Nova Scotia TV series sparks new interest in local ghost story

Filmmaker Mariah MacDonald grew up just a few kilometres away from a farmhouse in Caledonia Mills, N.S. The property would be unremarkable if not for one thing: a century-old ghost story.

“This is a story that I’ve heard all of my life,” MacDonald said. “When I was a child I’d hear this from my great-grandfather, from my grandmother, from everybody in the neighbourhood.”

MacDonald and Ali Akbar Akbar Kamal have partnered up to tell the local legend in a new four-part miniseries called “The Fire Ghost of Caledonia Mills.”

“There were almost 2,000 news articles written about it, so I went through all the news,” said Kamal, who served as writer and director for the series.

In 1922, Mary and Alexander MacDonald lived on the farm with their adopted daughter Mary-Ellen when fires started to mysteriously erupt around the house. The family attempted to fireproof the house and looked out for a possible arsonist, but the fires persisted.

The family’s daughter became known as “Mary-Ellen Spook.” She eventually moved to central Canada.

“I don’t believe it was the little girl, but I do believe the property is still haunted to this day,” said Mariah MacDonald, who served as producer on the show. “It was really important for me to make this documentary and I really hope that we can educate some people on what actually happened there.”

The show premieres on Bell Fibe TV on Wednesday.

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