Haunted PEI: The Ghost Stories & Folklore of Prince Edward Island

Prince Edward Island (PEI), Canada’s smallest province, is a land of rolling green hills, red sandstone cliffs, and charming coastal villages. While it is best known as the idyllic setting of Anne of Green Gables, this crescent-shaped island in the Gulf of St. Lawrence holds far older and darker tales—whispers of ghosts, hidden treasures, and ancient battles.

Long before European settlers arrived, the Mi’kmaq people called the island Abygwet, meaning “cradled upon the waves.” According to their legends, tiny supernatural beings known as the Tweedlers once inhabited PEI, resisting the Mi’kmaq’s arrival in a violent struggle. Their mysterious disappearance left behind an eerie energy—one that still lingers in the forests and shores of the island.

Join us as we explore some of Prince Edward Island’s most chilling legends, from haunted woods and restless spirits to fiery ghost ships and ancient curses.

The Haunted Wood and the Ghostly White Lady

PEI’s ghost stories are so deeply rooted in its culture that even Anne Shirley, the beloved heroine of Anne of Green Gables, spoke of them. In Lucy Maud Montgomery’s novel, Anne describes a haunted spruce grove where a wailing White Lady appears before a death in the family.

Though Anne’s tales were mostly the work of her imagination, there are real ghostly encounters throughout the island. Near Idlewild, the ghost of a murdered child is said to creep up behind travelers, placing icy fingers on their hands. In other places, headless men stalk paths, and skeletons leer from the shadows of trees.

Whether these apparitions are figments of imagination or spectral remnants of PEI’s past, many locals still refuse to walk alone after dark.

The Battle of Pretty Stream: A Lost Race's Last Stand

Before European settlers arrived, PEI was home to a mysterious race of Little People known as the Tweedlers. Described as small, magical beings, they lived in hidden settlements deep within the forests and coves of the island.

When the Mi’kmaq people arrived from the mainland, they clashed with the Tweedlers in what became known as The Battle of Pretty Stream. For three days, a brutal conflict raged, and by the end, the Mi’kmaq had driven out their tiny adversaries, their bodies said to have turned the stream red with blood.

Yet, some believe the Tweedlers were never truly wiped out. Sightings of small, fairy-like creatures still occur in the island’s deep woods, hinting that perhaps these ancient beings still dwell in secret.

The Phantom Ship of the Northumberland Strait

One of PEI’s most famous supernatural legends is the story of the Phantom Ship, an enormous, three-masted schooner engulfed in flames that appears on the waters of the Northumberland Strait.

For centuries, fishermen and sailors have reported seeing this ghostly vessel, sailing silently before vanishing or sinking into the sea. Some say it is the spirit of a doomed ship that caught fire long ago, its crew forever lost in the depths.

One famous sighting occurred in 1965, when hundreds of people across Cape John and Pictou, Nova Scotia saw the ship burning on the water. Despite numerous rescue attempts over the years, no wreckage or survivors were ever found.

What keeps this mystical ship returning to PEI’s waters remains a mystery.

The Curse of the Minayata Stone

One of PEI’s most tragic legends tells of a young Mi’kmaq girl named Minayata. She and her family lived beside a lake said to be home to a great water spirit. One day, while collecting berries, Minayata accidentally disturbed the lake’s surface.

The furious lake monster emerged and dragged her brother into the depths, never to be seen again. Enraged, her father fired an arrow at the beast, but this angered the spirit further, causing the lake to rise and threaten to flood the entire island.

Desperate to save her people, Minayata sacrificed herself, calming the waters. In her honor, the Minayata Stone, a mystical healing rock, appeared near the lake. It was said to **cure all illnesses—**but only if used by those of Mi’kmaq blood.

Years later, a French woman broke the sacred rule, using the stone to heal her dying daughter. Instantly, the Minayata Stone crumbled to dust, and the cursed woman’s family suffered misfortune for generations.

The Vanishing Church of Fort Amherst

During the Acadian Expulsion of 1758, British forces forcibly removed thousands of French settlers from PEI, burning their villages and sending them into exile. On the eve of their departure, the Acadians gathered in a church at Fort Amherst to say their final prayers.

As the congregation chanted their Latin hymns, a British officer burst into the church, ordering them to leave immediately. Their prayers were cut short, and they were forced onto ships bound for distant lands.

Legend says that on some nights, a ghostly vision of the church reappears on the Fort Amherst grounds. Witnesses claim to have seen candlelight flickering through the windows, and heard faint voices whispering "Ora pro nobis"—"Pray for us."

Forerunners: Omens of Death and Disaster

PEI is home to eerie “Forerunners”, mysterious occurrences that predict death or disaster. These warnings come in many forms, including:

• Three loud knocks on a door with no one there
• Falling pictures or calendars at the exact moment a loved one dies
• Hearing your name called by an unseen voice

One of the most chilling forerunners occurred in 1853 at the Kirk of St. James Church in Charlottetown. Early one morning, a ship’s bell began ringing violently, yet no vessel was in the harbor. Moments later, three ghostly women in white were seen at the church, one tolling the bell.

That very afternoon, the steamer Fairy Queen sank in the Northumberland Strait, drowning seven people—including three passengers from the Kirk of St. James.

Was the ghostly bell a warning of the disaster to come?

A Land of Beauty, Mystery, and Haunting Echoes

Though known for its serene landscapes and charming villages, Prince Edward Island is steeped in ghostly tales and eerie folklore. Whether walking through Anne Shirley’s Haunted Wood, gazing at the Northumberland Strait, or exploring Fort Amherst, one cannot help but feel the whispers of the past.

Perhaps the Tweedlers still watch from the shadows, the Phantom Ship still sails the waves, and forerunners still warn of untold tragedies.

The next time you visit PEI, pay close attention to the flickering candlelight in an abandoned church, the rustling of unseen footsteps in the woods, or the distant echo of a ship’s bell in the night—for you just might witness one of the island’s lingering legends.