Maritime Ghost Stories For The Spooky Season

Devil’s Island

Devil’s Island is located on the east side of the mouth of the Halifax Harbour. The island was granted to Captain John Rous in 1752 and soon took on the name “Devil's Island” due to rumoured ghost sightings. The island didn’t have a lighthouse until 1852, and dangerous rocks and shoals caused multiple shipwrecks. Numerous ghost stories surround this island, most notably the mysterious death of Casper Henneberry. Legend has it that during a party he was hosting on the island, Henneberry stepped outside for a moment and returned looking shaken. He claimed that he had seen the devil in the form of a halibut. Yes, as in the fish. The next day he was found dead in his boat with his head hanging over the side. Although he was found completely dry, his cause of death was said to be drowning. Another account says there were indications of a fight on the beach, and that one of the participants had “cloven hooves” judging by prints left in the sand. Members of Henneberry’s family moved into his house after his death and their baby died there only a few days later.

There are many accounts of paranormal activity on the island, such as unexplained lights, footprints appearing on freshly painted floors, foul smells, fires that burn but do not consume anything, and apparitions of a man dressed in oilskins and a baby dressed in white, and of course the classic sounds of knocking and dragging within the house. The Henneberry house has been torn down and the island sits abandoned, but unexplained lights and fires are still seen to this day.

The Ghost Ship of Northumberland

The ghost ship of Northumberland has been seen countless times sailing the Northumberland strait between PEI, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick, fully ablaze. The ship is usually described as a beautiful three-mast schooner engulfed in flames and is perhaps the most famous ghost ship Canada has to offer. Written records of sightings date back more than a century. The ship has been given many names throughout history and has been thought to be many different ships that disappeared on their journeys. Despite this, its true identity is unknown. Whatever this apparition is, though, it is certain people are seeing something. It has been spotted by large groups that all agree– they’re seeing flames. On more than a few occasions, rescue teams have been sent out to aid the ship, only to have it disappear before their eyes. 

The Five Fishermen 

The Five Fishermen restaurant is perhaps the ghost story closest to home. What is now a restaurant on Argyle Street has had a long and interesting history. In the early 1920s, it was purchased by a man named John Snow and turned from a Victorian art studio into the John Snow And Company Funeral Home. In 1912 when the Titanic went down, many bodies were recovered from the freezing waters and some of the richest passengers were brought to John Snow and Co. to be buried in a local cemetery. During the Halifax explosion, the building lost all its windows but stayed in business. Since then the building has been transformed into the restaurant we know today, and there has been no shortage of ghost stories. Glasses fly off shelves, doors open and close, and people hear their names being called. An employee reported being regularly tapped on the shoulder and another had something brush against her cheek and leave a red mark. A grey mist in the vague shape of a person has been spotted by a worker, as well as a full-bodied apparition of a man thought to be a customer that soon vanished before their eyes. If you’re interested in random knocks and bumps throughout your eating experience, this is just the place for you.