Those poor, long-suffering residents of Woodsboro, CA. Over the course of five past Scream films, stretching back to 1996, the inhabitants of the California town have been menaced by the serial killer Ghostface — and, seemingly, every time they catch him, someone new dons the mask and enacts their own copycat version of the famous Woodsboro murders.
Ghostface is on a rampage once again as Scream VI slashes its way through theatres starting March 10 via Paramount Pictures and Spyglass Media Group — this time with Ghostface moving beyond the quaint confines of Woodsboro. When some of the survivors of his attack from last year's Scream (a.k.a. Scream 5) move to New York City for a fresh start, a spree of murders follow them there.
Woodsboro is a fictional town, but the legend of Ghostface feels almost like it could be real — and that's because towns all over the world have their very own scary legends, making this fictional one all the more relatable.
To celebrate the cinematic release of Scream VI, directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, we're looking at some of the spookiest stories from across Canada — from the local hauntings that thrill residents to the cryptozoological myths that span the globe.
The Algonquin Resort
St. Andrews by-the-Sea, NB
The website for the Algonquin hotel is full of fancy offerings, including wedding services, golfing, spa packages and two swimming pools. As of this writing, there's no mention of ghosts — but dig a little deeper into the archives of the hotel's website and one can find evidence of a "Paranormal Pub Crawl at the haunted Algonquin Resort" with "three haunted stops." NUVO points to a number of haunting legends — including a weeping bride in room 473, a child who died on the third floor and now plays in the halls, disappearing objects on the fourth floor, mysteriously turning doorknobs on the second floor, and more. But on the bright side, none of the spirits seem to be malevolent, since none of the hauntings have been too threatening.
Bigfoot
North America
Possibly the most well-known figure in all of cryptozoology, not just in Canada but the whole world, Bigfoot is a mysterious simian with reported sightings dating back centuries. Sometimes known as "Sasquatch," there are variations of the legend all over world: the Yeti (or Abominable Snowman) of the Himalayas, the skunk ape in Florida, the yeren of China, the yowie of the Australian Outback and the almas of Central Asia.
All these accounts agree on the broad strokes: there's a tall, ape-like creature wandering in the wilderness, but no one is quite able to get a good picture of it. Late, great comedian Mitch Hedberg had the most plausible explanation we've heard: "I think Bigfoot is blurry — that's the problem. It's not the photographer's fault. Bigfoot is blurry, and that's extra scary to me, because there's a large, out-of-focus monster roaming the countryside."
Mount Royal
Montreal, QC
Tourisme Montréal's website proudly proclaims that the city "easily lays claim to being the most haunted city in Canada, if not all of North America." Weird flex, but okay! This includes the very mountain from which the city gets its name — which, according to the website, is home to North America's largest intact burial ground when its four cemeteries are combined. Indigenous communities buried their dead on the mountain, as did settlers — and fur trader Simon McTavish, who died in 1804, was said to toboggan down the mountain in his own coffin, leading the city to bury his mausoleum in order to trap his spirit.
Mystery of the Floating Feet
Salish Sea, BC
Since 2007, there have been more than 20 documented incidents of disembodied feet being discovered on the shores of the Salish Sea in the Pacific Northwest — mainly on Vancouver Island or the shores of the British Columbia mainland. Creepily, the first four discoveries were all right feet, and the first two were both size 12.
Authorities have ruled out any sort of conspiracy, and none of the feet appear to have been intentionally severed. Instead, science has a rather grim explanation for why feet keep washing up on shores: when a body ends up in the water, scavengers will chew the body and sever the foot, which will float to the surface thanks to the shoe.
Still, the legend persists. In 2010, Vancouver band Apollo Ghosts immortalized the story with their song "Samurai Chatter," singing, "Mystery of the floating feet / You believe in something good / I believe in something bad."
Ogopogo
Okanagan Lake, BC
A bit like the Loch Ness Monster of British Columbia, Ogopogo is said to be a serpentine monster who lives in the largest lake in the Okanagan Valley. The creature may have its origins in Indigenous legend, as inhabitants of the area are said to have referred to a "water demon" known as Naitaka. Accounts of the monster date back to the 1800s, but it wasn't until early in the 20th century that the current name was coined, and there have been numerous reported sightings over the years.
Of course, there's no proof or proper explanations, but Ogopogo has been adopted as a fun (and ever-so-slightly scary mascot for the region). He's perhaps the most famous of Canada's mythic lake monsters, with other notable examples including Lake Manitoba's Manipogo and Lake Simcoe's Igopogo.
Old Finch Avenue Bridge
Scarborough, ON
The exact details of the mystery are unclear — but what is agreed upon is that Old Finch Avenue Bridge, built in 1954 in the far east of the Greater Toronto sprawl, is haunted by the ghost of a young girl who can be heard screaming at night. Some have suggested that it's the voice of someone who was murdered en route to her own birthday party — which is why singing "Happy Birthday" when walking across the bridge is a particularly good way to hear the screams. Others have reported hearing footsteps behind them, and cars have a tendency to break down at the bridge, according to the Haunted Walk.
Wendigo
Algonquian-speaking communities, Turtle Island
The legends of Algonquian-speaking peoples describe an evil spirit known as the Wendigo: an animal with human characteristics, capable of possessing people and causing them to feel greed, commit murder and even become a cannibal. The legend has even made its way into psychology, as the term "Wendigo psychosis" has been applied to those who commit cannibalism, either as a last resort due to hunger or because of madness.
The Wendigo might be an evil spirit — but it might also be a metaphor, representing anyone overcome with greed, excess, megalomania and self-aggrandizement. Either way, the Wendigo is a frightening story that resonates to this day, having appeared in various forms in numerous supernatural TV shows, movies and video games.
Ghostface is on a rampage once again as Scream VI slashes its way through theatres starting March 10 via Paramount Pictures and Spyglass Media Group — this time with Ghostface moving beyond the quaint confines of Woodsboro. When some of the survivors of his attack from last year's Scream (a.k.a. Scream 5) move to New York City for a fresh start, a spree of murders follow them there.
Woodsboro is a fictional town, but the legend of Ghostface feels almost like it could be real — and that's because towns all over the world have their very own scary legends, making this fictional one all the more relatable.
To celebrate the cinematic release of Scream VI, directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, we're looking at some of the spookiest stories from across Canada — from the local hauntings that thrill residents to the cryptozoological myths that span the globe.
The Algonquin Resort
St. Andrews by-the-Sea, NB
The website for the Algonquin hotel is full of fancy offerings, including wedding services, golfing, spa packages and two swimming pools. As of this writing, there's no mention of ghosts — but dig a little deeper into the archives of the hotel's website and one can find evidence of a "Paranormal Pub Crawl at the haunted Algonquin Resort" with "three haunted stops." NUVO points to a number of haunting legends — including a weeping bride in room 473, a child who died on the third floor and now plays in the halls, disappearing objects on the fourth floor, mysteriously turning doorknobs on the second floor, and more. But on the bright side, none of the spirits seem to be malevolent, since none of the hauntings have been too threatening.
Bigfoot
North America
Possibly the most well-known figure in all of cryptozoology, not just in Canada but the whole world, Bigfoot is a mysterious simian with reported sightings dating back centuries. Sometimes known as "Sasquatch," there are variations of the legend all over world: the Yeti (or Abominable Snowman) of the Himalayas, the skunk ape in Florida, the yeren of China, the yowie of the Australian Outback and the almas of Central Asia.
All these accounts agree on the broad strokes: there's a tall, ape-like creature wandering in the wilderness, but no one is quite able to get a good picture of it. Late, great comedian Mitch Hedberg had the most plausible explanation we've heard: "I think Bigfoot is blurry — that's the problem. It's not the photographer's fault. Bigfoot is blurry, and that's extra scary to me, because there's a large, out-of-focus monster roaming the countryside."
Mount Royal
Montreal, QC
Tourisme Montréal's website proudly proclaims that the city "easily lays claim to being the most haunted city in Canada, if not all of North America." Weird flex, but okay! This includes the very mountain from which the city gets its name — which, according to the website, is home to North America's largest intact burial ground when its four cemeteries are combined. Indigenous communities buried their dead on the mountain, as did settlers — and fur trader Simon McTavish, who died in 1804, was said to toboggan down the mountain in his own coffin, leading the city to bury his mausoleum in order to trap his spirit.
Mystery of the Floating Feet
Salish Sea, BC
Since 2007, there have been more than 20 documented incidents of disembodied feet being discovered on the shores of the Salish Sea in the Pacific Northwest — mainly on Vancouver Island or the shores of the British Columbia mainland. Creepily, the first four discoveries were all right feet, and the first two were both size 12.
Authorities have ruled out any sort of conspiracy, and none of the feet appear to have been intentionally severed. Instead, science has a rather grim explanation for why feet keep washing up on shores: when a body ends up in the water, scavengers will chew the body and sever the foot, which will float to the surface thanks to the shoe.
Still, the legend persists. In 2010, Vancouver band Apollo Ghosts immortalized the story with their song "Samurai Chatter," singing, "Mystery of the floating feet / You believe in something good / I believe in something bad."
Ogopogo
Okanagan Lake, BC
A bit like the Loch Ness Monster of British Columbia, Ogopogo is said to be a serpentine monster who lives in the largest lake in the Okanagan Valley. The creature may have its origins in Indigenous legend, as inhabitants of the area are said to have referred to a "water demon" known as Naitaka. Accounts of the monster date back to the 1800s, but it wasn't until early in the 20th century that the current name was coined, and there have been numerous reported sightings over the years.
Of course, there's no proof or proper explanations, but Ogopogo has been adopted as a fun (and ever-so-slightly scary mascot for the region). He's perhaps the most famous of Canada's mythic lake monsters, with other notable examples including Lake Manitoba's Manipogo and Lake Simcoe's Igopogo.
Old Finch Avenue Bridge
Scarborough, ON
The exact details of the mystery are unclear — but what is agreed upon is that Old Finch Avenue Bridge, built in 1954 in the far east of the Greater Toronto sprawl, is haunted by the ghost of a young girl who can be heard screaming at night. Some have suggested that it's the voice of someone who was murdered en route to her own birthday party — which is why singing "Happy Birthday" when walking across the bridge is a particularly good way to hear the screams. Others have reported hearing footsteps behind them, and cars have a tendency to break down at the bridge, according to the Haunted Walk.
Wendigo
Algonquian-speaking communities, Turtle Island
The legends of Algonquian-speaking peoples describe an evil spirit known as the Wendigo: an animal with human characteristics, capable of possessing people and causing them to feel greed, commit murder and even become a cannibal. The legend has even made its way into psychology, as the term "Wendigo psychosis" has been applied to those who commit cannibalism, either as a last resort due to hunger or because of madness.
The Wendigo might be an evil spirit — but it might also be a metaphor, representing anyone overcome with greed, excess, megalomania and self-aggrandizement. Either way, the Wendigo is a frightening story that resonates to this day, having appeared in various forms in numerous supernatural TV shows, movies and video games.