Dark Poutine - True Crime and Dark History

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Canadian Connections: The 2004 Boxing Day Tsunami
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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Halloween 2025: A Brief History of Witch Trials in Canada
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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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1:09:24
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1:09:24
Pistols at Perth: The Wilson-Lyon Duel
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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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The Campbellton Python Tragedy: Connor and Noah Barthe
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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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1:01:11
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Boxing Day Bystander: The Murder of Jane Creba
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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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