336 episodes

True crime, legends, folklore, dark history and other creepy topics from the perspective of real live Canadians.

Dark Poutine - True Crime and Dark History Curiouscast

    • True Crime
    • 4.6 • 3.4K Ratings

True crime, legends, folklore, dark history and other creepy topics from the perspective of real live Canadians.

    Hopes Crushed: The Murder of Maple Batalia

    Hopes Crushed: The Murder of Maple Batalia

    Episode 327: Maple Batalia, a 19-year-old college student studying health sciences, was also a working model and actress and loved to paint. On the night of September 28, 2011, after a late-night study session at Simon Fraser University’s Surrey campus, she was shot and attacked with a knife in a parking lot as she left the campus library. The savage nature of the attack left her with multiple gunshot wounds and severe stab wounds to her head. Despite efforts to save her, Maple succumbed to her injuries at a Royal Columbian Hospital in New Westminister. 
    Suspicion immediately fell on Maple’s ex-boyfriend, Gurjinder (Gary) Dhaliwal, with whom she’d broken up a month before. Dhaliwal refused to leave Maple alone and obsessively contacted her since their breakup, and he had been violent with her. Days before her murder, Dhaliwal had violently confronted Maple, and police became involved, telling him to stay away. Dhaliwal claimed innocence after Maple’s slaying, but his relationship with his friend Gursimar (Gary) Bedi proved to be his undoing.
    Sources:
    2016 BCSC 1930 (CanLII) | R. v. Bedi | CanLII
    2016 BCSC 1966 (CanLII) | R. v. Dhaliwal | CanLII
    2016 BCSC 2528 (CanLII) | R. v. Dhaliwal | CanLII
    2017 BCSC 292 (CanLII) | R. v. Bedi | CanLII
    Do You Know the Warning Signs of Domestic Abuse?
    Maple Batalia | Global News
    Maple Batalia's mother speaks out
    Maple Batalia Arts Scholarship by House of Kiran
    RIP Maple Batalia | Facebook
    Maple Batalia | Krystal Kiran
    With no suspects, murder victim's family can only mourn, and wait
    “A jewel of mine”: The murder of Maple Batalia and Gendered Violence in the Mainstream News Media
    Maple (2017)
    Ex-boyfriend gets 21 years without parole in B.C. on-campus murder
    Jealous ex-boyfriend pleads guilty to young woman’s murder in B.C.
    New photos released in relation to Batalia killing
    Maple Batalia was Gunned Down– More Deadly Violence Against Women
    Family outraged after Maple Batalia's killer given temporary release from prison Saturday
    Canadian Actress and College Student Is Gunned Down Leaving Campus Library | Oxygen Official Site
    Maple Batalia's death 'was like stomping on a flower right before it blooms'
    Story of teen’s tragic death shared in Fraser-Cascade schools
    2017: Jasleen and Maple - Capilano University
    With no suspects, murder victim's family can only mourn, and wait
    Maple Batalia (1992-2011) - Find a Grave Memorial
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    • 55 min
    The British Home Child Migrant Scheme

    The British Home Child Migrant Scheme

    Episode 326: Between 1869 and 1948, over 100,000 children from the United Kingdom were sent to Canada and other British commonwealth countries such as Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa as part of the British Home Children migration scheme. This movement was initiated to alleviate the burden of poverty and overcrowded workhouses in Britain by providing these children with opportunities abroad. However, the reality for many of these children was harsh. 
    In Canada, they were often placed with farm families where boys worked as labourers and girls as domestic servants. While some found caring homes, many others faced neglect, abuse, and exploitation. The children were frequently moved from one placement to another, leading to instability and a lack of proper education. Despite these hardships, many British Home Children contributed significantly to Canadian society, with some even enlisting in the military during the World Wars. Today, it is estimated that over ten percent of the Canadian population are descendants of these children, though many remain unaware of this heritage.
    Sources:
    British Home Children - Veterans Affairs Canada
    Home Children - Government of Canada
    Who are the British Home Children
    Home Children Canada
    BRITISH HOME CHILDREN IN CANADA
    Home Children
    Home Children Canada
    Welcome to British Home Children Descendants
    Barnardo Home Records
    The British Home Children
    The Victorian Workhouse
    Home Children (1869-1930) - ArchiviaNet - Library and Archives Canada
    Making the Canadian Flag
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    • 1 hr 5 min
    The Life and Crimes of Serial Killer Edward H. Rulloff

    The Life and Crimes of Serial Killer Edward H. Rulloff

    Episode 325: Edward H. Rulloff was a 19th-century Canadian-born serial killer renowned for his exceptional intellect and heinous crimes. Rulloff exhibited prodigious intellectual abilities from a young age. He was a polymath with expertise in various fields, including linguistics, where he made significant contributions, proposing theories on the origin of languages. Despite his scholarly achievements, Rulloff's life was marred by a series of crimes that began with the mysterious disappearance of his wife, Harriet Schutt Rulloff and their young daughter, Priscilla Charlotte Rulloff, in 1845, which many suspected to be his doing. His erudition earned him a reputation as one of the most learned men of his time, even while he was incarcerated.
    Rulloff's criminal activities were as notorious as his intellect was celebrated. He was involved in a string of burglaries and was eventually implicated in multiple murders. His undoing was the killing of a store clerk, Frederick Merrick, during a robbery attempt. His two accomplices, Al Jarvis and Billy Dexter, also died while fleeing the crime scene. Rulloff was suspected of doing away with them.
    He was soon captured and held for trial. Despite attempts to use his intellectual prowess as a defence, Rulloff was convicted and sentenced to death. His execution in 1871 was a significant event, as many viewed his death as the tragic end of a brilliant yet malevolent mind.
    Sources:
    Edward H. Rulloff - Wikipedia
    Murder by Gaslight: The Man of Two Lives.
    Edward Rulloff | Murderpedia, the encyclopedia of murderers
    The Life and Madness of Edward H. Rulloff | Victorian Gothic
    Edward H. Rulloff: The Veil of Secrecy Removed: Freeman, E H: 9781461142751: Books - Amazon.ca
    Rogue Scholar: The Sinister Life and Celebrated Death of Edward H. Rulloff (By: Richard W. Bailey) published: August, 2003: Richard W. Bailey: Books - Amazon.ca
    Rulloff’s Restaurant | The Story
    Rulloff : the great criminal and philologist / by Samuel D. Halliday. … - Full View | HathiTrust Digital Library
    The Internal Narcissist: Why Your Ego Wants You To Suffer
    What the new science of narcissism says about narcissists | Psyche Ideas
    Ithaca history: What do you know about Edward Rulloff?
    Mark Twain Day By Day: The Day Mark Twain Defended A Serial Killer
    The Life and Death of Edward H. Rulloff by Herbert A. Wisbey, Jr.
    Edward H. Rulloff | Newspapers.com
    ABOUT MARK TWAIN: BIBLIOGRAPHIC ISSUE NUMBER 5 on JSTOR
    Rulloff's Restaurant | The Story
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    • 1 hr
    What Happened to Sheree Fertuck?

    What Happened to Sheree Fertuck?

    Episode 324: Sheree Fertuck, a 51-year-old businesswoman, mother of three, and grandmother from Saskatchewan, disappeared on December 7, 2015, after leaving her family’s lunch gathering at her mother’s farm in Kenaston to return to work at a nearby gravel pit. The next day, her abandoned gravel truck was found in the pit, with her personal belongings inside, raising immediate concerns about her unexplained disappearance. Despite extensive ground searches by her family, friends, and the police around the gravel pit and other locations, no trace of Sheree Fertuck has ever been found.
    RCMP and Sheree’s family believed she was abducted, or worse, murdered. As the weeks and months passed with no sign of Sheree, suspicion fell on her estranged husband, Gregory Mitchell Fertuck, 62. The pair had been going through a contentious divorce for some years. The RCMP undertook an undercover operation to acquire a confession to Sheree’s murder. Due to legal challenges and COVID restrictions hampering proceedings, it was not until June 2024 that this case was finally resolved.
    Sources:
    2023 SKKB 200 (CanLII) | R. v Fertuck | CanLII
    Search: Sheree Fertuck | Newspapers.com
    Kenaston, Saskatchewan
    History – Village of Kenaston
    The Mr. Big Police Investigation - How Real Life Sting Operations Work in BC – Dhanu Dhaliwal Law Group (DDLaw)
    The Mr. Big Sting in Canada - Jonathan Cross, thesis
    Mr. Big: Undercover Sting Operations
    RCMP Mr. Big sting on accused killer Greg Fertuck began with fake contest at bar offsale in Saskatoon | CBC News
    Greg Fertuck threatened to shoot, bury wife: Crown witnesses | CBC News
    'I'll gut you like a fish': Daughter testifies Greg Fertuck had history of threats against her mom | CBC News
    Sheree Fertuck's sisters still searching for closure, justice 7 years after disappearance | CBC News
    14 days, 35 witnesses: Who has testified so far at Greg Fertuck's 1st-degree murder trial | CBC News
    Greg Fertuck calls former lawyer as defence witness at his murder trial
    'Show me the body': Closing arguments heard at Greg Fertuck murder trial
    Greg Fertuck 'never told me that he killed Sheree,' former girlfriend testifies at murder trial | CBC News
    Greg Fertuck's murder trial adjourned for final decision after closing arguments
    Sheree Fertuck | News, Videos & Articles | Global News
    Voir dire reopened so Fertuck can further cross-examine Crown witnesses at murder trial
    Fertuck acted out killing estranged wife in secretly recorded confession video
    Judge warns Greg Fertuck that court is not a 'playground' as murder trial resumes in Saskatoon | CBC News
    Latest request from accused killer Fertuck 'unacceptable,' says Crown
    Judge denies Fertuck's request for mistrial or to reopen murder trial
    Greg Fertuck found guilty of killing ex-wife after nearly three-year long trial
    Greg Fertuck found guilty of 1st-degree murder in 2015 disappearance of wife Sheree | CBC News
    Gregory Fertuck guilty of first-degree murder in death of estranged wife Sheree
    The Pit | CBC Podcasts | CBC Listen
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    • 1 hr 6 min
    The 2014 Nanaimo Mill Shooting: The Murders of Michael Lunn and Fred McEachern

    The 2014 Nanaimo Mill Shooting: The Murders of Michael Lunn and Fred McEachern

    Episode 323: In April 2014, a tragic shooting occurred at a sawmill in Nanaimo, British Columbia. Kevin Douglas Addison, 47, a former employee, opened fire at the Western Forest Products mill, killing Michael Lunn, 61, and Fred McEachern, 53, and injuring two others, Earl Kelly and Tony Sudar. Addison was charged with two counts of first-degree murder and two counts of attempted murder.
    Addison's actions shook the tight-knit Nanaimo community and highlighted critical issues surrounding workplace violence and safety in industrial settings.
    Sources:
    History of Nanaimo
    City History | Nanaimo Museum
    Home | Western Forest Products
    Western Forest Products | Wikipedia
    Frederick McEACHERN Obituary (2014) - Nanaimo, BC - The Times Colonist
    Michael Lunn Obituary (1952 - 2014) - Legacy Remembers
    UPDATE: Charges laid in deadly Nanaimo shooting
    2016 BCSC 2352 (CanLII) | R. v. Addison | CanLII
    The shootings at Western Forest in Nanaimo point to a bigger problem
    Nanaimo mill shooting | News, Videos & Articles | Global News
    Kevin Addison tells court he shot four men at Nanaimo mill
    Doctor details autopsy results of Nanaimo mill shooting victims during trial
    Nanaimo mill shooter Addison’s name synonymous with ‘murderous violence’
    Prosecutor relays chilling account of Nanaimo sawmill shooting
    Man accused in fatal Nanaimo mill shooting testifies in court
    Jul 13, 1955, page 16 - The Province at Newspapers.com
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    • 1 hr 7 min
    Marine Disasters in NS and The Wreck of the SS Atlantic

    Marine Disasters in NS and The Wreck of the SS Atlantic

    Episode 322: Nova Scotia's rugged coastline and treacherous waters have made it a graveyard for ships throughout history. The SS Atlantic, a White Star Line steamship, sank off Nova Scotia on April 1, 1873, in one of the worst maritime disasters before the Titanic. On its 19th voyage from Liverpool to New York with around 975 people on board, the ship ran short of coal and diverted to Halifax. Navigational errors caused it to strike rocks near Prospect, Nova Scotia. Rough seas hindered lifeboat launches, trapping many passengers below deck. Local fishermen and others aided in rescue efforts, but 562 people perished, marking it the greatest civilian loss in the North Atlantic at that time.
    Sources:
    Nova Scotia Archives - Where the Land Meets the Sea: Shipwrecks of Nova Scotia
    HMS Tribune: Halifax's first maritime disaster is almost forgotten
    Atlantic's Last Stop by Robert Chaulk
    They Went Down To The Sea by lay Spicer
    Hypothermia: How long can someone survive in frigid water?
    The Chilling Truth About Cold Water
    SS Atlantic History - Rev. Ancient's Account
    The SS Atlantic | Canadian History Ehx
    The Final Voyage of SS Atlantic
    The S/S Atlantic of the White Star Line, disaster in 1873
    HFX Studios
    The Wreck of the SS ATLANTIC - Halifax, NS 1873
    SS Atlantic - The Mystery of the Davidsons' Grave
    The Grave of the Davidsons, from the SS Atlantic
    Sable Island: Shipwrecks at the graveyard of the Atlantic
    Sable Island: Shipwrecks at the graveyard of the Atlantic | CBC News
    Shipwreck Treasures
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    • 1 hr 9 min

Customer Reviews

4.6 out of 5
3.4K Ratings

3.4K Ratings

Marsands ,

May 27, 2024

I love how you add your own commentary and phrases when describing certain people, for example “douche bag”, “he’s just a dick”, etc. I laughed out loud today when I heard Matthew say “tits up” as well. Thanks again for an amazing podcast! You guys are great.

Pippa the vegan dog ,

Good stories but…

I love the stories but holy moly is the cohost ever annoying. Interrupts the narrative with his pointless two cents. I fast forward every time he talks.

Kimxyxyalxyzestrer ,

Ken a stun.

Kenaston in your latest episode is mispronounced. As I have lived in SK for 30 years I must correct. It’s Ken a stun, that’s how it is pronounced. Thank you and good coverage.

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