Haunted Canada

They’re back! Collectors will shiver in delight (and maybe even leave a nightlight on) with the release of the third set in the Haunted Canada series. Once again, designers Lionel Gadoury and Kammy Ahuja along with illustrator Sam Weber have evoked the (dark) arts to bring us five fiendishly frightening stamps and a fearsome array of collectibles.

Curious about the five tales of terror told in this issue? Continue reading, if you dare ...

Staff and patrons of the century-old Elgin and Winter Garden Theatre Centre in Toronto have been witness to some spine-tingling appearances from the ghost of a well-dressed Edwardian woman and a musical spectre named Sam, who tends to hog the spotlight.

Who knew that Newfoundland and Labrador was home to a shape-shifting succubus? It’s said that many a farmer has been scared witless by the Hag of Bell Island, who appears as a beautiful maiden to lure her prey into the murky marsh before transforming into a horrific (and less-than-hospitable) hag.

If you’re approached by the Lady in White of Montmorency Falls, don’t touch her gown! The apparition of bride-to-be Mathilde Robin, who plunged to her death over the loss of her fiancé at the Battle of Montmorency, still guards the virtue of her wedding dress, meant for his touch alone.

The people of Charlottetown still speak of the day that a ship’s bell rang out at a local church with no one around but four women clad in ghostly white. Were the Phantom Ringers of the Kirk of Saint James – who disappeared into thin air – forewarning the deaths of four women who drowned that day in the sinking of the Fairy Queen steamer?

The cook at a logging camp near the Dungarvon River reputedly kept his life savings in a money belt that he wore at all times. That was until one winter morning, when the loggers returned from the bush to find him dead on the floor – and his belt nowhere to be found. Hastily buried in the nearby forest, the Dungarvon Whooper’s unmerciful cries can still be heard in the Miramichi area around dusk.

Says designer Lionel Gadoury, “Having been able to delve into 15 of our nation’s most richly nuanced tales and bring them to life with master illustrator Sam Weber has been a thrill like no other. All things must come to an end, but our fascination with the unknown is eternal. I hope Canadians and collectors are inspired by this final set and take time to share their own haunted tales with family and friends.”