Strange Truths & Tall Tales
Podcast
Strange Truths & Tall Tales celebrates the storytelling tradition of Newfoundland, Canada. From true-life feats of bravery to eerie tales of sea monsters and the folklore of mummers, we explore the stories that make this place what it is. Along the way we talk to modern storytellers, artists, and contributors from the world of pop culture to hear their perspectives and the tales that matter to them.
The show is hosted by Robert, a longtime blogger from Gander, NL, who writes about Newfoundland’s culture. He records the podcast from home, with occasional “input” from his two Labrador retrievers, who keep him grounded (well, more often, distracted).
Whether you’re a Newfoundlander yourself or simply curious about the stories of this remarkable place, we invite you to join us. Together, we’ll unravel “the yarns that knit ya” and discover what makes Newfoundland’s tales so powerful, so moving, and so unforgettable.
Have a story to share? Reach out: robert@productofnewfoundland.ca.
S5.E2: The Future Imperfect - Ghosts, Premonitions and Newfoundland Folklore
There’s always time for more Halloween! Two more Newfoundland ghost stories, featuring eerie premonitions, glimpses of what’s to come, and the unsettling question of whether the future is ever truly set in stone. Welcome to the Future Imperfect.
S5.E1: Unfinished Business — Newfoundland Ghost Stories
Just in time for Halloween, we’re exploring two Newfoundland ghost stories. From a message sent beyond the grave in Port au Choix to the strange goings-on at a house in Torbay, these stories will leave you wondering: what happens when the dead aren’t quite finished with the living?
S4.E7: Newfoundland Pirate Stories: Peter Easton and Adventure Knox (feat. Tammy Hynes)
In this episode, we explore the legend of Peter Easton, trace the curious origins of Happy Adventure, and speak with Tammy L. Hynes about her Adventure Knox series—where Newfoundland’s history, folklore, and imagination collide in captivating stories.
S4.E6: Axe Murders At Shallow Bay
The true 200-year-old tale of an horrific axe murder in Shallow Bay, NL
S4.E5: The Christmas Cat of Keels
Newfoundland has its share of strange Christmas stories — but not too many involve hand-to-hand combat with a supernatural house cat. This one — from Keels— does.
S4.E4: Christmas Whales
They were supposed to leave before winter. When they didn’t, the Christmas whales of Springdale turned a frozen bay into a story no one would forget.
S4.E3: Newfoundland Death Omens
It’s Halloween, and we’re getting spooky.
In this episode of Strange Truths & Tall Tales, we dig into Newfoundland death omens — the strange signs people once believed foretold death or disaster.
S4.E2: The Ghostly Fishermen
In this episode hear the story of the Charles Haskell — a banks schooner that couldn’t quite leave her ghosts behind. The tale has been told for over a century and even inspired a folk song.
S4.E1: A Haunted Hotel in St. John’s
A ghostly knocking. An unexplained death. And a real tragedy in the dead of night. This Halloween, step inside the haunted halls of Foran’s Atlantic Hotel.
S3.E6: Sinking of the SS Caribou (feat. Tyler Humby)
The story of the wartime sinking of the Newfoundland ferry — SS Caribou, and a chat with rising NL folk musician Tyler Humby about his new song — The Caribou.