Neil McDougall had been married for less than six months when he went missing in October of 1985. 38 years later, his wife Mary Ellen is still looking for answers - even as police have offered a $50,000 reward for information leading to an arrest. This episode of the 519 Podcast examines his disappearance from Ayton and who may know something about…

Where were you that day? Were you driving when the lights went out? Trapped inside an elevator? Camping and completely unaware? At 4:11 pm on August 14, 2003, approximately 55 million North Americans found themselves without power. The widespread outage stretched across parts of Ontario, Michigan, Ohio, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, New…

The town of Amherstburg has been around for over 200 years. And as we’ve learned in previous episodes, many places with a long and deep history are also entrenched in paranormal activities. Amherstburg is not immune. We’ve explored the ghost stories of Texas Road and the Park House Museum located on Dalhousie Street. But just a few houses down from…

It’s always fascinating learning about your family’s history. Did your Grandpa fight in a war? Or did your great-aunt Jess invent the shoe umbrella? The good part is you can easily just ask them, or ask your parents who have heard the stories at every family dinner growing up. But that’s not the case for many people. Around 1,700 children are adopt…

More than a million Canadian men and women contributed to the war effort during the 1940s. Most of them were given full recognition for their efforts. But some stories, like the Farmerettes, fell by the wayside. This was also the case for the thousands of men and women who worked on radar technology, which changed the course of the war. What these …

In 1879, Dr. Thomas Niell Cream was suspected in the suspicious death of Catharine Gardener in London, Ontario. What officials didn’t know was that Dr. Cream was known as the Lambeth Poisoner, responsible for 10 more deaths across the globe. On this episode of the ‘519 Podcast’, we look at the Victorian serial killer Thomas Niell Cream and discuss …

It’s not as rare as it once was to take a look inside the mind of a serial killer. But, the media seems to only cover a select few, like the Dahmers and Bundys of the world. But, what about the lesser known killers? What about the ones born in our backyards? On this episode of the ‘519 Podcast’, we listen to the jarring confession tapes of serial k…

If you visit a place that people tell you is haunted, you mightbuild the experience up in your mind. But, usually, when you arrive it’s a big letdown. That’s because paranormal happenings are rarely predictable, and the same things never seem to happen twice. You might feel a chill that raises the hair on the back of your neck, or hear the creaking…

There are few things we take for granted more than our drinking water. When we want water, we turn on the tap, and there it is. And, by and large, we trust that the water coming out of our tap is clean and safe for us to use. We’re completely dependent on that water as we use it for everything in our lives, from brushing our teeth, to bathing, to c…

It’s not often that, in a small town, someone disappears out of thin air. So, when Lois Hanna vanished after a dance in the small Bruce County town of Lucknow, it left an impact. So much so that people are still looking for her to this day. On this episode of the 519 Podcast, we look at the disappearance of Lois Hanna, and talk about theories as to…

It seems as if every small town in Ontario has seen its fair share of missing posters, or posters declaring a reward for information on murder cases. Many of these cases have gone years unsolved, with posters that have faded over time. This week on the 519 Podcast, we look into one of these cases: the unsolved murder of Karen Caughlin, which has be…

When you think of the Klu Klux Klan, would you consider them to be strictly American? A racist enterprise restricted to the southern United States with little to no influence in another country, especially not Canada, right? Sadly, this was not the case in the early 1900’s, when the Klan's twisted ideas bled across the border into Southwestern Onta…

It was an unusually sunny and warm March day in London - that also happened to be a Saturday, which also happened to be on St. Patrick's Day. These events led to the a massive riot near Fanshawe College. On this episode of the 519 Podcast, we examine the St. Patrick's Day Riot of 2012. How it happened, the fallout, and what was done to ensure it wo…

There were several people who played significant roles in trailblazing the Black press in Canadian history. As we heard on the last episode of the 519 Podcast, those included Henry and Mary Bibb. But the subject of this episode was very unique in what she brought to the table. In a time when breaking through the barriers of racism was already near …

There is a rich Black history in Canada, particularly in southwestern Ontario, where thousands of escaped slaves ended up after crossing the border in pursuit of freedom. We have a treasure trove of incredibly inspiring local black history, and in this episode of the 519 Podcast we dig a little deeper into the story of Henry and Mary Bibb. Henry an…

Among the most troubling statistics to come out of Ontario in 2022 was the number of people who died in fires. In fact, the number was the highest we have seen in two decades. And it had been growing for years, leading up to 2022. From 2010 to 2019, Ontario saw around 75 to 100 fire-related deaths each year. Then, when COVID-19 hit, people started …

It’s a murder that people still talk about over 100 years later - one that some blamed on one of the most infamous serial killers we’ve ever known. The gruesome crime happened in the small town of Listowel in 1894 - and has become a part of local legend. On this episode of ‘The 519 Podcast’ we look at the Murder of Jessie Keith and the time Jack th…

In 1966, then 12-year-old Rob Freeman saw the unthinkable, a UFO. While he was initially laughed at when he told friends and family, he was validated the next day by the Sarnia Observer. “It’s a Balloon… It’s a Meteor…. No, it’s a UFO!” was the headline for a story that included roughly 200 other witnesses being referenced in the article. On this e…

In November of 2022, the Windsor Police Service’s Major Crimes Unit was recognized for solving a 48-year-old cold case murder. It was the gruesome killing of six-year-old Ljubica Topic, which stumped investigators at the time. It led to a hectic investigation that, unfortunately, did not turn up many promising leads. As time passed, it became what’…

Over the last decade, a startling number of horror stories have come out of the Elgin Middlesex Detention Centre. Inmates assaulted by guards, inmates murdered by other inmates, drug overdoses, and outrageously awful living conditions. And what makes it worse is that these aren’t little known events. They’ve been reported on heavily over the last s…

The late Joe Egan of Sarnia was like so many Canadian men of his generation. The Second World War meant that young men would need to volunteer to take up arms against the facist threat of the Nazis. When Canada called, Joe Egan answered. He served on a navy ship in the Atlantic. With German U-Boats patrolling the ocean, looking for merchant ships a…

There are some stories that are so startling you’d think they would make it beyond their county’s limits. If you grew up around Woodstock, you’ve probably heard of the Topping family. The Topping farmhouse was on Lot Eight on Cuthbert Road, Concession Six just south of Sweaburg in Southwest-Oxford. And it was in that farmhouse that Timothy Topping …

In May 2003, Walter Zepeda was put through a seven day exorcism that ended in his death. This happened in London, Ontario. The exorcism was carried out by his father, Diego Zepeda-Cordera, as well as his mother, Ana Mejia-Lopez, and family friend, Alex Osegueda. Allwere members of the now shuttered Pentacostal Missionary Church of Christ. They tied…

On the second annual Day of Truth and Reconciliation, the 519 Podcast speaks with Indigenous leaders in our communities. What does the day mean to them? How does Canada continue with reconciliation? How can reconciliation help all of us?By Blackburn Media

The morning of August 26, 2021 was like most mornings in the town of Wheatley Ontario. Kids were getting ready for another day of summer, people headed off to work, and it was a fairly normal day. Until it wasn’t. The calm of that summer day in the Lake Erie town was shattered when an explosion rocked a section of the downtown. On this episode of t…

It’s a first in Ontario. A cow manure powered garbage truck has hit the streets of Hensall, Ontario, a small town in Huron County. These carbon negative garbage trucks are a part of a 6 month pilot program run by Bluewater Recycling and Enbridge. If all goes well, manure powered garbage trucks could be a mainstay in our municipalities. And potentia…

Long wait times, understaffing and underfunding in hospitals we’ve seen before, but ER closures and this level of surgical cancellations is completely new. We are in the middle of a healthcare crisis, and experts say it might not get better any time soon. The 519 Podcast looks at what’s going on inside our healthcare systems and asks experts about …

In Part 1 of “The Windsor Spree Killer: From Horric to Surreal” we took a look at Matthew Charles Lamb and the fateful day he became Canada’s first spree killer. But, his story didn't end with his arrest. It continued in directions that are really quite unbelievable. Sitting in his holding cell and awaiting trial, there were really only two options…

When you think of spree killings, mass murders, and mass shootings, your first thought may be that it’s just another day in the news. While they have become a far too frequent occurrence south of the border, and they are significantly more rare in Canada, they have happened here. It’s a phenomenon that we’ve begrudgingly had to accept, and an image…

In 1913, one of the largest storms to ever hit the Great Lakes claimed the lives of over 250 people, while sinking 12 ships. The storm was so massive, it is now referred to by climatologists as a ‘weather bomb’, an extremely rare occurrence. On this episode of the 519 Podcast we examine the Great Storm of 1913 and take a look at the death and destr…

When a teenaged cashier at the grocery store makes a mistake, just about everyone would be outraged if the customer began yelling at them and berating them. And yet, so many of us stand by and say nothing when a coach or parent yells at a teenager who is umpiring or refereeing their child's soccer, hockey, or baseball game. Why do we accept what am…

You can't sit down to watch a sporting event without seeing them. Countless commercials, and even studio segments, promoting betting on the games. Were we too hasty when allowing single game betting in Canada? What are the downsides? On this episode of the 519 Podcast, we explore the new reality of sport gambling in Canada and what it all means. Th…

In 1881, London’s Thames River was the scene of, what was at the time, one of Canada’s worst maritime disasters when the "Victoria" sank in the river. Despite happening in the 1800’s, the news of the incident spread around the world, in newspapers such as the New York Times and outlets as far away as Australia. It became what is now known as the Vi…

In part two of The Steven Truscott Saga and the Woman Who Set Things Right,- the 519 Podcast looks at Truscott's life between the time he left prison and his conviction being overturned. Truscott and his family endured isolation and until, finally, justice prevailed. We also look at the movie, "Marlene", about Truscott's wife and her determination …

Most Canadians know the name Steven Truscott. Convicted of raping and murdering Lynne Harper at the age of 14, Truscott spent the next decade behind bars and nearly 50 years being considered guilty of the crime by both the justice system and most people in the country. However, Truscott was not guilty. In this episode of The 519 podcast, we present…

A recent story out of Norfolk County told of a woman who was charged with animal cruelty after investigators found 27 dogs, 5 cats, 3 horses, two donkeys, 1 pig, and 1 guinea pig at her home The story was startling and, for some, likely conjured up images of a real life Cruella DeVille. But when you take a closer look at stories like these - ones t…

They’re perhaps the 519’s most famous, or infamous, family. Whether it’s from books, movies, TV or elsewhere, just about everyone in the area knows something about the Black Donnellys. On this two part series, the 519 Podcast examines their story, including how the massacre of the Lucan area family happened and whether this was 'Vigilante Justice o…

They’re perhaps the 519’s most famous, or infamous, family. Whether it’s from books, movies, TV or elsewhere, just about everyone in the area knows something about the Black Donnellys. On this two part series, the 519 Podcast examines their story, including how the massacre of the Lucan area family happened and whether this was 'Vigilante Justice o…

During the last two years, there have been two things that Canadians could count on: the next wave of COVID-19, and being potential targets of scammers and fraudsters. The calls and texts can come once a day, maybe twice, or they could be scattered across weeks. But they always come. Fraudulent phone calls are out of control, and it’s no surprise t…

Most Canadians know the name Labatt. The name immediately brings up images of brown bottles of cold beer. But there are also a lot of Canadians who are unaware that the one-time head of Labatt Breweries was once the victim of what was then the most famous kidnapping in Canadian history. On this episode of The 519 Podcast, we look at the 1934 kidnap…

Red Ryan was one of the most notorious criminals in Canadian history. He escaped from jail, got out of fight in the first World War and tricked the government into believing he had found religion - only to return to a life of crime each time. Ryan was eventually killed while robbing a liquor store in Sarnia in 1936. In that same incident, Constable…

There's a certain irony in a group of people protesting, among other things, a border policy they claim disrupts the supply chain when their protest actually did disrupt the supply chain and likely caused more problems for our economy than any sort of border crossing rule vaccine rule ever has. For seven days, the Ambassador Bridge in Windsor was e…

In 2012, a company from the Niagara region called Walker Industries put forward a proposal for a landfill just outside of the town of Ingersoll. It was to be located in an old limestone quarry and would take in garbage from around southern Ontario, much of it from the GTA. It would be Ontario’s 5th largest landfill and would take in 17 million tonn…

When it comes to the history of this part of Ontario, there are so many incredibly interesting and compelling stories. There's the Donnelly massacre, the Amherstburg Rebellion, and the Victoria steamboat disaster. But some of the most interesting stories are the ones that don't get told very often. These stories often involve Black Canadians and Bl…

In this second part of a two-part series on the murder of Hanna Buxbaum, we hear about the trial of Helmuth Buxbaum and the series of errors that made it easier for investigators to discover that he was the person who orchestrated the murder.By Blackburn Media

To the outside world, it seemed Helmuth Buxbaum had it all. He had a loving and supportive wife, six children, and a nursing home business that had made him a millionaire. But behind the curtain, it was a much different story. In the 1980s, Helmuth was leading a double life. One was that of a successful businessman, church-goer, and philanthropist.…

It was a little over a year ago when the first COVID-19 vaccines started going into arms in Canada. At the time, many though that it marked the beginning of the end of the pandemic. It hasn't quite worked out that way. With the rise of the Omicron variant, in some ways it feels like we're back to square one. We're back to closed gyms and theatres, …

It's something that just about everyone in our region has experience with. Driving in slippery, snowy, or whiteout conditions. It’s one of the most stressful things about living in this country. But what happens when you slide off that highway into the ditch? Or if a truck does? Highway 401 is one of the busiest highways in North America. Our 400 s…

It’s among the favourite types of food for both kids and adults alike, and we all have our favourite toppings. Pizza. That food that tastes as good at lunch as it does at 2 a.m. after a night out. We all know there different types of pizza associated with different cities. There's New York Style Pizza and Chicago Deep Dish. But what about the pizza…

It’s been a long time since anyone was put to death for committing a crime in Canada. Capital punishment was officially abolished here in 1976, although it had been effectively abolished by a series of commutations and moritoriums dating back to 1963. The last executions in the Canadian justice system happened in 1962. But there was a time when cap…