A four-part series about Chatham-Kent urban legends, Strange Tales of the South Shore, is streaming on Bell Fibe TV1.
The episodes include legends from Wallaceburg, Amherstburg, Boblo Island, and Chatham.
“There's a lot of urban legends right here where we live, and we grew up hearing these stories,” said Ken Amlin, co-creator and director of Strange Tales of the South Shore.
The horror TV series incorporates mythology and unearths how these folk tales came to be, while also including a documentary aspect.
“We have a host who kind of sets the stage and tells you a little bit about that. I play the host. And then we cut back and forth from our scripted narrative shot,” Amlin continued.
The first episode, called ‘The Baldoon Mystery’, is about one of Canada’s oldest haunted stories.
“It's essentially the story of a witch that tormented a family in Baldoon, which was the original name of the town of Wallaceburg back in 1829, and when the farmer refuses to sell the land to the witch, all hell breaks loose,” said Amlin. “We teamed up with the museum up in Wallaceburg to bring this one to life. They've got an entire interactive room and experience dedicated to ‘The Baldoon Mystery’ story.”
Another episode focuses on a haunting in a house on Adelaide Street in Chatham. According to the legend, a nun named Jesse took her life after she was kicked out of her convent for being pregnant.
Amlin has been in contact with the current owners of the house, and they have confirmed that they believe the ghost is still there.
“She'll ring the doorbell, she'll turn on the taps and the faucets, they even saw her once or twice, and they're not the only ones. I think the house now has gone through six owners who've all had their own experiences with Jesse,” Amlin added.
The cast is local and every episode includes different actors from Southern Ontario.
“This whole series was made, people in front of the camera, people behind the camera. It's all our own local people,” said Amlin.
There will be a viewing of the first episode, The Baldoon Mystery, on Friday at the Wallaceburg Museum.
