenty-fifth episode of Unsolved Canadian Mysteries, Kenton de Jong and Dylan Fairman discuss Mekayla Bali's disappearance which occurred on April 12, 2016.
Bali was a 16-year-old girl from Yorkton, Saskatchewan. Considered a "homebody", "quiet", "shy" and a "good listener", she always dreamed of travelling to a city like Regina or Saskatoon. She was an introvert and spent much of her time on her phone, using anonymous texting apps to talk to different people online. One of these apps was Kik, an app known to be used by child groomers.
On April 11th, 2016, Bali told her friends she was going on a trip and asked one of them for a ride to the bank that evening. They could not help her, so she called the bank instead and deposited $25 into her account. She would tell her friends that she would have $5,000 in her account and wanted a ride to the bank the next morning, but her friends told her that the bank didn't open until 9am. Police records show she had nowhere near that amount of money in her account.
The next morning Bali would get dropped off at school, then walk right through the school and out the back door, five minutes later. Security cameras throughout Yorkton would track her movements, from pawn shops, gas stations, coffee shops, back to the highschool, and eventually to a restaurant where she would ultimately disappear.
Bali left behind little to help authorities find what happened to her. Their investigation was further delayed because of the 10-month delay the RCMP had while dealing with US social media privacy regulations. When they finally did gain access, they had more questions than answers.
What happened to Bali on that day in 2016? Was it drug-related? Did she commit suicide? Or was it a romance gone wrong? Listen to the podcast and find out!
In our eighth Patreon exclusive episode of Unsolved Canadian Mysteries, Kenton and Dylan discuss the authenticity of T. G. Hamilton's famous ectoplasmic photography.
Thomas Glendenning and Lillian May Hamilton were faced with the sudden loss of their son due to the Spanish Influenza of 1918. Like many people at the time, they were struggling to cope with the meaning of life and death.
However, T. G. recounted a conversation with a colleague at the University of Manitoba a few years prior. His colleague told him about a psychic he had met stateside, and how amazed he was by her abilities to contact the dead.
The desire to communicate with their son drove T. G. and Lillian to begin experimenting as well. What started with Ouiji boards quickly evolved into full-blown ectoplasmic photography. By including witnesses and an entire wall of cameras, their documentation, and recordings about what they summoned brought them into the international spotlight. Everybody from former prime ministers to famous authors came to witness their seances.
But a hundred years later, ectoplasmic photography is no longer popular, and many who participated were found to be frauds. T. G. Hamilton and his wife were an exception, and their photography remains unexplained.
For our attempt to explain T. G. Hamiton's ectoplasmic photography, check out our new episode!
In our twenty-fourth episode of Unsolved Canadian Mysteries, Kenton de Jong and Dylan Fairman discuss Edwin Fuhr's close encounter of the second kind, which occurred on Septemeber 1st, 1974.
Edwin Fuhr was a farmer near Langenburg, Saskatchewan and was out one morning harvesting his canola, when he rode his swather up a small hill on his property. From this vantage point, he saw five strange metallic objects in a semi-circle-like shape, all hovering silently near a slough. He approached the objects on foot, noticing their dimensions, the speed in which they were rotating, and any feelings of uneasiness he felt near them.
He then returned to his swather and waited until eventually the objects flew up and away from him, blasting him with steam.
He would return home to tell his family what he saw, only to discover time had passed. After lunch, we went out to the spot with his father to show him where the objects were hovering. It was around this time that Edwin's wife told his sister, and his sister told her husband and her husband called the RCMP.
It was after this moment that Edwin's life changed, a mass of humanity descended upon his farm.
What did Edwin see that day in 1974? Was it alien in origin? Was it a secret military aircraft? And did he really get a call from Neil Armstrong? Listen to the podcast and find out!
In our seventh Patreon exclusive episode of Unsolved Canadian Mysteries, we explore the story of the Calgary mummy.
In 1948, the Pearce family moved into 1805 20th Avenue NW in Calgary, Alberta. From the moment they arrived, Mrs. Pearce began complaining that something felt off about the place. She used the term "creepy presence". Their daughters also said the same thing and said they felt like they were being watched.
That night, while doing dishes, one of the daughters screamed. She claimed a disembodied, ghostly hand touched her.
After calming the girls down and settling them into bed, Alfred Pearce noticed some of the floorboards in the bedroom were sagging. He took a look at the crawl space and noticed some of the support beams had been removed. He then began to pry up the old floorboards... and what he found caused him to wake his children, get his wife, and run out of the house as fast as they could.
As the police began investigating, more and more questions emerged, and very few answers. What did the find under the floorboards? Who put it there? And when exactly did it happen? For all those answers and more, find out in our new episode!
In our sixth Patreon exclusive episode of Unsolved Canadian Mysteries, we explore the legend of the Okanagan lake monster, Ogopogo.
Ogopogo, originally called "na-it-aka", or "spirit of the water" by the Syilx people, is a legendary lake spirit that controlled passage across Lake Okanagan. Legends even claim a story where a visiting chief came to the lake and did not provide an offering for a safe passage across the lake, and the monster responded by drowning their canoes. A similar even would occur with European settlers many centuries later where their horses would be attacked in the water by something with sharp claws and teeth.
Centuries later, the monster would be renamed Ogopogo by the most unlikely source and would take on a life of its own. Many theories have emerged of what it might be -- from lake otters, methane bubbles, large eels or sturgeon fishes, and even the possibility of an ancient dinosaur.
With sightings almost every year, various agencies have tried to find the elusive creature -- so much so that two lucrative rewards have been created to find or debunk it -- prompting the provincial government to enact legislation to preserve it.
What is this "spirit of the water"? Is it just a myth, or something more? Find out in our new episode!
In our twenty-third episode of Unsolved Canadian Mysteries, Kenton de Jong and Dylan Fairman discuss a crime spree that took place in London Ontario during the 1960s-1980s that left dozens dead and many more with unanswered questions.
On October 4, 1969, Jackie English needed a ride home from work. She had just gotten a second job working at The Metropolitan and her mother usually picked her up when her shift was over, as they both worked on Highway 401, on the edge of London, Ontario. However, this day, Jackie's mother was home recovering from surgery, and Jackie needed a ride. Thankfully she had made some new friends and they were going to pick her up.
She got into their car after work, and the driver closed the door behind her. Then, instead of driving back to London, the car started down the 401, away from the city, and towards Jackie's death.
Jackie's body would be found five days later, beaten, raped and naked. But the police didn't have the means to investigate her crime, and to this day the case is unsolved. Why didn't they have the time to investigate it? They were already investigating seven other women who were abducted and killed within the past two years. From 1968 - 1984, or 1959 - 1984 depending on who you ask, London Ontario had a string of serial killings, and only a handful of people were brought to justice. It is believed that there were between 6-9 serial killers in operation during this period, killing over 30 people.
But why did this happen? What was the reason? In this episode we talk about the killers, not the victims, the Chambermaid Slayer, the Mad Slasher, and the Bedroom Stranger. Lock your doors -- especially your balconies. You never know who or what might be crawling in.
In our fifth Patreon exclusive episode of Unsolved Canadian Mysteries, we explore the August 1, 1989 disappearance of Doreen Jack (26) Ronald “Ronnie” Jack, (26), Russel Jack (9), and Ryan Jack (4).
The story begins at First Litre Pub near Prince George, British Columbia, where Ronnie is approached by an unknown man at the bar. Ronnie is looking for work, and the man mentions a job opportunity not too far from a local lumber mill. Ronnie could work at the mill, Doreen could work in the kitchen, and they have a daycare program for the kids. There is only one catch, the man says -- we have to leave now.
Ronnie gets home and Doreen the offer. They pack up the kids, get a few belongings, and pile into the truck. The work program should only be for a few weeks as the kids need to return to school in September.
They never returned.
That itself is strange enough, but the botched police investigation, the missed evidence, and the many times the family fell through the cracks in the police system make you wonder what exactly happened that night in 1989.
Come celebrate Halloween the Unsolved Canadian Mysteries way, with scary stories from Dylan, Kenton and our editor Christina. Some stories are true, some are legends, and some are, well... you'll find out.
This is our first attempt at something like this, so we would love to know your thoughts, and would love to know (after you finish watching it), how would YOU end the story of the three kids?
In our twenty-second episode of Unsolved Canadian Mysteries, Kenton de Jong and Dylan Fairman discuss Canada's oldest documented case of demonic possession, the story of Barbe Hallay of 1660.
Barbe Hallay would find employment at Beauport, New France (outside modern-day Quebec City) as a teenager. However, not long after getting her position there, a man knocked on the door, requesting her hand in marriage. His name was Daniel Vuil.
Although only 13, Hallay was old enough to consent to wedding proposals, and declined Vuil's offer. This enraged Vuil, and the story goes that he would leave the property, return home and summon demons from the depths of hell to terrorize Hallay into loving him.
This story contains some early famous high-profile Canadians, gruesome murders, spirits, demons, and a mother's love.
Come check it out for our Halloween Special!
In our twenty-first episode of Unsolved Canadian Mysteries, Kenton de Jong and Dylan Fairman discuss The Lost Lemmon Mine.
In 1870, Joe Lemmon and Blackjack were prospecting near the North Saskatchewan River not far from Calgary, Alberta. They would find gold placer deposits along the shoreline, and quickly found the primary gold vein. After mining the gold, and filling what bags they could, they settled in for the night. When the sun rose the next morning, Blackjack was dead and Lemmon fled the camp in terror.
When Lemmon arrived back to civilization, he had the gold ore assessed and discovered he had brought back around $27,000 worth of gold and ore. That is around $700,000 today. A second prospecting party was created, but time and time again, something would happen that prevented them from finding their gold -- thus, the Curse of the Lost Lemmon Mine began.
Come listen to a story filled with gold-seeking adventurers, unexplained murders, ghosts, and a flood in 2005 that might have found clues to solving the whole thing.
In our third Patreon exclusive episode of Unsolved Canadian Mysteries, we explore the infamous story of the Mad Trapper of Rat River.
Albert Johnson shook national headlines in 1932 when he led RCMP officers on a month-long manhunt through the unforgiving Yukon and Northwest Territories. What started as a simple trap-line tampering investigation led to his cabin being dynamited and several officers wounded. However, the biggest mystery isn't how Johnson evaded police for so long, but where he came from. His true name wasn't Albert Johnson, but he never told anybody otherwise. Was he an ex-convict, running from the law? Was he a well-trained bushman who had a cabin in British Columbia? Was he a paranoid European draft dodger?
Come dig follow us down the rabbit hole of The Mad Trapper of Rat River and let us know what you think!
Thank you for listening, and for supporting the channel!
In our twentieth episode of Unsolved Canadian Mysteries, Kenton de Jong and Dylan Fairman discuss The Mad Trapper Of Sheslay.
Michael Oros, or The Mad Trapper Of Sheslay, moved to Alaska in an attempt to avoid being drafted into the Vietnam War. After finding the conditions in Fairbanks too desolate, he moved south, into northern British Columbia to the abandoned mining village of Sheslay.
As time passed, Oros became more and more isolated from the world, and became more and more paranoid. He began writing about "sneak arounds" that would follow him in the shadows, and about “torture druggers,” who experimented and poisoned him.
Over several decades, Oros went from being a nuisance to a menace, but it was the disappearance of a fellow recluse, ex-Nazi Gunther Lishy, that got the police's attention. As Oros became more violent, his actions devolved further and further away from a person, and more into a monster.
Come listen to a story that is sure to make you sit up and wonder what happened that day on March 19, 1985.
In our nineteenth episode of Unsolved Canadian Mysteries, Kenton de Jong and Dylan Fairman discuss The Bell Island Boom.
Right before noon on Sunday, April 2, 1978, a massive explosion rocked a small mining island in Newfoundland and Labrador. The Bickford family farm had exploded. Within days, military officials from Canada, Russia, and the USSR descended onto the island to investigate. Also spotted were two "men in black" from Los Alamos National Laboratory.
What exploded that day in Bell Island? Does it have anything to do with the island being the most haunted island in Canada? Or does it have to do with the mining? Or maybe the mysterious sky quakes happened a few months prior? Come listen and find out!
In our eighteenth episode of Unsolved Canadian Mysteries, Kenton de Jong and Dylan Fairman discuss The Disappearance of Nick and Lisa Masee. The Masse's disappeared from their North Vancouver home on August 11, 1994. Nick was a former banker with the BMO, and was known for his dealings on the Vancouver Stock Exchange, the "scam capital of the world". However, he had recently left BMO to start a new career at Turbodyne Technologies. The night before their disappearance, Nick and Lisa were to meet with a potential investor of Turbodyne Technologies, but they never showed up for their dinner reservations. What happened that night, and what happened to the Masees? Does it have something to do with organized crime, the witness protection program or a sudden and mysterious trip to the Cayman Island a few months earlier? Come listen and find out!
In our seventeeth episode of Unsolved Canadian Mysteries, Kenton de Jong and Dylan Fairman discuss The Baldoon Mystery. This story is a famous story out of Ontario in the former community of Baldoon. The McDonald family would move onto the property to start a life of their own, only for unexplained paranormal happenings to start occurring. After a botched exorcism, and a fire that burned down the house, John McDonald was all out of ideas... that is until a traveller came into town.
In our sixteenth episode of Unsolved Canadian Mysteries, Kenton de Jong and Dylan Fairman discuss Ronald Bax, who shot and killed Krystal Senyk on March 1st, 1992. Following the murder, Bax disappeared and has been missing for over thirty years. Various theories exist as to what happened to him, from taking his own life to starting a new life under the fake name of Barry Spencer Clark.
Additional information about the murder can be read in the upcoming book "I Got a Name - The Murder of Krystal Senyk" by Eliza Robertson and Myles Dolphin.
In our fifteenth episode of Unsolved Canadian Mysteries, Kenton de Jong and Dylan Fairman discuss the famous Canadian legend of the Wendigo. While most people have heard of the Wendigo, this episode digs deeper into the legend and discusses historical accounts of the creatures. One of the stories includes that of the famous Wendigo killer jack Fiddler, who was charged with murder in 1907 for killing somebody who was transforming into a Wendigo.
In our fourteenth episode of Unsolved Canadian Mysteries, Kenton de Jong and Dylan Fairman discuss the mysterious deaths of Barry and Honey Sherman in 2017. Once the 15th wealthiest people in Canada, they were found dead in their mansion. From botched police investigations, bad blood within the family, and two very strange statues, this unsolved mystery comes with a $35 million pricetag for whoever can solve it.
In our thirteenth episode of Unsolved Canadian Mysteries, Kenton de Jong and Dylan Fairman discuss the strange 1967 encounter Stephen Michalak had while prospecting for silver at Falcon Lake, Manitoba. What he saw that day left him with permanent injuries and brought various military and aerospace experts to the small community. What did he see? Or did he see anything at all? The truth is out there.
In our twelfth episode of Unsolved Canadian Mysteries, Kenton de Jong and Dylan Fairman debate the claims made by Jan Perkowski in their 1972 report, "Vampires, dwarves and witches among the Ontario Kashubs". This report discusses the various vampiric creatures that terrorized the community of Wilno, the ways to identify them, and the ways to destroy them. Since 1972, the town has vehemently denied these stories. But are they fact, or fiction? Kenton decided to make a few calls, and the answer will surprise you.
In our eleventh episode of Unsolved Canadian Mysteries, Kenton de Jong and Dylan Fairman travel to St. Henry's Kronsberg Cemetery. According to Ghost Stories in Saskatchewan, Volume 3, by Jo-Anne Christensen, this is the most haunted cemetery in the province. Legend has it that the cemetery is haunted by not only spirits, but also a dark, winged figure called The Guardian. There have been many reports of spirits, shadows, voices, changing and growling coming from within the cemetery. So, in honour of our first-ever Halloween Special, we decided to put it to the test. Happy Halloween everybody!
In our tenth episode of Unsolved Canadian Mysteries, Kenton de Jong and Dylan Fairman discuss the Tunnel Monster of Cabbagetown. In 1978, Ernest saw this mysterious creature in the tunnels below Toronto -- and then it spoke!
44 years later, the mystery is unsolved. Was it an Indigenous legend come to life, an illusion of a drunken man or something more sinister? Come learn all about it - PLUS an exclusive Unsolved Canadian Mysteries interview with somebody who met Ernest all those years ago.
In our ninth episode of Unsolved Canadian Mysteries, Kenton de Jong and Dylan Fairman discuss the murder of Frank Smith on May 20, 1935, the subsequent multiple trials of his wife Mary Smith, and the disturbing visions that haunted her afterward. The research for this episode was done by Melanie Cole of melaniecole.com
In our eighth episode of Unsolved Canadian Mysteries, Kenton de Jong and Dylan Fairman discuss the death of Peter "The Lordly" Verigin. Verigin was a Russian philosopher whose ideology was so extreme that it got him and his fellow Doukhobors kicked out of Russia. They came to Canada to start a new life, only to find a lot of new problems -- ones that to this day, the RCMP are still investigating.
In our seventh episode of Unsolved Canadian Mysteries, Kenton de Jong and Dylan Fairman discuss Oak Island, Nova Scotia, and the supposed treasure buried there. Six people have died trying to get this treasure, with wide-ranging theories of what it might be, including English gold, French jewels, the secret writings of William Shakespeare, or perhaps even something biblical.
In our sixth episode of Unsolved Canadian Mysteries, Kenton de Jong and Dylan Fairman discuss the July 5, 2004 disappearance of Tamra Jewel Keepness from her home in Regina, Saskatchewan. We go over testimony from the people in the house, the police and review the possibilities of what may have happened that night.
This episode contains mature content. In our fifth episode of Unsolved Canadian Mysteries, Kenton de Jong and Dylan Fairman discuss a Satanic sex cult that terrorized a small Saskatchewan community in the early 1990s, and what we think was really behind the infamous "Martensville Nightmare".
In our fourth episode of Unsolved Canadian Mysteries, Kenton de Jong and Dylan Fairman discuss the strange events that followed the execution of Marie-Josephte Corriveau, a famous Canadian witch.
In our third episode of Unsolved Canadian Mysteries, Kenton de Jong and Dylan Fairman discuss the strange events that occur in Lake Ontario near in Canada's very own Bermuda Triangle.
Also, for anybody curious, Ogopogo is in Okanagan Lake in British Columbia. However, Bessie does live in Lake Erie, Ontario.
In our second episode of Unsolved Canadian Mysteries, Kenton de Jong and Dylan Fairman celebrate Halloween by discussing the frequent beheadings of people who visit Nahanni National Park Reserve of Canada in the Northwest Territories.
This episode covers several ongoing cold cases, so if you have any information about what is happening, please contact the authorities.
In our very first episode of Unsolved Canadian Mysteries, Kenton de Jong and Dylan Fairman discuss the disappearance of Granger Taylor on November 29, 1980.
We realized after recording that we mistook his name as Taylor Granger, not Granger Taylor, so we apologize for that. Going forward Kenton will do his homework better.