Person responsible for 1996 drugging of 'Titanic' crew likely not a local: Halifax police
![Titanic Director James Cameron attends a press conference to promote his 3-D version of "Titanic" in Tokyo Friday, March 30, 2012. (Source: AP Photo/Shizuo Kambayashi)](/content/dam/ctvnews/en/images/2024/5/15/titanic-1-6888035-1715787862746.jpg)
Halifax Regional Police believe a non-resident could be responsible for the infamous drugging of numerous crew members of the “Titanic” movie with a hallucinogenic in 1996.
According to a police report obtained by a Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy request, a lobster chowder consumed by roughly 80 crew members of the “Titanic” – including director James Cameron – contained PCP and sent many of them to hospital in August 1996.
"Some people were laughing, some people were crying, some people were throwing up," actor Bill Paxton told Entertainment Weekly at the time.
The police report says there is a “good probability” the culprit behind the drugging is no longer in the country.
“One must also consider the fact that PCP is not common in our area but is very common in the Hollywood area,” the report reads. “One must also consider that despite a wonderful movie, there is plenty of information on record that things were anything but smooth on set.
“The offence is such that unless the responsible party admits the act, then there is no evidence to this date that would independently convict them.”
The report notes police were initially dispatched to the Dartmouth General Hospital after receiving word a large number of the crew was making complaints of food poisoning. Police learned the crew had a lunch break that afternoon involving mostly catered seafood and many of them soon complained of “light headness, upset stomach, and so on.”
“One rumor is that the movie was over budget (a well known fact) and that the incident may have provided a reason to continue shooting for an additional week with the funding coming from an insurance claim,” the report reads. “At this time none of this can be substantiated as face (sic) and certainly nothing is suggested by the writer that the incident was staged as a method to increase funding for the film.”
This report comes after the Nova Scotia information and privacy commissioner told police to disclose more information about the 1996 incident.
"The only information that I could provide is that we investigated an incident in 1996 and the file was closed without charges," said Cst. John MacLeod with Halifax police when asked about the report.
-With files from CTV News' Daniel Otis
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
![](https://www.ctvnews.ca/polopoly_fs/1.6976926.1721883767!/httpImage/image.png_gen/derivatives/landscape_800/image.png)
AS IT HAPPENED Wildfire reaches Jasper Wednesday night, causes 'significant loss'
One of two wildfires threatening Jasper National Park reached the townsite Wednesday night and caused 'significant loss.'
Alberta calls in army to assist with wildfire situation
Alberta has called in the Canadian Armed Forces to help assist with the worsening wildfire situation in the province.
Biden explains why he ended re-election bid in Oval Office address
U.S. President Joe Biden on Wednesday delivered a solemn call to voters to defend the country's democracy as he laid out in an Oval Office address his decision to drop his bid for reelection and throw his support behind Vice President Kamala Harris.
Barrie-Innisfil MPP 'blacked-out' and crashed car into window of child care centre
Staff at a Barrie child care centre say they are frustrated by what they call a local MPP's inadequate response after a car crashed through a window in one of the toddler rooms.
Norad intercepts Russian and Chinese bombers operating together near Alaska in apparent first
The North American Aerospace Defence Command (Norad) intercepted two Russian and two Chinese bombers flying near Alaska Wednesday in what appears to be the first time the two countries have been intercepted while operating together.
2 Canadians being 'sent home immediately,' removed from Olympic team after drone incident
An analyst and an assistant coach with Canada Soccer are being removed from the Canadian Olympic Team and 'sent home immediately,' according to the Canadian Olympic Committee.
An unwelcome attendee has joined the Paris Olympic Games: COVID-19
After a handful of Australian water polo players tested positive for COVID-19 this week, questions have emerged around how the spread of the disease will be mitigated at the Summer Olympic Games in Paris.
Vacations, meals, booze: Contractor used $100K of charity's money for personal expenses, B.C. court finds
A B.C. man who was hired to help a non-profit build a food hub but instead spent the money on personal expenses – including travel, restaurants, booze and cannabis – has been ordered to pay more than $120,000 in damages.
Male, female killed, 2 others injured in 'gun battle' outside Toronto plaza: police
Two people are dead and two others suffered serious injuries following a shooting that police have described as a 'gun battle' outside a plaza in Scarborough, Ont. early Wednesday morning.