My 2013 book, Fire Spook -The Mysterious Nova Scotia Haunting, is featured prominently in a TV series “Fire Ghost of Caledonia Mills.”
The show, a four-part mini-series (I guess you’d call it – I write books, not TV ads), aired on Bell Fibe1 beginning January 8.
I tried to watch it on my “smart TV” – which is smarter than I am, apparently, because I could not manage to beam it into my living room.
No worries on my part because I went to Antigonish last fall to see an advance screening and meet all the actors and production team AND their families and fans. A great experience – I so enjoyed meeting them all!
But for you, gentle reader – I hope you can pull in the signal – the show is available on demand. I have it on good authority (my brother) that it’s worth the effort. It may run on other platforms going forward – so watch for it.
The Story
The story begins in early 1922 at an isolated farm south of the town of Antigonish, in the community of Caledonia Mills. The MacDonald family there experienced a number of unexplained fires at their farmhouse, as well as in the surrounding area. The strange occurrences were examined and/or witnessed by the MacDonalds’ neighbours, a team of newspaper people, an American psychic investigator, a prominent Nova Scotia detective and more. The events were so frightening that the MacDonalds moved out – but strange things still take place at the farm – and to people and objects related to the place.
No firm explanations or widely-held reasons for the fires, strange behaviour of farm animals, or the bad luck associated with visits to the MacDonald farm, have ever been offered except for the actions of ghosts – possibly acting through the MacDonalds’ adoptive daughter, Mary Ellen.
The ghosts of whom? No one knows for sure, but there is plenty of speculation.
Mary Ellen paid a price for the accusations against her, including time in the provincial asylum and in jail, banishment from her home and, a century later, her name still attached to the spooky activities. Her family and neighbours endured uninvited and thrill-seeking guests – a situation that continues to this day, so much that the current landowner bans trespassers.
The Production
The Antigonish-based production company, Makama Films, did a good job of laying out the story: the people involved in the 1922 events are well-portrayed, and the narration is truly well-done.
A resident of Caledonia Mills shared the stories he learned from community knowledge, and I described incidents I discovered as a result of my research for the book.
Actually, I was a bit scared the to see myself on the screen – I avoid watching myself whenever possible – so I was surprised how intelligent they made me look and sound!
Mariah MacDonald and her crew turned up at my place in July with their cameras and their ideas, sat me on a lawn chair in the shade and got me to describe the story. The book “Fire Spook” sat prominently on the arm of my chair – great product placement!
Mine is not the first book – nor likely the last…….
The late Carroll MacIntyre wrote an earlier book, The Fire Spook of Caledonia Mills, now out of print. As well, brief accounts have appeared online, in newspapers and magazines, and in term papers.
The Antigonish Heritage Museum has information in its archives, as does the St. Francis Xavier University Library. Libraries at Dalhousie and Acadia universities also have bits and pieces stored there, and more can be found in newspaper archives all over the world – the story made international headlines in 1922!
My book, Fire Spook: The Mysterious Nova Scotia Haunting, was also out of print by last fall when the TV show was approaching completion.
That was around Halloween, a time when I have speaking engagements and the chance to sell several copies…. but the only ones available were e-books, and Nimbus Publishing had no plans for another print run.
But then! Nimbus changed their minds and decided to print more copies, but without the colour inside – just black and white. I believe the change enhances the story’s historical, spooky quality.
So – Fire Spook is now available in print, again. Reach out to me, visit the Nimbus bookstore in Halifax, or talk to your local bookseller. The price is $22.95 plus postage, etc.
A good Valentine gift: Turn down the lights and read Fire Spook to your honey by firelight – spooky enough to send them into your arms for protection. From thereon, it’s up to you.