Shelley LeFresne holds a Truro Daily News story about the ghost ship of Northumberland Strait, published in October 2001. Sightings of the ship have been reported since 1786, and the folklore lives on to present day. Photo by Aidan Rawding /Truro NewsArticle contentTRURO – Shelley LeFresne was eight or nine years old when she believed she saw the ghost ship of the Northumberland Strait.THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY.Subscribe now to access this story and more:Unlimited access to the website and appExclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcastsFull access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment onEnjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalistsSupport local journalists and the next generation of journalistsSUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES.Subscribe or sign in to your account to continue your reading experience.Unlimited access to the website and appExclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcastsFull access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment onEnjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalistsSupport local journalists and the next generation of journalistsRegister to unlock more articles.Create an account or sign in to continue your reading experience.Access additional stories every monthShare your thoughts and join the conversation in our commenting communityGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an AccountorArticle contentIt was an August afternoon, the dog days of summer. She, her father, and their neighbour were out on the front lawn, looking across the Strait to Amet Island.Article contentArticle contentThere, on the horizon, she said a ship on fire appeared.Article content“It was definitely a three mast square rigger. All the sails were on fire and it was burning, and then it was gone. Just disappeared,” recalls LeFresne.Article contentArticle content“Basically, I couldn’t believe my eyes.”Article contentIt was this story that LeFresne brought to a Lunch and Learn about the ghost ship, held at the Colchester Historeum on Oct. 22. The Tatamagouche resident, who led the presentation, has an interest in local folklore and superstitions.Article contentSince 1786, people have reported sightings of a ghost ship on the Northumberland Strait. It has been described as a three-mast schooner that is engulfed in flames.Article contentYou can see it any time of year, said LeFresne, and any time of day. It’s unknown who the ship might have carried, but there are theories.Article content“Research says that she could have been an immigrant ship carrying a load of Scots back in 1770, that was on her way to Pictou, was blown off course, and never heard of again,” said LeFresne. “It could be a pirate ship which was set on fire during a drunken brawl.”Article contentSome might know the folklore from a song by East Coast musician Lennie Gallant, called Tales of the Phantom Ship.Article contentArticle contentHis song also includes some shared tales of who the ship could have been, but, like he sings, ‘No one knows her name.’Article contentSHARED STORIESArticle contentWhether the ghost ship is real or not, the Maritime legend has definitely garnered the interest of many.Article contentThe Lunch and Learn had a huge turnout, and a handful of people shared the story of when they saw the phantom ship sailing on the Strait. Genevieve Millar Lapointe, who is from Port Hood in Cape Breton, said the legend of the ship was often recounted when she grew up in the fishing community.Article content“I recall getting up one evening and seeing what I believe was the burning ship,” continued Lapointe.Article content“It does stand by memory in your head, because you hear so many stories about it, and then to see it on the water, first of all, you feel kind of cool,” she chuckled. “I do remember it very vividly.”Article content Many were interested to hear about the ghost ship of the Northumberland Strait on Oct. 22. Photo by Aidan Rawding /Truro NewsArticle contentLinda Glass said she’s never seen the phantom ship, but has read many articles written by people who have claimed they have.
Learning about the ghost ship of the Northumberland Strait
