EPISODE 26December 22, 2022

Two Winter Legends of the Canadian North

Grab a hot chocolate and settle in by the fire for two tales of supernatural wonder from Canada's frozen north: one from the Yukon Territory, one from the coast of Labrador. The first is a long-forgotten, supposedly "true" tale about how a mining engineer from Alaska was saved by a stranger who appeared to him in a dream. The second is well-known story of a phantom trapper said to roam the wilds of Labrador. Both are deeply set in the snowy wilds of the north, and deal with themes of the supernatural and salvation—perfect for sharing on a cold winter's night.

 

Special thanks to Craig Baird of the Canadian History Ehx podcast, Mark Norman of The Folklore Podcast, and Crissy Flynn-Lee of the Some Weird Podcast for the vocal performances.

 

Sources

Audio clip from the public domain motion picture Scrooge (1935). Dir. Henry Edwards.

 

Atwood, Margaret. Strange Things: The Malevolent North in Canadian Literature. New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 1995.

 

Colombo, John Robert. Mysterious Canada, Toronto: Doubleday Canada, 1989

 

Day, J. Wentworth, Canning, John. ed. “The Ghostly Trapper of Labrador.” 50 Great Ghost Stories. New York, NY: Bell Publishing Company, 1971, p 462-466.

 

Eschner, Kat. “Why Do People Tell Ghost Stories on Christmas?” Smithsonian Magazine. December 26, 2016. Accessed October 2022.

 

Ferrell, Ed. Strange Stories of Alaska and the Yukon. Kenmore, WA: Epicenter Press, 1996, p 85-86

 

Horwood, Harold. White Eskimo: A Novel of the Labrador. Toronto, ON: Doubleday, 1972.

 

Hood, John E. “Ghost Trail of the White Eskimo.” The Newfoundland Character: An Anthology of Newfoundland & Labrador Writings. St. John’s, NL: Jesperson Press, 1984, p 55-59

 

Hood, John E. “Ghost Trail Labrador.” Hunters of the North. Toronto, ON: Ryerson Press, 1966, p 119-130

 

Jarvis, Dale. 2005. Wonderful Strange: Ghosts, Fairies, and Fabulous Beasties. St. John’s, Newfoundland: Flanker Press, 142–144.

 

Kennedy, John. Labrador Village. Long Grove, IL: Waveland Press, 1996, p 81-90

 

Michaud, Sarah. “Old Smoker.” Them Days Vol. 35 No. 3, Grand Falls-Windsor, NL: Blackmore Printing, 2011, p. 52-54

 

Paddon, Harry L. “Log of a Komatik Trip.” Among the Deep Sea Fishers, Volume 29, Issue 2 (July 1931), p. 64-71. 

 

Saunders, Gary L. “Esau Gillingham: ‘White Eskimo.’” Rattles and Steadies: Memoirs of a Gander River Man. St. John;s, NL: Breakwater Books, 1986, p. 156-159.

 

Service, Robert. “The Law of the Yukon.” The Oxford Book of Canadian Verse, 1913/

 

Sinclair, John. “Ghost Guardian of the Snows.” The Wilfred Pickles Gift Book for Boys and Girls. London, England: W. & R. Chambers Ltd, 1959, p 60-64.

 

Sutherland, Dawn. “The White Trapper of Labrador.” Murder & Mayhem: Canadian Ghost Stories. Edmonton, AB: Quagmire Press, 2016, p. 151-158

 

Way, Patty. “Old Smoker – A Legend of the Labrador.” Them Days Vol. 39 No. 3, Grand Falls-Windsor, NL: Blackmore Printing, 2015, p. 18-25

 

“Girl in Dream Saves His Life in Alaska.” The Daily Press, Newport News, Virginia, 30 April 1916, p 17

 

“Mrs. Ethel Williams.” The Post Standard, Syracuse, NY, 3 August 1974, p 7

 

“Miner’s Dream of Girl Saves Him From Death.” The Bedford Daily Democrat/TImes-Mail, Bedford, Indiana, 15 January 1917, p 2

 

“Miner’s Dream of Girl Saves Him From Death.” The Bedford Daily Democrat/TImes-Mail, Bedford, Indiana, 21 May 1918, p 3

 

“Miner’s Dream of Girl Saves Him From Death.” The Bedford Daily Democrat/TImes-Mail, Bedford, Indiana, 7 October 1919, p 2

 

“Dream Girl Saved Alaska Man’s Life.” The Vancouver World, Vancouver, BC, 10 May 1916, p 8

 

“Smoker, the ghostly trapper of Labrador.” Saltwire. Newfoundland & Labrador: December 14, 2014. Accessed October 2021. https://www.saltwire.com/newfoundland-labrador/opinion/smoker-the-ghostly-trapper-of-labrador-135201/