Dark Poutine - True Crime and Dark History
True crime, legends, folklore, dark history and other creepy topics from the perspective of real live Canadians.
Canadian Connections: The 2004 Boxing Day Tsunami
Episode 391: At dawn on December 26, 2004, a massive undersea earthquake off Sumatra’s west coast — one of the strongest ever recorded — triggered a devastating tsunami across the Indian Ocean. Waves up to 30 metres high struck Aceh Province within minutes, then swept across Thailand, Sri Lanka, India, the Maldives, and as far as East Africa. Entire communities vanished, and more than 227,000 people in fourteen countries were killed, making it the deadliest tsunami in recorded history.
At least fifteen Canadians lost their lives, and six more were reported missing, most while vacationing in Thailand and Sri Lanka. Survivors described the frantic searches for loved ones and the painful process of identifying and bringing home those who perished.
2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami - Wikipedia2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami: Facts and FAQsIndian Ocean tsunami of 2004 | BritannicaSouth Asia: Earthquake and Tsunami - Dec 2004 | ReliefWebThe Night the Earth ShookTsunami - Indian Ocean Boxing Day Tsunami, 2004 | Australian Disaster Resilience Knowledge HubThe Indian Ocean Boxing Day Tsunami, 20 years onTwenty years on: the Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami - British Geological SurveyNOAA Center for Tsunami Research - Tsunami Event - December 26, 2004 The Indian Ocean TsunamiRecovery Collection: 2004 Indian Ocean Earthquake and TsunamiWhat are the biggest tsunamis ever? How July 29 earthquake, tsunami compares.How a 1,000‑year‑old tsunami in the Indian Ocean points to greater risk than originally thoughtTsunami Eyewitness & Survivors ProjectList of tsunamisZORIAH - A PHOTOJOURNALIST AND WAR PHOTOGRAPHER’S BLOG: Asian Tsunami Anniversary - Thailand Tsunami Then and Now Comparison SeriesSumatra-Andaman Islands Earthquake - IRIS Special ReportHumanitarian response to the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake - WikipediaList of natural disasters by death toll - WikipediaTsunami Generation from the 2004 M=9.1 Sumatra-Andaman EarthquakeLisa BorgThe Devastating 2004 Tsunami: Timeline11 Facts About the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami | DoSomething.orgCNN.com - Tsunami tragedy: Your e-mails - Jan 3, 2005John Knill and Jackie KnillCamera holds instant of tsunami impactTsunami photos show couple's final moments | CBC NewsDiscovery of tsunami camera brings closureCamera shows 'last words' of tsunami victimsSchool built in memory of B.C. tsunami victims | CBC News
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Podcast Episodes
Final Justice: The Murder of Beverley Ann Dyke
Episode 405: On the 17th of May 1984, 48‑year‑old Beverley Anne Dyke was found brutally murdered in a wooded area near Moray Street and Saskatchewan Avenue on the edge of Winnipeg, Manitoba. Her killing, a frenzied sexua…
Left in the Cold: The Winnipeg Homeless Murders
Episode 404: In April 2015, someone began targeting some of the city’s most vulnerable residents: men living rough, sleeping outside, and often already failed by every system meant to protect them. By the time the killin…
The Melady Murders: Canada’s Last Public Hanging
Episode 403: Nicholas Melady Jr. was 24 years old when he stepped onto a wooden scaffold above the stone walls of Goderich Gaol in December of 1869, about to become the central figure in Canada’s last public hanging afte…
Black Friday: The 1987 Edmonton Tornado
Episode 402: On July 31, 1987, an ordinary summer afternoon in Edmonton, Alberta, ended in catastrophe. A powerful tornado cut through the city’s southeast, killing 27 people and leaving entire neighbourhoods destroyed i…
Vancouver’s 1907 Anti-Asian Riots
Episode 401: At the start of the twentieth century, Vancouver, B.C., was a fast-growing Pacific port. Most residents were white settlers of British or European descent, but Chinese and Japanese communities were already w…
The Clara Ford Affair: Race, Rumour, and the Shooting of Frank Westwood
Episode 400: In October 1894, 18-year-old Frank Westwood was shot on the doorstep of his Parkdale home. The killing shocked Toronto and sparked a frantic search for a suspect. Weeks later, a mixed-race tailor named Clara…
Out With the Old: The Dark and Weird Side of New Year’s Traditions
Episode 399: As the clock strikes midnight, not everyone welcomes the New Year with champagne and resolutions. In this episode of Dark Poutine, we explore the darker, stranger, and sometimes dangerous traditions used aro…
Christmas Special 2025: The Great Canadian Butter Tart Heist
Episode 398: It was supposed to be a quiet Canadian Christmas—until every butter tart in the country vanished overnight. From Nanaimo to Newfoundland, kitchens were left empty, bakers bewildered, and the RCMP at a loss.…
Demon of the Belfry: The Murders of Blanch Lamont and Minnie Williams
Episode 397: In April 1895, two young women, both twenty-one, from San Francisco’s Emmanuel Baptist Church vanished days apart. Blanche Lamont, a dedicated teacher-in-training, and Minnie Williams, a hardworking domestic…
Road Trip: Deadly Prophecy — The Children of Thunder
Episode 396: In this episode, we learn about an enigmatic narcissistic psychopath who led the Californian cult called The Children of Thunder. Glenn Taylor Helzer, and the other leadership was comprised of his brother Ju…
