Uncovering Canada's Historic Wildmen Tales and Bigfoot Connections

A fascinating video recently caught my eye on YouTube, where the channel Hammerson Peters delves into the world of Sasquatch through a series titled "The Secret Sasquatch Files." Although the pilot episode, which featured untold Canadian Sasquatch stories from the British Columbia Scientific Cryptozoology Club's (BCSCC) unpublished newsletters, was removed, the channel's host, Hammerson Peters, decided to explore another realm of Canadian Bigfoot material. The video introduces viewers to a wealth of wildman stories from North American newspapers dating back to the early 1800s. Many of these tales originate from Canada's central provinces, far from traditional Sasquatch stomping grounds in the Pacific Northwest. These stories, which often involve hermits and crazy human beings living in the wilderness, sometimes share eerie similarities with modern Bigfoot reports. One of the oldest wildman stories published in a Canadian newspaper appeared in the August 7th, 1847 issue of the Halifax Herald and the British Whig and General Advertiser for Canada West. The article describes a strange and reclusive man living in the forest on Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia. Believed to be the child of Scottish immigrants, this hermit allegedly spent his childhood roaming the woods, eventually taking to the forest after his parents' death. By the time he was captured and brought to Halifax's Poor Asylum, he was living in a state of total nudity, had lost the ability to communicate, and was described as having the appearance of an inferior animal rather than a human being. Another captivating account comes from the September 27th, 1870 issue of the Hamilton Spectator describing a wildman sighting made in Ontario's Southwold Township, on the northern shores of Lake Erie. The notice describes a hairy tree-climbing human being, reminiscent of the woodwose, or wild man of the woods, of medieval European legend. These stories, along with many others, offer a glimpse into the forgotten anthology of North American wildman lore and provide fascinating insights into the world of Sasquatch. If you're intrigued by these tales, I encourage you to watch the full video on the Hammerson Peters YouTube channel and explore the rich history of Sasquatch sightings and stories.