Canada’s great lost treasures still waiting to be found
Frances Carruthers
18 April 2019
The mysterious lost treasures of Canada
Good at finding things? These stories of gigantic lost treasures will have you ready to whip out your map and compass: from huge stashes of smuggled gold, to near-priceless regal jewels, there are potentially billions of dollars waiting to be discovered. Here’s our round-up of the most incredible lost treasures in Canada.
Oak Island Money Pit
A fabled treasure purportedly lies hidden on Oak Island in Nova Scotia, Canada. If the stories are to be believed, everything from millions in cash to Shakespeare's lost folios, Queen Marie Antoinette of France's jewels and even the Holy Grail are buried there.
Oak Island Money Pit
Stories of the island's treasure date back to the 18th century when early settlers claimed a pirate had dumped his booty in a sinkhole later dubbed the 'Money Pit'. In 1799, a settler called Daniel McGinnis carried out the first dig.
Oak Island Money Pit
He found a series of mysterious symbols etched onto a stone, which when deciphered read 'Forty feet below, two million pounds lie buried'. Before he could dig deeper however, the possibly booby-trapped hole filled with water and the dig was called off.
Oak Island Money Pit
Over the years, hundreds of fortune seekers have tried their hand at finding the treasure, including famous names like President Franklin D Roosevelt (pictured here with friends on Oak Island) and Hollywood actor John Wayne, and a number of adventurers have lost their lives in the process.
Oak Island Money Pit
Chillingly, an oft-quoted prophecy states that seven people must die before the treasure of Oak Island is revealed. According to data released by Blockhouse Investigations, there have been 14 known deaths on the island since the Money Pit was opened, seven of whom were actively engaged in treasure-hunting. Perhaps the next person will be lucky – though we wouldn't like to test that theory!
Barrel of silver coins
In Opinicon Lake, Ontario, there's thought to be a barrel of silver coins hiding somewhere underwater. There are several versions of the story as to how it got there, but it’s widely agreed that there’s a good chance the treasure is still there.
Barrel of silver coins
One prominent version of the story goes like this. In 1835 a large canoe was crossing the lake, carrying crew members and a barrel of silver coins, who were delivering the money as pay for workers at Davis’ Rapids and Jones Falls. Yet when huge waves pushed the boat sideways, the barrel went overboard.
Barrel of silver coins
Fortunately, crew members survived by clinging onto the boat, but the barrel of silver was gone. They searched for the coins at the bottom of the lake but were held back by limited means and a lack of technology. Their attempts to scrape the lake bed with grappling hooks and nets weren't successful, and the silver coins were never found.
Barrel of silver coins
Other versions of the story tell us that pirates attacked the boat, causing crew members to surrender their silver. Alternatively, it’s thought that one man could have stolen the silver for himself and buried it, only to be found dead shortly afterwards. Whichever story is true, it’s highly likely that one barrel of silver was lost, given the amount that was being transported across the river at that time.
Barrel of silver coins
Currently, Yankee half dollar coins from the 1820s (similar to those pictured) are valued at around C$200-$600 ($150-$450) apiece, therefore a whole barrel of them could be worth a huge sum. If the treasure is ever discovered, it’ll make someone a fortune.
Levi Boone Helm’s gold stash
Not only was Levi Boone Helm a notorious serial killer but, most gruesomely of all, he was known to eat the bodies of his victims from time to time. The “Kentucky Cannibal”, as he was known, became part of the gold rush of the late-1800s and made his way to the gold fields of Cariboo, British Columbia.
Levi Boone Helm’s gold stash
In 1862, Helm and an accomplice headed towards Quesnel Forks, following a man named Sokolosky and his two associates, who were thought to be carrying around C$32,000 ($24k/£18.4k) in gold. The story goes that after the gold-carrying men stopped off at Keithley Creek, Helm and his partner in crime crept up on them, shooting and killing all three.
Levi Boone Helm’s gold stash
For fear of being discovered, they hastily buried the gold and left their victims at the side of the road, before rushing off to Quesnel Forks, intending to return and get it later. However, when the local people discovered the bodies, they knew who was responsible.
Levi Boone Helm’s gold stash
Helm escaped, managing to evade the authorities for several months. He appeared in Victoria (pictured) in mid-October 1862, where he was ordered by the police to spend a month building and repairing the streets after drinking in saloons without paying. Then, in early 1863, he reappeared and was arrested in Fraser Canyon – allegedly when he was on his way to get the gold back.
Levi Boone Helm’s gold stash
After a secret trial, Helm was hung in February 1864. When asked about what had happened to his companion, he allegedly said: “Do you suppose that I’m fool enough to starve to death when I can help it? I ate him up, of course”. As for the gold? It has never been found since.
Lost Lemon Mine
No, it’s nothing to do with large quantities of citrus fruit. Lost Lemon Mine refers to a mystery location near Crowsnest Pass, Alberta, where there is thought to be a heap of hidden treasure.
Lost Lemon Mine
As folklore has it, in 1870 a group of explorers came to the North Saskatchewan river hunting for gold. Among them was a man called Frank Lemon and another known as Blackjack. Deciding that exploring this area was futile, the pair split off from the pack and headed for Crowsnest Lake (pictured), where they believed they would strike gold.
Lost Lemon Mine
After arriving, they couldn’t believe their luck: a towering ledge streaked with trails of gold indicated that their instincts had been right. Yet they fought over whether to start digging up the gold immediately or go back to get more tools first. Allegedly, Lemon became so angry that he brutally killed his companion with an axe while he was sleeping.
Lost Lemon Mine
Local Stoney Indians got news of the murder, along with the huge gold discovery, and it has been said that a chief put a curse on the area so that no one would ever find the gold. Lemon returned to Montana and confessed the murder, and the gold mine, to a priest. Afterwards, Lemon took a group of prospectors to where he’d thought the gold mine had been, but his mental health had deteriorated so much after murdering his companion that he couldn’t remember where it was.
Lost Lemon Mine
To this day, no one has managed to find the gigantic gold mine. One of the original prospectors, Lafayette French, who had tried to help discover the location, became particularly obsessed with the search and dedicated 30 years of his life to it. But he had no luck and the mine’s location remains a mystery. Perhaps that curse worked after all...
Jesse James’ gold
Legends circulate around Jesse James, the notorious Wild West criminal known for a string of high-profile robberies in the 19th century. It is thought that the outlaw buried a huge stash of gold somewhere near Mulmur, Ontario, which has never been found since.
Jesse James’ gold
As the story goes, in 1870, James had been on the run after looting a Wells Fargo train. With the US authorities on his case, James and his accomplices, known as the James-Younger gang, headed north with the booty: a gold stash allegedly worth a whopping C$4 million ($3m).
Jesse James’ gold
In the early 1880s, a man who went by the name of Mr Richardson arrived in Princeton, Ontario, and moved into a local hotel. Two years later, when Jesse James was killed and his photograph was splashed about local newspapers, Princeton locals immediately recognised him as the so-called Mr Richardson.
Jesse James’ gold
It’s thought that James went by this fake name to hide from US authorities. As for the enormous gold stash, locals believe that James buried it in Mulmur (pictured), around two hours away from Princeton, where it was rumoured that he had built a home.
Jesse James’ gold
In 1958 an Englishman named Tom Vickers went to the Mulmur property, hoping to dig up the stash. While he didn’t have much luck, he commented “If the boys [James’ gang] were ever here and wanted a place to hide the gold, this spot is just about perfect.”
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