Linda Peterson-Blades
I Love Nova Scotia Haunted #9
The 9th painting in my Nova Scotia series was inspired by the many haunted places in Nova Scotia and "The Southside Sea Monster", a creature that was witnessed by five fishermen from Cape Sable Island in 1976 . The first haunted place I chose to include (mainly because of its name) was the Devil's Island Lighthouse, built in 1852. Next was the Five Fisherman Restaurant located in Halifax, known as "The Most Haunted Restaurant in Canada", due to its history with the Titanic and the Halifax Explosion. The Tusket Court House was next, built in 1805 it is the oldest courthouse and jail in Canada. The next ghostly place I chose was the Lunenburg Academy, built in 1895. I then painted in some Trick-or-Treater's searching for candy in one of the many caves located at the Ovens Park in Lunenburg Co. Finally, for fun I hid bones throughout the painting; how many bones can you find?
I love Nova Scotia Halloween #9
Click on the painting to enlarge and enjoy the hunt for bones!
Southside sea monster
Experienced by Cape Sable Island fisherman Rodney Ross in July 1976, while fishing with his father on the fishing grounds known as Pollock Shoal. He is the last of the five fishermen aboard three different boats that saw the creature during a one-week period 42-years ago. “Some like to call it the South Side sea monster and I think I probably agree it looked like a monster,” said Ross. Hear the story by clicking here.
The Ovens Caves
Ovens Park is a privately owned 190 acre pristine reserve of coastal forest, located on the Atlantic coast of Nova Scotia, along the scenic Lighthouse Route. For hundreds of years, people have been drawn to the incredible beauty, diverse geography, spiritual solace, and fascinating history that make The Ovens Park so unique. Every year, thousands of park visitors hike the spectacular trails along the cliffs to view the famous sea caves, or "Ovens" for which the park was named.
Tusket Court House
The Argyle Township Court House & Gaol is Canada’s oldest standing courthouse, built in the village of Tusket, Nova Scotia in 1805. It operated as a working courthouse and jail from 1805 until 1944. I sell my Nova Scotia Series cards at the CELL Giftshop located in the court house.
Lunenburg Academy
The Lunenburg Academy was built in 1895, and operated as a school continuously to 2012.
The building’s basement was nicknamed The Dungeon by students, thanks to an evil feeling pervading the space and rumours of a dark creature inhabiting one of the toilet stalls. More recently, a film crew captured the image of a face in the window of the Academy. When the image was circulated, it was identified in a school yearbook as Mr. Sidney Knickle, a past custodian and caretaker.
Photo by Peter Zwicker
The Five Fisherman
A seafood dinner isn’t the only thing you can find at Halifax’s Five Fishermen restaurant. Both staff and patrons have countless stories of paranormal activity and sightings at this downtown spot, located in one of the oldest buildings in Canada. It’s not surprising either; before becoming a restaurant in the 1970s, the building was a morgue and took in bodies from both the Titanic in 1912 and the Halifax Explosion in 1916.
Devils Island Lighthouse
In the 1920s, 28 families were living on Devils Island, at the mouth of Halifax Harbour. From 1941-42, the 20 families then living on the island had a front row seat for the Battle of the Atlantic, as German U-boats sank vessels at the approaches to the harbour. As the war intensified, so did the potential dangers for island residents, and the government relocated them to the mainland. There have been many sightings of unexplained fires and lights, one in the 1990s, when a student of the paranormal spent a chilly night tenting on the island. When he walked the shoreline prior to turning in, every indication was that he was alone on the island—until he noticed a light burning in a window of the long-abandoned keeper’s residence.
Summoning the courage to enter, the youth found a still-warm candle on the windowsill, as though it had just been snuffed out. Not another “living” soul was out and about, making for a long night until sunrise brought welcome relief.
