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Backyard History

Newspaper Podcast Books

Backyard History is a popular newspaper column, podcast, and book series written by Andrew MacLean, telling forgotten stories of Atlantic Canada’s past.

Backyard History unearths the often hilarious, mostly mysterious, always surprising untold tales of Canada’s East Coast, as only a Maritimer can spin them.

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6 stories are shown.

The Mystery of the Ship that Flipped

Jack Dyre was jolted awake by an unknown voice he described as “harsh and eerie” hissing at him: “Dyre, leave this ship!” Considering he…

1800s Bay of Fundy Strange Tales

Good and Bad Luck in The Maritimes

If you’ve ever knocked on wood, tossed salt over your shoulder, or changed which foot you led with on the stairs, you are participating…

Strange Tales

The Murder of Timothy McCarthy

For decades, Acadian singers would open a long, mournful ballad with those words in the song called “Le Meurtre de Timothy McCarthy,” which means…

1800s Long Reads Moncton Women

When Oscar Wilde Was Heckled In Fredericton

On October 5th, 1882, Oscar Wilde arrived in Fredericton to kick off his tour of The Maritimes. To call the city’s reaction to him…

1800s Fredericton

Own the Maritimes best forgotten stories.

True Atlantic Canadian stories that are mysterious, funny, strange, and too good to leave buried.

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Four Backyard History books against an archival photograph.

Backyard History books

Atlantic Canada's history was never this much fun!

Discover all 4 Backyard History books — the stories your history class never told you!

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